Neck Traction Techniques Explained

By Author: Jason vanDijk
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Our necks are subject to a lot of tension, and this affects their form. In order to get rid of neck pain, neck traction is required. This can be done at home or professionally by a massage therapist.

A healthy neck has a curvature of 40 - 60 degrees. In such a position, the spinal cord is relaxed and no pressure is exerted on the nerves. If this angle is affected in any way, then we feel pain and muscle tension. Neck traction is a good way to alleviate pain and neck discomfort.

It's amazing that stretching the neck just a little bit can relieve tension and increase comfort in the neck. A technique called 'overhead traction' involves your neck and head being surrounded by a harness and on the other end of the harness, a weight is attached to stretch the neck. This is most effective if you ask someone to slowly pull your head upwards.

Misalignment of the spine means the curvature of your spine has a different shape than it should, resulting in pressure on the nerves and pain.

Neck traction is very much used for the treatment of people with misalignment of the spine, but it can be used by those that ...
... are not in so much pain, as well.

An X-ray can determine if the curvature of the spine has been misaligned.
In our daily activities, we tend to protrude our heads forward, so over time some misalignment of the spine may occur. If you spend a lot of time working on the computer, driving, or reading, you will experience neck problems over time.

The following example of a football quarterback illustrates how the neck can be
misaligned over time. When the quarterback is hit from behind, in slow motion, we can see how he arches his body, including his neck. A quarterback is trained to receive hits and he is used to this kind of pounding to the body, so in most cases he will shake it off and get up but over time he will experience back and neck discomfort

Our spine is made out of vertebrae which are more likely to shift if we do something extreme to them. Rapid, extreme movements and bad posture will affect the neck and back.

If you have cervical lordosis, a group of vertebrae in the spine is affected and the condition is usually caused by severe trauma. But as we said before, it is not only accidents that can lead to misalignment of the spine. Activities that involve keeping our heads down or lower, or protruded more than their normal position, will result in problems in the long run.

Neck traction can assist in resolving these problems. Neck traction therapy can relieve pain and discomfort caused by misalignment of the spine. Always consult a doctor before you begin any kind of neck traction therapy.