Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesBenefitsAlternativesRisksWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Benefits
Alternatives
Risks
When to Seek Care
This article explains what cervical traction is and how it is performed. It also describes conditions cervical traction can treat as well as the possible risks of the procedure.
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What Is Neck Traction?
Cervical traction gently pulls the neck to create space between vertebrae to not only treat certain conditions but to diagnose them as well.
Cervical traction is not used to treat conditions affecting thethoracic spine(located in the upper and middle back) or thelumbar spine(located in the lower spine).
Manual Traction
Manual cervical traction is performed while you are lying down. The practitioner will take your head and neck in their hands and pull with gentle force, holding the position for 10 to 20 seconds before releasing it. This can be done several times.
When used for diagnosis, the practitioner will move your head and neck in different positions, tilting or rotating it to check for pain, clicking sounds, or the reducedrange of motion.
Manual Traction vs. Chiropractic Adjustment
Mechanical Traction
Mechanical cervical traction involves devices. There are long-term devices that can be worn to aid with healing following a spinal injury or surgery. There are also short-term devices used in physical therapy to gradually improve joint mobility and pain.
Unlike manual traction which involves intermittent pressure, mechanical traction applies stable, continuous pressure.
There are two devices commonly used for mechanical traction:
Halo Traction
Halo traction can be used to immobilize the cervical spine following an injury or to aid with recovery during rehabilitation.
The device involves a circular metal band, called a halo, which is held in place around the forehead with two sharp pins that are screwed into a superficial layer of your skull. The pins can be attached with rods to a shoulder harness to keep the neck stable.
The pins can also be attached to a levered system of weights to gently stretch the neck while lying down during physical therapy. There are also systems that enable gentle stretching while seated.
Over-the-Door Traction
This is a simple and more practical way of applying cervical traction that can be used during physical therapy or at home.
The device involves a flexible harness that fits under the chin and the back of your head. Two rings are the top of the harness are connected to a pulley system of ropes over a door. Weights are attached to the end of the rope to apply gentle pressure. Treatments typically last 10 to 20 minutes.
Physical therapists often have integrated devices that consist of a chair and an apparatus with a mechanical system of pulleys.
Benefits of Neck Traction
Cervical traction is easy to perform and, when used properly, can deliver symptom relief and speed healing followingacute or chronicconditions affecting your neck.
Benefits of cervical traction include:
A 2021 study inPLoS Onereported that intensive neck traction (performed twice daily for 30 minutes over three months) reduced neck pain, stiffness, neuropathic pain, and the use of pain medications in 48% of patients.
Treatment for Injuries and Minor Conditions
Cervical traction is sometimes used to treat acute neck injuries and other minor condtions affecting the neck, including:
How to Get Rid of Neck Pain at Home
Treatment for Chronic Conditions
Cervical traction can be used for a wide range of chronic conditions affecting the cervical spine, either on its own or with other treatments.
Examples include:
Other Ways to Relieve Neck and Back Pain
Cervical traction can be beneficial to any number of acute or chronic neck conditions. But, there are other treatments that can be equally beneficial, either on their own or in combination.
These include:
8 Neck Exercises for Cervical Radiculopathy
Risks of Neck Traction
The main risk of cervical traction is improper use. Applying too much pressure or applying pressure for too long can cause more harm than good, leading to muscle strain, increased pain and inflammation, anddisc herniation(bulging discs).
Moreover, there are certain people who shouldnotundergo cervical traction, including those with:
When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider
If you are undergoing cervical traction or are treating yourself at home, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of potential injuries. Symptoms can sometimes develop immediately or days after treatment.
Seek immediate medical care if you have cervical traction and experience:
Call 911 or seek emergency care if you experience hearing or vision loss, changes in consciousness, seizures, or fainting.
Summary
Cervical traction is a procedure used to gently stretch the cervical spine to relieve pain, improve mobility, and aid with healing. It may involve manual traction or mechanical traction to treat everything from neck strain and compression fractures to degenerative disc disease and scoliosis.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madson TJ, Hollman JH.Cervical traction for managing neck pain: a survey of physical therapists in the United States.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):200-208. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6914Alshami AM, Bamhair DA.Effect of manual therapy with exercise in patients with chronic cervical radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial.Trials. 2021;22(1):716. doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05690-yRulleau T, Abeille S, Pastor L, et al.Effect of an intensive cervical traction protocol on mid-term disability and pain in patients with cervical radiculopathy: an exploratory, prospective, observational pilot study.PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0255998. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255998Swait G, Finch R.What are the risks of manual treatment of the spine? A scoping review for clinicians.Chiropr Man Therap. 2017; 25: 37. doi:10.1186/s12998-017-0168-5Romeo A, Vanti C, Boldrini V, et al.Cervical radiculopathy: effectiveness of adding traction to physical therapy—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Phys Ther. 2018;98(4):231-242. doi:10.1093/physth/pzy001Fritz JM, Thackeray A, Brennan GP, Childs JD.Exercise only, exercise with mechanical traction, or exercise with over-door traction for patients with cervical radiculopathy, with or without consideration of status on a previously described subgrouping rule: a randomized clinical trial.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014;44(2):45-57. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5065Furlan JC.Chapter 18 - nonoperative management of degenerative cervical myelopathy. In:Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2023. Pages 295-311.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Madson TJ, Hollman JH.Cervical traction for managing neck pain: a survey of physical therapists in the United States.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):200-208. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6914Alshami AM, Bamhair DA.Effect of manual therapy with exercise in patients with chronic cervical radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial.Trials. 2021;22(1):716. doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05690-yRulleau T, Abeille S, Pastor L, et al.Effect of an intensive cervical traction protocol on mid-term disability and pain in patients with cervical radiculopathy: an exploratory, prospective, observational pilot study.PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0255998. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255998Swait G, Finch R.What are the risks of manual treatment of the spine? A scoping review for clinicians.Chiropr Man Therap. 2017; 25: 37. doi:10.1186/s12998-017-0168-5Romeo A, Vanti C, Boldrini V, et al.Cervical radiculopathy: effectiveness of adding traction to physical therapy—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Phys Ther. 2018;98(4):231-242. doi:10.1093/physth/pzy001Fritz JM, Thackeray A, Brennan GP, Childs JD.Exercise only, exercise with mechanical traction, or exercise with over-door traction for patients with cervical radiculopathy, with or without consideration of status on a previously described subgrouping rule: a randomized clinical trial.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014;44(2):45-57. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5065Furlan JC.Chapter 18 - nonoperative management of degenerative cervical myelopathy. In:Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2023. Pages 295-311.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Madson TJ, Hollman JH.Cervical traction for managing neck pain: a survey of physical therapists in the United States.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):200-208. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6914Alshami AM, Bamhair DA.Effect of manual therapy with exercise in patients with chronic cervical radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial.Trials. 2021;22(1):716. doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05690-yRulleau T, Abeille S, Pastor L, et al.Effect of an intensive cervical traction protocol on mid-term disability and pain in patients with cervical radiculopathy: an exploratory, prospective, observational pilot study.PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0255998. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255998Swait G, Finch R.What are the risks of manual treatment of the spine? A scoping review for clinicians.Chiropr Man Therap. 2017; 25: 37. doi:10.1186/s12998-017-0168-5Romeo A, Vanti C, Boldrini V, et al.Cervical radiculopathy: effectiveness of adding traction to physical therapy—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Phys Ther. 2018;98(4):231-242. doi:10.1093/physth/pzy001Fritz JM, Thackeray A, Brennan GP, Childs JD.Exercise only, exercise with mechanical traction, or exercise with over-door traction for patients with cervical radiculopathy, with or without consideration of status on a previously described subgrouping rule: a randomized clinical trial.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014;44(2):45-57. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5065Furlan JC.Chapter 18 - nonoperative management of degenerative cervical myelopathy. In:Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2023. Pages 295-311.
Madson TJ, Hollman JH.Cervical traction for managing neck pain: a survey of physical therapists in the United States.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(3):200-208. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6914
Alshami AM, Bamhair DA.Effect of manual therapy with exercise in patients with chronic cervical radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial.Trials. 2021;22(1):716. doi:10.1186/s13063-021-05690-y
Rulleau T, Abeille S, Pastor L, et al.Effect of an intensive cervical traction protocol on mid-term disability and pain in patients with cervical radiculopathy: an exploratory, prospective, observational pilot study.PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0255998. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255998
Swait G, Finch R.What are the risks of manual treatment of the spine? A scoping review for clinicians.Chiropr Man Therap. 2017; 25: 37. doi:10.1186/s12998-017-0168-5
Romeo A, Vanti C, Boldrini V, et al.Cervical radiculopathy: effectiveness of adding traction to physical therapy—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Phys Ther. 2018;98(4):231-242. doi:10.1093/physth/pzy001
Fritz JM, Thackeray A, Brennan GP, Childs JD.Exercise only, exercise with mechanical traction, or exercise with over-door traction for patients with cervical radiculopathy, with or without consideration of status on a previously described subgrouping rule: a randomized clinical trial.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014;44(2):45-57. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5065
Furlan JC.Chapter 18 - nonoperative management of degenerative cervical myelopathy. In:Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2023. Pages 295-311.
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