Traction from what language?
Latin- tracio> drawing or pulling apart
Traction in papyri
Egyptian 3,000 BC axial traction for spinal fractures
Hippocrates Peri arthron
776 BC- described traction for treatment of back pain
Galen (201 BC), Avicenna (1037) Pare (1690)
treated LBP with hippocrates traction
W. Gayle Crutchfield (1933)
used cranial tongs for treatment of cervical spine injuries
James cyriax (1950s)
Traction treatment of choice for small nuclear protrusions
Joint distraction
The separation of two joint surfaces perpendicular to the plane of articulation
-force applied must be great enough to cause soft tissue elongation around the joint to allow for joint surfaces to distract
Lumbar spine physiological effects of traction
- 50% of BW needed to distract zygapophyseal joints
Cervical spine physiological effects of traction
- 25 pounds of traction separates 2-20 mm
Reduction of Disc protrusion
Cyriax traction is treatment of choice for small nuclear protrusions
Herniation index
AB=maximum AP disc length
CD= width of herniated disc @ mid AB distance
EF=Maximal canal length
GH= width of spinal canal at mid AB distance
Herniation index= (AB x CD)/ (EF x GH) x 1,000
Physiological effects of traction
Physiological effects of traction: soft tissue stretching
Spinal traction will result in elongation of the spine and increase distance between vertebral bodies and facet joints
- process is the same as for stretching any soft tissue
Physiological effects of traction: Muscle relaxation
Physiological effects of traction: Joint mobilization
Physiological effects of traction:patient immobilization pain relief by
Physiological adaptations from traction
Disc bulge or herniation
DRX90000 spinal decompression
- DRX9000
Clinical indications current research
Philadelphia panel evidence based clinical practice guidelines on selected rehab interventions for LBP
Nerve root impingment
Clinical indications: joint hypomobility
- traction is non specific
Clinical indications: subacute joint inflammation
- may control pain via gating mechanism
Clinical indications