Benefits of Over-the-Door Cervical Traction

Having chronic and debilitating neck pain can be, well, a pain. This is why some physical therapists recommend using cervical traction as an alternate form of treating neck pain. If your physical therapist determines that you can use over-the-door as a cervical treatment option, you are in luck. With the FabTrac® Overdoor Cervical Traction unit you can practice cervical traction at home.

Over-the-door cervical traction treatment can be a blessing for people who want cervical treatment but do not want to travel all the way to the physical therapist’s office. Travel can be troublesome, especially if your neck pain prevents you from turning your neck easily. With the FabTrac®, you can practice cervical traction exercises in the comfort of you own home. Simply mount the FabTrac® over a door, attach the rope to a water bag, and then attach your head and neck to the harness. Depending how much water is in the bag, you can adjust the traction force according to the weight, up to 20 pounds. It is that easy.

There are many ways you can use over-the-door cervical traction, giving you options of how you want to do your exercises. It can be done while sitting, leaning back, or lying down. There are various exercises that can be done using the FabTrac® and the pulling force will change depending on your position. When less force is used, you will be in the supine position since you do not have to overcome the force of gravity. In this position, eight to 10 pounds of water in the water bag is recommended. You should be holding your position for 10 to 20 seconds, before slowly releasing yourself from the force. Increased pulling forces up to 20 pounds can be used, and rhythmic pulling and releasing should be continued for about 10 minutes. Make sure to watch out for how your body reacts and go to where you feel comfortable in terms of stretching and the duration of your exercises.

You can apply your cervical traction exercises several times throughout the day. Be sure to work closely with your physical therapist for help on deciding on the best treatment routine for your specific ailment. If your symptoms worsen at any time during your treatment, notify your physical therapist immediately.

To check out the FabTrac® Overdoor Cervical Traction unit, click here.

Article written by William Graves.