I’m still on my herniated disc kick. However, let’s blend that topic with a popular chiropractic technique that also helps herniated discs: traction.

Traction involves decompressing the spine by using equipment to put gentle manual pressure on different places on it. By doing this it stretches the spine a certain way to “open up” abnormalities to align it properly. Patients are to be in these positions for a certain time frame. It relieves pain because it separates the nerve from where it is being pinched. This alleviates the weakness, tingling, and numbness that pinched nerves cause.

Traction is not just for spinal nerves though, it can also be used to relieve pressure or stress on muscles and parts of the skeleton. As well, it can improve circulation in the muscles and flexibility.

There are different types of tractions based on what you may need, cited from Laser Spine Institute:  

Mechanical traction – Motorized pulleys with adjustable tension settings stretch the patient.

Manual traction – The chiropractor may use his or her bare hands, or may use a manual pulley system, to stretch the patient’s spine. Weights may or may not be attached to the manual traction pulley system.

Anti-gravity traction – An inversion table is used so that the body weight of the patient exerts a downward stretch on the spine.