Spinal Traction
Spinal traction is an important treatment adjunct for numerous spinal injuries that uses longitudinal force to restore spinal alignment, achieve indirect spinal cord decompression, and provide stabilization. Traction may be used as a stand-alone therapy or may be used as a bridge until definitive surgical stabilization is possible. It remains an effective and widely used method to reduce fracture dislocations in the cervical spine. In contrast, the role of traction in the conservative management of cervical and lumbar spine pathology is unclear, and its use has not been supported by data from prospective clinical studies. In this chapter, the authors discuss indications for traction, common techniques for traction, and important considerations to evaluate when utilizing cervical traction.
