Remember this 
?? Or if you’ve been here a while, maybe this 
?? I hope the answer is yes. This thing should be your best friend. Yes, that’s right… you remember now… The traction unit!!
Why Do We Need It?
In order for your body to work at its full potential, our goal is to remove pressure off your spinal cord by ensuring your spine is in its proper alignment. When this is achieved, your brain is able to send information to the rest of your body to allow it to heal itself as it should! Sounds great doesn’t it?
Small refresher: subluxations = shifts or misalignments in the spine, which put pressure on the nervous system and choke off your nerves… This means your brain is not talking to the rest of your body properly and isn’t functioning as it should. Of course you know how crucial adjustments are to remove subluxations and interference; but to help speed up the process of correcting your spinal curve you likely received a traction unit!
So remember… proper alignment of your spine = proper body function and healing! Your body is not able to heal correctly if there are subluxations or misalignments in your spine. Luckily, the structure of your spine is correctable!
How Does It Work?
The traction unit is placed under your neck, with your head hanging over the edge of it. It may be placed at the base of your neck, the middle of your neck, or the top of your neck, depending on the existing condition of your spine. (If you need a refresher on the specific placement for yourself, please ask!)
It’s really the weight of your head that does all the work! The traction unit works by stretching the anterior longitudinal ligament in the front of your neck. If you have a straight neck with forward head carriage, this ligament has likely shortened, pulling your spinal bones forward. Stretching the ligament back to its normal length allows the muscles to become more flexible and the vertebrae to go where they should (normal curve). This reduces pressure from your spinal cord, which is exactly what we want!
How Long Does It Take?
You begin the process by tractioning for only 3 minutes the first day and working your way up by a minute a day until you reach 20 minutes. The optimum stretch is 20 minutes because that is when you will start to see correction – anything less is simply to get your muscles used to the position; anything longer will not have any greater effect. It can take anywhere between 12 and 24 months to see benefits of tractioning, so stick with it and don’t get discouraged if your x-rays don’t improve at first – even having your spinal curve not changing is an accomplishment since it means it’s not getting worse!
I am always willing to give you a traction “refresher” class if you have any questions about using (and loving) your traction unit – please let me know!