The Role of Traction In Recovery From Baltimore Auto Accident Injuries

The Role of Traction in Recovery From Baltimore Auto Accident Injuries

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of his time treating patients recovering from Baltimore Auto Accident Injuries I get asked many of the same questions each day. It finally occurred to me that I should address these common questions in a series of blog posts on my website. That way a patient can know what I am going to say before I say it (and it will keep me from repeating myself.).

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is whether or not my office offers “traction” therapy. The answer is quite simple, “yes, we do.” However, the question is somewhat incomplete. That is, there are two different types of traction that we offer and each are used for different types of injuries. Let me explain.

The first type of traction that most patients are referring to is called “mechanical traction.” A picture of a mechanical traction machine that I might use on a Baltimore auto accident injury patient can be seen here. It is a table where a patient is harnessed down such that their torso is fixed, and a gentle mechanical stretch can be applied to the neck, or conversely, their torso is fixed and a gentle mechanical stretch can be applied to their lower backs. I generally will use mechanical traction as a form of therapy when patients either fail to improve with traditional forms of chiropractic care and rehabilitation, or when traditional spinal manipulation is ill-advised. Many of my Baltimore auto accident patients with neck disc herniations or lower back disc herniations swear by mechanical traction to help open up their locked joints and to take pressure off of their inflamed discs. The machine is somewhat cumbersome and it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish between setting an injured patient up on the machine, and administering the desired traction effect. As far as I am concerned, as long as it helps my injured Baltimore auto accident patients then it is time well spent.

The second type of traction that we offer is called intersegmental traction, or more colloquially, the “roller table.” A picture of an intersegmental traction table (or IST table) that I might use on a Baltimore auto accident injury patient can be seen here. It is a machine that has a series of massage-type rollers on a moving conveyor belt. It travels from your neck, through your middle back, and down to your lower back. It focuses on lifting and gently separating all of the spinal segments of your spinal column, one by one. The nice added benefit from utilizing an intersegmental traction table is the soft tissue paraspinal massage that it offers the patients utilizing it. Many patients refer to their time on the IST table as their “favorite part of their treatment.” They feel relaxed, looser, and a lot less stiff.

In future blog posts I will address other modalities and therapies that we offer, as well as other commonly asked questions that commonly arise during Baltimore auto accident injury treatment at Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident injury and requires treatment, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz