Patent ID: 6966885

Claim:
A process for administering hydrotherapy traction to a patient within a hydrotherapy pool comprising the steps of: providing an immersible stretcher; providing a harness for supporting the patient from the upper body; providing weights for fastening about the mid- or lower body of the patient to provide traction from the upper body of the patient; placing the immersible stretcher in the horizontal position to receive the patient in a horizontal supine position; fastening the harness to support the upper body of the patient when the patient is on the stretcher in a horizontal supine position; fastening the weights to the mid- or lower body of the patient when the patient is on the stretcher in the horizontal supine position to provide a traction force when the patient is moved to the vertical position; moving the immersible stretcher from the horizontal position to the vertical position while immersing the patient in a hydrotherapy pool until the patient is in a vertical position while immersing the patient in a hydrotherapy pool until the patient is in the vertical position within the hydrotherapy pool undergoing traction between the harness and the weights along the upper body of the patient; leaving the patient in the vertical immersed position a sufficient period of time to administer hydrotherapy traction; moving the immersible stretcher from the vertical position to the horizontal position to withdraw the patient from the hydrotherapy pool and dispose the patient in the horizontal position; and allowing the patient to remain in the horizontal position for a sufficient period of time to gradually relax tension traction on the spine.