In most cases, traction is great for a “slipped” disc, which is usually called a bulging disc. The disc is like a wet, leather washer that keeps the bones apart and helps them move. When the spine is out of alignment, usually for long periods of time, the discs have more and more abnormal stresses on them. Eventually, if the problem is not corrected the disc will “slip” or bulge out from between the two vertebrae. Picture an ice cream sandwich that’s squeezed hard on one end and the ice cream oozes out of the other side.
Traction, when applied exactly as indicated by the patient’s posture and x-ray analysis, helps restore normal alignment, ideally avoiding the disc problem altogether. It should be preventative! But even when a disc is bulging traction, when done properly, can often help a “slipped” disc. Your CBP-trained chiropractor can determine when the spine is in a condition to benefit from traction.