Traction for Neck Pain · 3 min read
Decompressing the cervical spine for neck relief.
Neck pain is a common ailment for a lot of people. Mostly the problems are caused by bad posture, underdeveloped muscles or staring at computer and phone screens all day that put our necks at a funny angle. Small potatoes when you consider the toll a lifetime of combat and contact sports have had on a neck like mine.
Chronic whiplash is a common occurrence when you have people punching, kicking and choking you on a daily basis. Not to mention the head on collisions that you see in football don’t exactly keep your neck in good shape.
The good news is that if I was able to find relief for my neck pain then so can you. It took me over 6 years to finally find a system that could help me deal with the tingling, numbness, discomfort and pain I felt.
I tried everything you could think of. Acupuncture, massage, chiropractor, cryotherapy, yoga, float tanks, foot rubs and even Chinese medicine. Nothing could give me lasting relief.
A mixture of supplements, exercises, diet and decompression are what finally did the trick. I knew for a while that traction, decompression of the neck, was able to help relieve pain for a short time.
I had been to many sports therapist that were able to provide traction at their clinics. The traction was great for immediate relief but the machines were big and bulky. That meant I had to go to them though to get the treatment. Which meant I couldn’t go every day.
Not exactly a convenient way to find an escape from pain and discomfort.
This left me trying to find ways to mimic the relief I felt through traction at home. At first, I was using an oversized rubber band that I would attach to a doorway or a bed frame. Then I would wrap the other end around my head. Not the safest way to achieve decompression.
By doing things this way I ended up choking myself as much or more than I decompressed my neck. I needed something better, something safer. The last thing I needed to do was choke myself out while trying to find relief from a pinched nerve.
The next genius plan I had was to use and old sparring headgear instead of the band wrapped around my neck. This helped remove the chance of passing out while I stretched but still sloppy. I attached one end of the band to the headgear and the other to a curtain rod.
This was a much safer alternative but it didn’t quite get the deep decompression I needed. It was more of a mild stretch than anything. I needed much more.
I knew I needed to find something that was affordable and worked as well a the machines at the sports clinics. As I started my search online I found devices that were well over $1000. That wasn’t exactly in the budget.
Then luckily I stumbled upon something that looked like it might do the trick. It was in a workable price range too. I found the Neck Traction Device while looking around on Amazon for something to help me.
At first, I had seen other neck devices that looked a little on the cheap side. They looked like neck pillows that you would use on a long flight. I was suspicious of how well something could work if it was just an air bladder. It didn’t seem like it would be stable enough to provide real decompression.
As I looked at other products I started to see the Neck Traction Device pop up and thought it looked more rigid, more capable. You see, it wasn’t just an air bladder with a pump. It had an adjustable plastic frame too. You could set the frame and then use the air bladder for a little extra decompression and relief. The device is also FDA approved.
I ordered the device and couldn’t be happier. I have recommended this traction device to a couple of my friends who also fight professionally. They are also big fans of the relief the device provides. I use the device daily. Once or twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes each use.
The decompression takes the pressure off of the nerves in the spine to give you instant relief from pain. The decompression also allows for better circulation and blood flow. This gives your body a better opportunity to heal itself.
This treatment paired along with the right exercises, diet and supplements may be the best way to improve your neck situation. They have worked wonders for me and saved me from retirement and surgeries. So if you are like me and need some freedom from nagging neck pain, this might just help.
Here is a link to the device I use:
Here is another good option: