Mission Statement |
Our primary mission with each patient is to identify the cause of pain or loss of function. We evaluate each patient at the area of complaints as well as the contribution of the surrounding areas to the identified problem. Our approach on patient function at home and work versus focusing on symptoms alone. We achieve patient goals by assessing and treating muscle imbalances, poor posture as well as functional status. |
| Traction | |
Traction is the application of a force to the body in a way that separates and attempts to elongate the surrounding tissues. Traction may be applied by using many different techniques. The techniques applied are dependent upon the patients' physical condition, disorder, individual tolerance, and the spinal levels to be treated. This modality may be applied manually by the clinician, mechanically, self-applied traction, and in some cases inversion is used. |
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Manual traction is applied by the therapist. It can be used for the cervical or lumbar regions of the spine, as well as on many different joints in the body. The main concept of this modality is that it is a hands-on approach. |
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| Mechanical traction is mostly used for various symptoms and diagnoses of the neck and back. This type of traction is applied by using a variety of belts and halters along with an electrical mechanical traction unit. Patients having traction to treat cervical spine issues are at times allowed to take a home traction unit with them. The unit is referred to as an over-the-door pulley system. | |
| Self-applied traction is a form of traction that uses gravity and the weight of the patient's body to distract the lumbar spine. With self-traction the patient is guided through various methods of applying this modality to assure the greatest achievement or relief of symptoms. Self-traction is only used if the patient has adequate upper body strength and enough lower body weight to properly distract the spine. | |
| Inversion, which was a very popular form of traction the past 10 to 20 years, is applied by lying in a device which requires a head-down position. This device uses the weight of the upper body to achieve an appropriate distraction of the lumbar spine. Because of the adverse effects inversion has on patients with hypertension, most inversion traction devices have been removed from the U.S. market. | |
| It is important to remember that each patient and each patient's condition is unique. What works for one, may not be appropriate for another. Therefore, each prospective patient is carefully evaluated on the first, initial visit. Another important aspect is to remember that the goal of traction is to reduce pain and to help the patient become more functional. Traction should, at all times, be relaxing. | |
| Some contraindications for traction include, but are not limited to: | |
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| Some precautions to keep in mind are: | |
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| Biomax Rehabilitation mainly applies manual and mechanical traction, teaches self-traction techniques, and in certain cases home traction units are dispersed. | |
| Therapeutic traction is not a new concept. Today, the first patient to experience spinal traction would be more than 100 years old. | |
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