C-Trax Supine Cervical Traction Unit w/Standard Halter
Our Price: $30.30
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Health Care
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C-Trax Supine Cervical Traction Unit w/Standard Halter Details
Manufacturer: Therapeutic DimensionsBrand: C-Trax
Product features:
- Can be used to administer static or intermittent cervical traction while patient is in supine position
- Unit mounts to any door frame
Customer Reviews of C-Trax Supine Cervical Traction Unit w/Standard Halter
Customer Review: It has helped my headaches
Summary: 4 Stars
This contraption has indeed helped quite a bit with my headaches and has saved me from several migraines. It gently stretches my neck and provides almost immediate relief from muscle spasms. You can use it while sitting in a chair or lying on a bed. Unfortunately though, it doesn't come with adequate instructions, and I suspect that it could even be a little bit dangerous if you don't use it with care. Therefore, I give it four stars instead of five.
When I first tried this thing, I expected it to "pop" my neck like a chiropractor would. Instead, it just exerted a slow, steady pull and didn't seem to be doing much of anything. I experienced a few moments of anxiety because the harness was wrapped around my head and it felt like I was being hanged. It was hard to get myself into position, with cords and a heavy weight hanging from my head. After I finally relaxed though, the traction started to feel kind of good. Since the instructions didn't say how long to use it, I stopped after about five minutes. I was disappointed, because nothing seemed to have happened, except that my neck was pleasantly stretched a little. About an hour later, I tossed my head to the side (because the muscles were still sore and hurting) and pop! My neck fixed itself.
Guess what? That same thing has happened almost every time I have used this gadget. It seems to pull the spine out just a little, like a Slinky, which takes the pressure off the discs between the vertebrae and allows the spine to realign when you remove the pressure. It also seems to stretch the muscles so they can't spasm.
The thing consists of two soft straps that fit behind your head and under your jaw. They are attached to a cord with a pulley that you can hang over the top of a door, or wedge it into the hinged side of the door. This allows you to place the pulley at any height you want, thus adjusting the angle of pull. You attach the cord to a heavy-duty plastic bag filled with water, and the weight of that will pull on your neck. The bag has measuring marks so you can fill it to whatever weight you want. You also get a little do-hickey that is supposed to let you apply intermittent pressure, but that part is kind of silly. (You might as well just grab the hanging cord and pull on it to reduce the traction for a moment.) You can also get an optional TMJ harness instead of the cheaper version, to reduce the pressure on your jaw and teeth.
What you don't get is good instructions, only a brief and fairly vague explanation of how to use the device. It seems to me that hanging a 20 pound weight from your neck could be a good way to hurt yourself, if you don't do it right. Since any injury to the neck is a Very Bad Thing, I think the manufacturer should provide a lot more detail about how to use this contraption without hurting yourself. For instance, how long should the traction be applied? The instructions just say to ask your doctor.
The upshot is, I recommend the product, but please be careful and don't let it jerk on your neck, or pull from any odd angle, or use it for very long.
ADDENDUM: I asked my chiropractor about this type of device, and he said it can definitely be helpful, but people sometimes hurt themselves by using it too long, or putting too much water in the bag, or moving around so the traction is pulling at an angle instead of straight up. He said an average person should probably start with about 3 or 4 pounds of weight, and apply the traction for no more than 3 to 5 minutes at first. It's okay to add another pound every few days, but he strongly advised against using more than about 8 pounds. (This device can hold up to 20 pounds of water, which he said would be way too much for anybody.) He suggested using the traction twice a day, even on days when you feel good. That will keep the neck stretched and give you the best long-term results.
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