The impact of manual spinal traction therapy on the pain and Oswestry disability index of patients with chronic back pain.
Hyunju Oh, SeokJoo Choi, Sangyong Lee and 2 others
PMID 30568333WHAT IT FOUND
Manual spinal traction reduced pain and disability more than machine-based intermittent traction in patients with chronic back pain.
Both groups received identical standard physiotherapy alongside their assigned traction method.
Key findings
01Patients receiving manual spinal traction reported significantly lower pain and disability scores after eight weeks compared to those receiving intermittent machine traction.
02Both groups showed significant improvement from their baseline scores, but the manual group improved more.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 30 participants, which is a small sample size. Participants were recruited from a single hospital over an 8-week period, limiting generalizability. Daily activities of participants were not tracked or controlled, so lifestyle factors may have influenced results. The study did not assess long-term effects after the eight-week treatment period ended.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not attribute the improvement solely to the traction method. Both groups received identical hot pack, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound therapy alongside their assigned traction, so the benefit of traction alone cannot be isolated from the standard physiotherapy.