Can traction help back pain?

Traction treatments use systems of weights, cables and pulleys in an attempt to reduce pressure on the disks and the joints between the vertebrae. It was thought that such traction, as well as stretching the muscles and connective tissues of the back, might have a beneficial effect. Careful evaluation of the available research found no evidence of benefits from traction. It has not proved effective in relieving long-term pain or in making bouts of acute low back pain shorter.

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