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42 of 43 found the following review helpful:
 Feels great May 14, 2007
By C. Hardwick
I cannot comment on the medical efficacy or safety of this device, however it is very well made and dose exactly what it says.
The instructions tell you to sit in a straight backed chair with the device hanging from a door. I found that extremely uncomfortable, and it seems to me you could easily hurt yourself that way--I would not do this except under a doctor's care. I hook it under the BOTTOM of a closed door, and lay on the carpet, although you could use it in bed as long as you have something to hook to.
It fits around the head very comfortably, and stretches the spine in a controlled way as you pull the cord through the ratchet. When lying on the floor (on the carpet) it pulls against the weight of your body, so you can shift around to control how far down the spine you want the traction. As a tall person who occasionaly gets pinched nerves, it's exactly what I was looking for. When you have had enough, you just pull velcro straps on either side of the head and it slides off with no fumbling.
It's a good design and easy to use, and the hardware is of solid construction.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 Works like a dream! Jun 21, 2009
By Ford Prefect
"klaatu62"
OK... I feel a little foolish if someone walks in on me as I quasi hang myself with this thing from the top of a door frame, but fact is it works wonderfully.
Compact, simple, the strap is comfortable but you have to get the velcro tabs properly adjusted each time so the fit is symetric, but this is nothign that all the others don't have as an issue also. Another important thing is to make certain you are sitting directly centered under the door hook so that it pulls straight up, and not to one side or the other even a little bit.
That being said, for the money it is great. Very transportable, you can use it on the road in a hotel room or anywhere you need to. When I informed my neurosurgeon I had purchased it, he told me to keep using it, although he also offered to assist me in getting a much higher end one through my insurance, the differences being that the new one had a pressure guage to allow me to know how much pull I was using on a constant basis, and it also made certain that the allignment was proper. Lastly, find a comfortable low slung seat to be in that will let you find a position that you can stay in comfortably for between 10 and 20 minutes. If you change your position in the seat, the tension will also change. Interestingly enough, my doctor when asked how much tension to use responded with "as much as you can comfortably handle... The device limit is low enough to avoid any chance of injury". He also suggested the use of a muscle relaxant before use, and NSAID at intervals before and after use to help the nerve flairs form becoming too painful.
However he also said that when properly used, this device was well worth the money and the use.
Biggest advantage I find over the other units in its class is that there is no need for a big bag full of water as a counter weight, which I worry big time about ending up with a flood if for some reason the bag falls or breaks. I also heard that someone had modified this unit by adding a spring scale (probably like a fish scale) to the chord in order to guage the tension.
In the end, after almost 3 months of constant pain, within 4 days of using this device in a conservative fashion, I am almost 100% pain free, and along with physiotherapy, I am well on my way to returning to as normal a life as someone with my issues (congenital fusion of C6-C7 and degenerative issues on the surrounding discs because of it) will ever be able to lead.
I have nothing bad to say about this device!
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
This deivce has saved my sanity Apr 06, 2010
By Your Goin' Down! Crane!
I have no official diagnosis for why my neck and back used to cause me so much discomfort- but at it's worst, it felt like a roaring fire on my back (nerve pain?), and at it's best, I felt like a 100 year old woman... I tried chiropractors (several) and had an MRI (nothing) and tried massage and hanging upside-down and stretching and nothing truly alleviated the varying degrees of discomfort (I had worked as a nurse for 10 years and had always pulled patients with improper technique/body allignment). THIS device was the answer for me. However, I could not use it in it's 'over-the-door' suggested use- I have used it lying on the floor with the device on the UNDERSIDE of the door. I've then had to use a rug-gripper under my behind so I don't slide up towards the door when applying traction (I also pull my pants down so my clothes don't cause me to slide and I make skin contact with the rug-gripper). I then pull the rope to get the most traction possible and then I relax and give a little tug with my body (tugging my body away from the door). Just a little bounce or two, while I'm relaxed. This causes my neck vertebrae and my thoracic vertebrae to allign! I'll lie there for a few minutes to relax my muscles after the adjustment, before removing traction and getting up. It is such a relief to know that if my neck or back feel funny or "out", I can just adjust it myself now and it doesn't cost me anything in time or money. I have had to use a 2x4 piece of wood across the inside of the door-jam (or else the amount of traction will pull the door off the hinge or the door frame off the wall) and I hook the device to the 2x4 directly instead of to the bottom of the door. And I did have to replace the rubber pulling-piece at the end of the rope (the thing you pull on to initiate the traction) with a 5" long dowel rod- because I've pulled the rubber piece off before while pulling on it. I used to go to the chiropractor all the time and now I don't anymore since getting this. I just adjust my own neck and feel better immediately. Well worth the low cost. Note: Get the one with the adjustable bracket for different door widths! I took my device to a hotel once and the doors there were too thick to use my device. They now make it with an adjustable bracket for different width doors. :)
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
better than visit to PT May 10, 2009
By arisrocks
sure a traction machine at the physical therapists office could relieve the pain and pressure, but for under $50 you have the convenience of doing it at home. I have two herniated discs, and right now i just need to manage the pain as my insurance does not allow me more than 10 visits per year, and i can't afford to pay out of pocket. This little device has been great for me. It comes set up out of the box, so no hassle there. I started off at 5 minutes, and increased my time to 12 minutes. Not every day, i use it every other day, out of the shower (get dry first) when my neck/back muscles are most relaxed. I don't recommend being strapped in for more than 12 minutes. That's when the pressure of the straps around your head start to get uncomfortable, especially on teeth because the chin strap is pulling up with a lot of pressure, so your lower jaw is pushed up into your upper teeth. Solution for this is to fold a hand towel and place it in the chin strap area to cushion the pressure. The extra padding makes it significantly more comfortable, and the last few minutes become more tolerable.
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 a little uncomfortable Aug 01, 2007
By T. Mangione
The device is not very comfortable. Instead of pulling on the back of my head or upper neck, all of the resistence seems to be aimed around my jaw and chin. By the time I get enough resistence to feel any relief in my neck it feels like my face is getting squished. My wife tried it and said the same thing.
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