Comparative Effects of Portable and Stationary Traction in the Management of Mechanical Neck Disorders

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of portable and stationary tractions on treatment outcomes in patients with mechanical neck disorders (MNDs). METHODS: Forty-one participants with MNDs were randomly assigned to either portable traction or stationary traction. Participants’ pain level, activity limitation, disability, and neck range of motion were measured before and after 6 weeks of intervention. Inferential statistics for comparing the treatment outcome involved paired t-test and two-way analysis of variance at P  0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 47.3 ± 10.5 years. After intervention, there were significant improvements in both groups. However, the portable traction group had significantly higher score on neck flexion than the stationary traction group at baseline (portable: 27.1 ± 6.0, stationary: 22.1 ± 6.8; P = 0.009) and after intervention (F-ratio = 15.0; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Inclusion of both portable and stationary tractions to usual physiotherapy provided comparable treatment outcomes in patients with MNDs.