Traction as a treatment for me. Any thoughts?

[alophysio]

Hi,

Please consult a trained physiotherapist who has had post-graduate training in manual therapy. It may cost more to see this person - don't let this put you off - because it should save you money in the long run.

There is a journal article published in the British Medical Journal (Cost effectiveness of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and general practitioner care for neck pain: economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial - Ingeborg B C Korthals-de Bos, Jan L Hoving, Maurits W van Tulder, Maureen P M H Rutten-van
Mölken, Herman J Adèr, Henrica C W de Vet,BartWKoes, Hindrik Vondeling, Lex M Bouter - VOLUME 326, 26 APRIL 2003) that explains what i am talking about. Here is a summary of the article

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and care by a general practitioner for patients with neck pain.

Design: Economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Primary care.

Participants: 183 patients with neck pain for at least two weeks recruited by 42 general practitioners and randomly allocated to manual therapy (n=60, spinal mobilisation), physiotherapy (n=59, mainly exercise),
or general practitioner care (n=64, counselling, education, and drugs).

Main outcome measures: Clinical outcomes were perceived recovery, intensity of pain, functional disability, and quality of life. Direct and indirect costs were measured by means of cost diaries that were kept by patients for one year. Differences in mean costs between groups, cost effectiveness, and cost
utility ratios were evaluated by applying non-parametric bootstrapping techniques.

Results: The manual therapy group showed a faster
improvement than the physiotherapy group and the general practitioner care group up to 26 weeks, but differences were negligible by follow up at 52 weeks.

The total costs of manual therapy (€447; £273; $402) were around one third of the costs of physiotherapy (€1297) and general practitioner care (€1379). These differences were significant: P < 0.01 for manual therapy versus physiotherapy and manual therapy versus general practitioner care and P=0.55 for general practitioner care versus physiotherapy.

The cost effectiveness ratios and the cost utility ratios showed that manual therapy was less costly and more effective than physiotherapy or general practitioner care.

Conclusions: Manual therapy (spinal mobilisation) is more effective and less costly for treating neck pain than physiotherapy or care by a general practitioner.

So please go to see a physiotherapist with post-graduate training for you neck pain. If there aren't any around, a good physiotherapist without post-grad training is ok so long as they don't just give you exercise only (see the study) or advice only (like a GP would). Rather, they should use their hands (manual therapy) in more ways than just a massage. A properly trained Mackenzie physiotherapist would fit into this category but it is not the only way to treat necks.

Good luck!

BTW, you can't tell that i am post-graduate trained can you??!! I really recommend post graduate training for all physios. It has helped in so many ways!