Full Title: Trunk Muscle Response to Various Protocols of Lumbar Traction
Author: Cholewicki MD
Affiliation: Yale University
Publication: Journal of Manual Therapy
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare trunk muscle activity, spinal decompression force, and trunk flexibility resulting from various protocols of spinal traction. Four experiments explored the effects of sinusoidal, triangular, square, and continuous distraction-force waveforms, 0, 10, 20, and 30 degrees of pull angle, superimposed low, medium and high frequency force oscillations, and sham traction.
Nineteen healthy subjects volunteered for this study. Surface EMG was recorded during traction and later used in a biomechanical model to estimate spine decompression force. Trunk flexibility was measured before and after each treatment.