Skip to main content
Your lens

Traction

A pulling force applied to the spine or a limb to separate joint surfaces or stretch soft tissue.

GlossaryUsed in 1 topic

Definition

Traction can be mechanical, applied by a table or device, or manual, applied by the clinician's hands. It can be continuous or intermittent, and cervical and lumbar traction are studied separately.

Topics that use it

Definitions here are general. They do not say what any profession may do in any state; that is set by each state’s law. Back to the full glossary

Was this page useful?