How to do an Active Self-Traction of Your Spine For Improved Posture and Back Pain

Written By Katelyn Sheehan, PT

Many people and patients have heard that spinal traction may help reduce their lower back pain and improve their spinal mobility, but they don’t have access to a traction machine, inversion table or somewhere they can hang from safely. There are several exercises that help to decompress the spine, but one I have found most helpful and comfortable is this one (see video below). This is a great exercise for anyone suffering from lower back pain, mid-back pain, a forward or rounded posture, pelvic organ prolapse, and osteoporosis. It is especially useful for anyone who might be limited with their upper body strength or wrist issues since it is non-weight bearing through the arms and hands.

The goal of this exercise is to gently lengthen the spine, then add arm motion and rib cage motion to help improve the spinal mobility in that lengthened position. This can help to gain even more mobility through the spine, by adding small micro movements to each joint. This version of the exercise specifically focuses on the thoracic spine, or mid back as that is where a lot of people are too rounded and compressed. This can result from sitting with the shoulders forward or looking down a lot, just to name a couple of examples. This is especially important for patients with back pain, or pelvic organ prolapse because the thoracic curvature can create more downward pressure onto the lower spine and pelvic organs.

This exercise can be hard to master at first, because it involves fine movements and breath control, but I find that once patients do it several times it easily becomes a patient favorite. You will begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your arms up to the sky. Next you will try to walk your shoulders away from your hips to let your spine be as long and stretched out as it can be. Then you will add some arm motion and some rib motion as described in the video to improve the spine and rib mobility. Give it a try and see if it helps to reduce any back pain, or pelvic pressure.  Feel free to ask your physical therapist for other ways to decompress the spine and look out for our future post on spinal decompression for the lumbar spine.

Spinal Decompression

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Have your hands up toward the sky.
2. Walk your shoulders away from your hips, like you are untucking your shirt.
3. Bring your arms over head then back to the sky 3-4 times. On the last repetition let your hands rest overhead.
4. Exhale to bring your ribs down, and shoulders away from your ears as the hands stay resting on the floor.
5. Hold this position for 3-4 breaths.
6. Return your hands to the sky while keeping the ribs down, then let the ribs relax once the hands have reached the sky.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for 3-4 rounds. Do this 1-2x a day. (Afternoons are best, or before your workout)

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