Table 1 Characteristics of randomized trial of lumbar traction
Research parameters | Studies | |||||||||
Isner-Horobeti 2016 [17] | Thackeray 2016 [16] | Diab 2013 [15] | Kim 2013 [13] | Prasad 2012 [12] | Simmerman 2011 [14] | Schimmel 2009 [28] | Unlu 2008 [29] | Fritz 2007 [11] | ||
Symptom duration | Acute and Subacute | Acute, subacute and chronic | Chronic | Chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | Chronic | Acute | Acute | |
Sciatica status | + | + | – | – | + | + | – | + | + | |
Traction type | Mechanical | Mechanical | Mechanical | Inversion | Inversion | Aquatic | Mechanical | Mechanical | Mechanical | |
Traction rhythm | Continuous | Continuous | Continuous | Intermittent | Intermittent | Continuous | Intermittent | Intermittent | Continuous | |
Traction force | 50% of body weight | 40–60% of body weight | Maximum tolerable force | Unknown | Unknown | 2.3 kg ankle weight | 50% of body weight | 35–50% of body weight | 40 to 60% of body weight | |
Patient position | Supine | Prone | Supine | Supine | Unknown | Vertical | Supine | Supine | Prone | |
Traction frequency | 10 sessions, 5 per week, for 2 weeks | 12 session for 6 weeks | 3 min 1st session, and increased 1 min each subsequent session for a maximum of 20 min. 3 times per week for 10 weeks | Three 3-min inversions, 4 times a week for 8 weeks | Six 2-min inversions, 3 times a week for 4 weeks | 1 session for 15 min | 25–30 min per session, for 20 sessions for 6 weeks | 15 min per session for 5 days a week for 3 weeks | 12 min for 12 session for 6 weeks | |
Traction combined with other interventions | No | Yes: directional preference exercises | Yes: mixed physical therapy interventions | No | Yes: mixed physical therapy interventions | No | No | No | Yes: directional preference exercises | |
Comments | Patient had specific LBP (disc) | Patient had specific LBP (disc) | Patient had specific LBP (disc) | |||||||
Research parameters | Studies | |||||||||
Harte 2007 [30] | Gudavalli 2006 [31] | Ozturk 2006 [32] | Borman 2003 [33] | Sherri 2001 [20] | Guvenol 2000 [34] | Werners 1999 [35] | Beurskens 1997 [21] | Van der Heijden 1995 [36] | Letchuman 1993 [37] | |
Symptom duration | Acute and subacute | Chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | Chronic | Chronic | Subacute and chronic | Acute | Subacute and chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | Acute, subacute chronic |
Sciatica status | + | +/− | +/− | Unknown | + | + | +/− | – | +/− | +/− |
Traction type | Mechanical | Manual | Mechanical | Mechanical | Mechanical | Inversion | Mechanical | Mechanical | Mechanical | Mechanical |
Traction rhythm | Continuous | Intermittent | Continuous | Unknown | Intermittent | Unknown | Intermittent | Continuous | Continuous | Continuous and intermittent |
Traction force | 5–60 kg | Unknown | 25–50% body weight | Up to 50% of the body weight | 50–95 lbs | Unknown | 10–20 kg | 35–50% of body weight | 30 to 50% of body weight maximum | 50% of body weight |
Patient position | Supine | Prone | Unknown | Supine | Prone | Supine | Supine | Unknown | Unknown | Prone |
Traction frequency | 10–20 min for 2–3 times a week for 4–6 weeks | 2–4 sessions per week for 4 weeks, 9–18 min of traction | 15 min per sessions, for 5 sessions per week, for 15 sessions | 20 min for 5 sessions per week for 2 weeks | 30 min per session for 5 sessions per week for 4 weeks, then once per week for 4 weeks. | 5 min on 1st day, 8 min on 2nd day, 10 min on 3rd day and onwards through 7 days (10 days total) | 6 sessions for 2–3 weeks | 20 min per session, for 12 times over a period of 5 weeks | unknown session duration for 10–12 sessions for 4 consecutive weeks | 6 min |
Traction combined with other interventions | Yes: mixed physical therapy interventions | No | Yes: modalities | Yes: mixed physical therapy interventions | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Comments | Patient had specific LBP (disc) | Patient had specific LBP (disc) | Published data only | |||||||
Research parameters | Studies | |||||||||
Sweetman 1993 [38] | Tesio 1993 [39] | Konrad 1992 [40] | Ljunggren 1992 [41] | Mathews 1988 [42] | Reust 1988 [43] | Pal 1986 [44] | Ljunggren 1984 [45] | Weber 1983a [19] | ||
Symptom duration | unknown | subacute and chronic | Subacute | Acute, subacute and chronic | Acute and subacute | Unknown | Acute, subacute and chronic | Subacute | Unknown | |
Sciatica status | unknown | +/− | +/− | + | + | +/− | + | + | + | |
Traction type | Mechanical | Autotraction | Aquatic | Manual | Autotraction | Mechanical | Mechanical | Autotraction | Manual | |
Traction rhythm | Continuous | Intermittent | Unknown | Continuous | Continuous | Continuous | Continuous | Intermittent | Intermittent | |
Traction force | 1st week 33% body weight, 2nd week 50% body | Unknown | Participant’s weight, gravity plus 3 kg weight on both sides. | 300 N | 45 kg | 5-kg on day 1, 10 kg on day 2, 15 kg on day 3, increasing 5 kg each day up to a maximum of 50 kg | 5.5–8.2 kg | Between 33 and 100% of participant’s body weight | 40–70 kilopond | |
Patient position | Unkonwn | Unknown | Standing | Unknown | Supine or prone | Unknown | Supine | Unknown | Unknown | |
Traction frequency | 10 min per session, for 3 sessions per week, for unknown number of weeks | 3–6 s with 1-min rest for 30–60 min/session. 2–3 times a week for 3–10 sessions. | 15 min, 3 times per week, for 4 weeks | 10 min per day for 5–7 days | 30 min per session for 5 days per week for a maximum of 3 weeks | 10 min per day, for 12 sessions, for 12 days | Unknown | Every treatment lasted about 1 h | 10–20 s followed by rest for 20 min one time per day | |
Traction combined with other interventions | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
Comments | Patients had specific LBP (disc). | Patients had specific LBP (disc). | Patients had specific LBP (disc). | |||||||
Research parameters | Studies | |||||||||
Weber 1983b [19] | Walker 1982 [46] | Coxhead 1981 [47] | Larson 1980 [48] | Bihaug 1978 [49] | Mathews 1975 [50] | Lind 1974 [51] | Weber 1973 [52] | Lidstrom 1970 [53] | ||
Symptom duration | Unknown | Acute, subacute and chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | Subacute | Subacute and chronic | subacute and chronic | Acute, subacute and chronic | unknown | Subacute and chronic | |
Sciatica status | + | + | + | + | + | + | +/− | + | + | |
Traction type | Manual | Mechanical | Mechanical | Autotraction | Autotraction | Mechanical | Autotraction | Mechanical | Mechanical | |
Traction rhythm | continuous | Unknown | Intermittent | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Intermittent | Intermittent | |
Traction force | 30 kilopond | 40–70 kiloponds | unknown | Unknown | 70 Kilopond | 36.3 kg | Unknown | 33% of body weight | Unknown | |
Patient position | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Prone, supine, sidelying | Prone | Altered at the therapist’s discretion | Unknown | Unknown | Supine | |
Traction frequency | 10–20 s followed by rest for 20 min one time per day | 20 min daily for 4–8 days. | 4 weeks | up to 3 treatments within 1 week for less than 1 h | 4–12 sessions per week | 30 min per day, for 5 days per week, for 3 weeks. | 1 h for 1–3 weeks | 20 min per session for 5–7 days | Unknown | |
Traction combined with other interventions | No | Unknown | No | No | Unknown | No | Yes: bed rest and postural advice. | Unknown | Unknown | |
Comments | Patients had specific LBP (disc). | Sciatica was defined as pain as low as the buttock crease | ||||||||