Is it possible for traction therapy to make a bulging disc worse?
Kenzo, the answer to this is yes. The process of distraction is to create a vacuum in the disc. This vacuum will cause the fluid material to be sucked back into the disc. What sometimes occurs is that the process was not a success and not all of the material gets sucked back. When the person gets to the recompression state, when the traction force is reduced or gone, the material is again under heavy force. This force being no more than before but having the effect that it is creates a greater output of the fluid thus increased symptoms. I am not a great fan of traction and find that there are better ways to accomplish what you are looking to create. You need to be with a physical therapist that will work with you using a hands on approach and not machines. Finding such a therapist is often hard but the rewards are much greater.
