Traction for neck and arm pain is a common therapy that most physical therapists use every day. That's because sometimes your arm pain (and hand or finger pain) may not originate in your arm at all. Instead, it can emanate from your neck.

Cervical (neck) radiculopathy can cause pain and other symptoms, like numbness and tingling in the arm, hand, and fingers. But so can a few other disorders, particularly carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: A large proportion of people suffering from arm and hand pain have carpal tunnel syndrome. That disorder produces symptoms in the wrist, hand, and finger like pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, clumsiness, and shooting electric shocks.

Thoracic outlet syndrome: A smaller proportion of people suffering from arm and hand pain have thoracic outlet syndrome. The symptoms are similar to carpal tunnel, and include pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness from your arm to your hand.

So how do you tell the difference? Take the self-tests below. They will NOT be positive if you have cervical radiculopathy. And if you suspect cervical radiculopathy, then you can treat it differently than the other disorder, particularly with traction.

• Find out if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. Complimentary self-test

• Already know you have carpal tunnel? Learn its severity with this Quiz

• Find out if you have thoracic outlet syndrome. Complimentary self-test
  

Cervical radiculopathy is also called a "pinched nerve" in the neck. The most common cause of cervical radiculopathy is a narrowing of the passageway where nerves exit the spine. This can happen due to abnormal bone accumulation, bone spurs, or a herniated disc among other causes.

Neck and arm pain due to cervical radiculopathy can also result from an unknown pathology. It can also result from specific behavioral factors. For example, those who stand for hours at a time or slouch at a computer are the most likely to suffer. 

In the general population, cervical radiculopathy most often comes about due to poor sitting or standing posture. In fact, any worker who maintains a constantly forward-tilted head (like on an assembly line) can suffer with cervical radiculopathy. Simple preventative measures can avoid this condition (including carpal tunnel syndrome).

As a result of poor sitting or standing posture, many people create musculoskeletal stress problems in their neck and shoulders. When a doctor or therapist rules out carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome, the likely reason for pain is cervical radiculopathy. And this is when neck traction is used.

Today, traction for neck and arm pain due to cervical radiculopathy is one of the few medical therapies that can bring almost instant pain relief. In fact, it's very common for doctors and therapists to begin treatment with neck traction first.

Neck traction pulls the vertebral bones apart rather than compressing them. This takes the pressure off the pinched nerve. As a result, it's not unusual to see neck and arm pain relieved almost instantly  when traction is applied. 

Many practitioners confuse cervical radiculopathy symptoms with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome. The common factor in all of these conditions is that the symptoms are not in the region where the problem resides. In other words, even though the painful symptoms are "downstream":

• The pinched nerve in cervical radiculopathy occurs in the neck.
• The crushed nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome occurs in the wrist.
• The pinched nerve and blood vessels in thoracic outlet syndrome are in the chest.

You will need a helper in order to properly perform at-home traction for neck and arm pain. Don’t allow your helper to EVER force your neck in any direction or produce fast motions or jerks in your neck.

Also, you will need a quiet room that has a smooth floor. A kitchen floor is usually best.

1. A willing partner
2. A smooth surface like a kitchen floor
3. One large towel or blanket to lie on
4. Two lightweight towels, each approximately 2 feet long
5. A heavy cord or rope, approximately 4 feet long to anchor your feet
   

1. Find a place on the floor where you can anchor the rope to your feet. This is your anchor point. Usually, you can use the post between two kitchen cabinet doors or drawers.
2. Lay the blanket down in this area. You will lie on it. It should let you slide on the smooth floor.
3. Loop one towel around your ankles and tie the rope to that towel. The towel will cushion your feet and ankles. Then tie the rope to the anchor point.
4. Tie the other towel around your neck, loosely, like a scarf.
5. Lie back on the blanket, facing up. Make sure your feet pull tight on the anchor point.
6. With your partner NOT on the blanket, have them grasp the left and right side of the neck towel and pull slowly and gently backward. You must relax and be completely limp while they maintain a steady pulling force. Do not bend your head forward or backward. Your partner should be able to pull you away from the anchor point. You and the blanket will slide a little on the floor
7. Use only enough pulling force as is comfortable. Note: doing neck traction like this should never hurt. Stop if it does.
8. Keep the pulling force steady for 3-4 minutes. Relax for one minute and repeat 4-5 times.
9. Most people with cervical radiculopathy see symptoms resolve almost instantly. Whether they do or not, you should still perform this traction for neck and arm pain twice daily for about 5 days for best results.
   

If you were successful in using traction for neck and arm pain relief then the cause was probably due to cervical radiculopathy. And most likely, the cervical radiculopathy resulted from how you sit or stand and hold your head, neck, shoulders, and back. Since poor posture is a leading cause of neck and arm pain, you should take measures to correct your posture in the workplace.

Finally, if your symptoms persist then you may have a more serious condition like carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome. But don’t worry because there are highly successful ways to treat both of those disorders. In fact, the best treatments for both of them don’t even involve surgery.

In some cases you can use traction for neck and arm pain (and numbness) to successfully relieve these symptoms. Such symptoms may result from cervical radiculopathy. And the most common reason for cervical radiculopathy is poor posture. Poor posture produces abnormal stresses in your neck and shoulders. Cervical radiculopathy symptoms are similar to those of carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome.