Traction for my bulging cervical disc was beneficial, but not so much for the lumbar one. It's easier to pull on your head against your neck muscles using the mass of your body than it is to find a way to secure your chest and then pull your torso against your abs against back muscles...although they tried. I could feel the bindings slipping as they pulled the top half and the bottom half of the table apart...it was a valueless endeavor. The first thing my chiropractor did was to take an x-ray and then we looked at it together ad he laid out his plan. Regarding the broad range of opinions on this field, I thought I'd put acupuncture on the table for discussion. That thread is here.
A good Chiropractor knows his limitations and when to refer to medical doctor. We went to one for years and years ,the same one. He helped in so many ways. In fact if I was back in Texas would be going to see him, and would feel much better. My issues are neck and back, and may be what is affecting my walking. I can hear my neck creak and crack - my whole body is out of line. So yes they are great a good one.
Before my wife talked me into seeing a chiropractor for neck pain several years ago, I would refer to chiropractors as chiroquackers, as I had never heard anything from anyone I considered to be sensible that was positive about chiropractic care. I suspect this was a holdover of a time, not so long ago, when chiropractic care was unregulated and all over the place. I now consider chiropractors to be another part of the medical professions, good for those who need it but not something that will solve everyone's problems.
Osteopaths who still practice osteopathy are kind of the better of the two worlds, as they practice something very like chiropractic while having the ability to prescribe drugs and conduct surgery. Most of the DOs now try to be MDs however. Osteopaths were the first to emphasize the importance of phosphorus and magnesium in human health. The MDs laughed at them and called it quackery, so they often advised patients in private if they thought those minerals had a role in what was causing problems.
Chiropractic care is recognized by the US NIH as having proven medical benefits. Also, in the late 1980s, the AMA lost a big lawsuit. They were caught creating some kind of PR campaign against chiropractic, which included a great deal of lying and illegal practices. To this day, the campaign they plied still has an effect upon the public's perception of chiropractic. "On August 24, 1987, after endless wrangling in the courts, U.S. District Court judge Susan Getzendanner ruled that the AMA and its officials were guilty, as charged, of attempting to eliminate the chiropractic profession." https://chiro.org/Wilk/#:~:text=On August 24, 1987, after,to eliminate the chiropractic profession. Very sad, but quite true. I have gone to orthopedists for problems with my injuries. Both acupuncture and chiropractic helped a lot more than them. +++ I get acupuncture and chiropractic also. Both help. Neither are magic cures. They both reduce pain levels and allow me to function better. If someone goes to a chiropractor to cure a back problem, they might very well be disappointed. If someone goes to a chiropractor looking to get a 20% reduction in pain level? That kind of thing is quite realistic. For me and my injuries...it ends the pain for a few days. Mostly ends the pain for about a week. But it also generally keeps it in check. If I can't get to the chiropractor for a few months, I definitely feel the difference. I pay $40 for a chiropractic session. Insurance reimburses me for $32 of those $40. But, I can only get one about once every six weeks. Better than nothing though...and for only $8...
Many disciplines have their niche. Chiropractic did nothing for me and, when I started seeing neurologists and orthopedic specialist, every one of them emphatically stated, for my type injury, I should not be receiving chiropractic care. It all just depends on the individual’s injury and having a competent professional skilled in treating that type injury; just have to find the magic bullet. For me, it was a minimally invasive, 2 level laminectomy.
My brother came up with this device he used to secure chest and use gravity to pull. My daughter also has one and uses it on ocassion. Problem was, the only doorway that could support and hook onto properly, that was tall enough, is in the second floor of the hay barn. We really had to look.
Sorry, I left an addy from amazon with this, I thought. It is a harness which hangs from a door frame.