Intersegmental Traction Care for Spinal Mobility
Intersegmental traction uses a table fitted with rollers that travel slowly along the spine while a person lies face up. Each segment is moved gently in turn, in a passive, rhythmic way. It is comfortable, it asks nothing of the person receiving it, and it is commonly used to loosen a stiff back before active work begins.
Its limits are as clear as its uses. It can make movement easier for a period, and that has value as preparation. It does not build strength and it does not change how a spine is loaded through the remaining hours of a day. Used as a warm-up to exercise it earns its place; used alone, week after week, the effect does not hold.
This guide to intersegmental traction, what a session involves and where it fits in a care plan, is published by Chiropractic Specialty Center, Bukit Damansara (KL) main center: WhatsApp+60 17 269 1873 Call+603 2093 1000
What an Intersegmental Traction Session Involves
You lie face up on a cushioned table while rollers beneath the surface travel slowly along the length of the spine. Each segment is lifted and released in turn, in a steady rhythm, which is why the method is also called intermittent or roller-table traction. A session usually lasts 10 to 20 minutes, and the pressure can be adjusted if it feels too firm.
Where It Fits in a Care Plan
At Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur, intersegmental traction is used as preparation rather than as the treatment itself. By making a stiff back easier to move for a period, it can make the active part of the plan easier to begin: exercise rehabilitation, physiotherapy and changes to how the spine is loaded during the day.
Recovery has a much better chance when you increase what helps a condition and, at the same time, reduce what aggravates it. The table is one small input among several on the helping side. It does not build strength or change daily loading, so it is never used as the whole plan.
Asking About Intersegmental Traction at CSC
If you would like to know whether intersegmental traction belongs in a plan for your back, the examination is the place to start. Contact either Kuala Lumpur center:
- Bukit Damansara (KL, main center): Call +603 2093 1000 or WhatsApp +60 17 269 1873 to see the Bukit Damansara / KL center.
- Bandar Sri Damansara (KL): Call +603 6262 5777 or WhatsApp +60 12 455 6939 to see the Bandar Sri Damansara center.
Who It May Be Considered For
It may be considered when the examination finds general stiffness or reduced movement in the spine, including in some people with spondylosis. Whether it suits you depends on that examination, and the reason for using it, or for leaving it out, is explained before any session begins.
What the Research Shows
Most traction research has studied other forms of traction rather than roller tables. A 2023 systematic review found short-term pain relief from traction in low back pain with nerve-root symptoms, whatever the type or dosage, although the evidence was rated very low to low in quality, and in a retrospective study of 160 patients with lumbar disc disease, motorized traction or decompression added to physiotherapy gave better pain and disability scores than physiotherapy alone. At CSC, intersegmental traction is used alongside active care rather than on its own.
If you would like to see costs before a visit, CSC publishes its chiropractic fees and physiotherapy fees in full.
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Peer-Reviewed Medical References:
- Vanti C, Saccardo K, Panizzolo A, Turone L, Guccione AA, Pillastrini P. The effects of the addition of mechanical traction to physical therapy on low back pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2023;57(1):3-16.
- Oh H, Choi S, Lee S, Choi J, Lee K. The impact of manual spinal traction therapy on the pain and Oswestry disability index of patients with chronic back pain. J Phys Ther Sci. 2018;30(12):1455-1457.
- Choi J, Lee S, Hwangbo G. Influences of spinal decompression therapy and general traction therapy on the pain, disability, and straight leg raising of patients with intervertebral disc herniation. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(2):481-483.
- Karimi N, Akbarov P, Rahnama L. Effects of segmental traction therapy on lumbar disc herniation in patients with acute low back pain measured by magnetic resonance imaging: a single arm clinical trial. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2017;30(2):247-253.
- Adar S, Apaydin O, Dundar U, et al. Comparison of the effectiveness of traditional motorized traction and non-surgical spinal decompression therapy added to conventional physiotherapy for treatment of chronic low back pain. Cureus. 2024;16(9):e69610.
The Author of Intersegmental Traction Care for Spinal Mobility
Intersegmental Traction Care for Spinal Mobility was written by Yama Zafer, D.C., who has 30+ years in chiropractic and physiotherapy and founded Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
Last Updated: Intersegmental Traction Care for Spinal Mobility
Intersegmental Traction Care for Spinal Mobility was last reviewed and updated on October 3, 2026.
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