- All right, today we are gonna talk about decompression
or traction for the low back.
We've shown at least five different methods,
I've counted over the years. - - Very good.
- This one is different, it's easier
and it could be for any age.
So, hold on.
♪ Bob and Brad ♪
♪ The two most famous physical therapist on the internet. ♪
- Now, Bob, before we get into a little bit of mechanics
of traction or decompression,
I wanna say this idea
was from one of the smarter people we have,
and that's one of our viewers.
I was reading the comments and he read this,
and I thought this is an excellent idea.
This technique is wonderful.
His name is Patrick,
I don't know if he would want me to say his last name.
- Sure. - So, should we hold on?
- Give credit where credit is due,
but we'll hold off the last name.
- Just in case he wants confidentiality.
But anyways, thank you Patrick.
I'll stand it. - Thank Pat.
- So, shall we get on with-
- Yeah, what we're trying to do Brad,
is decompression or traction to the spine.
Right? - Yep.
- So if you were actually grabbing the upper spine,
the total spine- - Yep.
- You actually would separate these bones.
- Right?
- And that's what we're trying to do.
- And we're not getting a half inches separation.
It's very little, but that's all you need.
Yep, that's all you need for- - Pain relief.
- And if you got sciatica,
this is a great option to try as well.
Okay, so this needs to be done in bed.
- Yeah.
- Or unless you have a massage table or a plinth.
But in bed for most people work fine.
Now, if you look down at my feet,
this is a critical part of this.
Your feet have to be hanging over the edge of the bed.
Now, if you have a footrest,
a wooden footrest, that may cause a problem.
This is uncomfortable, because if it has a edge,
you may have to put your shoes on.
But otherwise around the mattress work very good.
My feet are over the edge- - Very comfortable, right?
- And I'm gonna do a flex or pull my ankles up like this.
Now I'm laying prone, which is oftentimes good for a back,
unless you've got stenosis.
But if you got a herniated disc or just tight muscles,
this is gonna do very well.
- Or even arthritis.
- Exactly, Bob.
Once again, you are on the ball thinking.
So this is it, I hook here, my feet are here
and to start out with...
I'm just gonna pull my trunk with my arms forward-
- So he's trying to spread his spine.
- Yep. - Length in his spine.
- I'm holding here. - Right?
- And you need to really learn to relax your core muscles
for this to be effective.
So relax the tummy muscles,
that's the big thing.
And I'm gonna pull forward and I can feel some traction,
and actually I kinda...
- It should feel good. - Yep.
- No pain. - I'm noodling myself, Bob.
Can we say that from-
- You're what yourself? - Noodling.?
- Oh yeah, noodling. - I'm going by truck dude.
And I can feel attraction right now,
I'm gonna relax and just enjoy it.
Actually, this does feel really nice on my back right now.
And I'm gonna hang out there now.
Sometimes and I...
Bob was talking about this on the back course.
What did the guy do?
He just did some shifting. - Rotation.
- Yep. - Yep.
- And you're gonna do that.
You're gonna move around
and when you find a spot that takes the back pain away,
take advantage of it and hang out there-
- Always should feel better.
If it's worse you stop, you don't do it.
- Right, and we have found just shifting the hips...
Can you get the camera over there behind us?
Yeah, so watch my hip.
Sometimes I'm pulling little traction, shift over there
and test that. - Right?
- Or this direction. - Right?
- You'll be amazed when you can find that sweet spot.
And then following up with that,
particularly if you gotta sciatic might be to go up
on your forearms.
Plus you get a little more a grip on the bed,
and I'm gonna pull and extend at the same time
and go back down.
You may find yourself holding it.
- And I repeat no pain. - Yes.
- Right, it should feel good.
- It doesn't increase the pain on your legs,
it doesn't increase the pain in your back,
it just feels better. - Exactly.
Now, if you have sciatic and you've got pain
going down your leg and you do this
and the pain's getting better,
it's leaving your leg. - Hallelujah.
- Oh, absolutely, work with it,
and do this multiple times throughout day.
I assume if you have to go to work,
you probably don't have a bed.
- Brad, why don't we show 'em them a bonus too?
- Yeah, should we do the bonus on this video?
All right, say no more.
Go ahead, Bob. - All right.
The third bonus option, not the third option,
is actually use of the Bob and Brad hanging handles.
- You can't do this, if you have a pull up bar as well.
- Right, or a branch or beam.
- Yep, something in your house you can safely hang from.
So the key is that,
is that you can grab whatever you're holding on
and have your weight on your legs,
so that you don't have to jump up to get it,
'cause that's too abrupt.
- And- I like about these two band,
is the wall supports you back.
- Yeah, that's a big plus because I'm gonna use that,
not only for support
but for a little control.
I'm going slowly down, the weight of my legs and hips
and I'm gonna relax my abdomen, core muscles
and now I'm getting traction through my back.
- And again, it should feel better.
- Yep. - I keep re-emphasizing that.
And you can do a little twist in that.
If it feels better only.
See my toes are still touching,
I've got about 50% weight bearing and it feels good
and I could go full weight bearing.
But I'm gonna stay this way,
'cause it feels better for me.
The other thing is, if you have a stool-
- Brad likes this one. - Yep.
If you have stenosis, or sometimes this'll open up
gap the frame and make that sciatica
and stretch those back muscles a little more.
So, I can go here, and I can test here for me.
- I think that one's better for stenosis.
Yep, this is better for me.
And this really is a good deal.
And I can still do a little rotation
as long as it feels good.
And it feels like a good, healthy stretch.
- And when you're done, you'll be inch taller, right?
- Well yeah, if I keep doing this,
I'll be as tall as Bob pretty soon.
- Right? - Yeah.
- And that's good looking.
- Oh wow, I don't know if I could ever do that, Bob.
Anyways, we can fix anything,
except for our broken hearts. - Except for our broken heart.
- That's right, but we continue to work on that
and we continue to not go too far too fast,
but we persevere.