Cervical traction equipment works by gently pulling the head away from the neck. By doing so:

1. The muscles along the spinal cord begin to relax and gradually stretch, along with ligaments around the spine.

2. The intervertebral space of the spine expands, which brings blood flow, circulation, and nutrition to the areas which were being compressed.

3. Increased circulation helps to oxygenate muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments, which leads to decreased pain and increased mobility.

Pinched nerves are released. Herniated and bulging discs reduce. pressure is relieved.

In the past, individuals could only receive traction at a physical therapist's office. But these visits are often time consuming, inconvenient, and costly.

Today, there are many at-home cervical traction devices, but most are complex, cumbersome, bulky, expensive, and potentially injurious.

What is needed is an easy to use, compact, non-marring, effective traction device that minimizes discomfort and avoids potentially injurious stresses, while giving the patient ultimate relaxation and pain relief.

And that's how and why The Neck Hammock was created!

While The Neck Hammock achieves many of the same benefits of physical and massage therapy, it is not meant to replace these modalities.

The Neck Hammock is meant to be a compliment to these therapies, which can be used every day to help relieve pain and protect against future injury.

The Neck Hammock is ideal for:

• Office workers
• Students
• Athletes
• Shift workers
• Laborers
• Drivers
• Bodyworkers

Do not use The Neck Hammock if you have:

• Acute Cervical Injury
• Spinal Instability
• Spinal Hypermobility
• Neck Tumors
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Osteomylelitis
• Under age of 16

Consult with your Doctor or physical therapist to see if Cervical Traction equipment is right for you.

The analogy that we like to use relates to stretching. If you have tight hamstrings and stretch them once, you are going to get immediate relief. But if you don't continue some sort of a maintenance stretching program, your hamstrings will become tight again. The Neck Hammock works similarly in that it's a fantastic maintenance tool that helps promote spinal hygiene and joint mobility. This is what makes it an effective long-term solution to your neck pain and tension headaches. The frequency and duration of use truly depends on the person. As you become more mobile, you will need to use less and less.

There is no exact number as the objective is to feel a comfortable, gradual stretch and much of it depends on how it feels for you. Ideally, we recommend that the base/pad of the Neck Hammock be approximately 2-4 inches off the ground when assembled, however, as for the distance between the hammock and the y-axis (e.g. wall or door), it will also depend as to which angle feels relaxing and comfortable for you.

If you are seeking a more aggressive stretch, scoot away from the wall or door. Start more conservatively and see how your body responds after 1 session.

If the stretch is too much, move back towards the wall or door.

Your body is very smart, it knows what it likes and doesn't like. If the stretch feels too strong, then it probably is. Adjust the tension based on your needs.

It mainly depends on the person using the device. We recommend starting at 10 minutes at one instance and working your way up from there. If your neck is in a bad shape, you may need to use it 2 - 3x per day up to 15 minutes (allow at least an interval of 4 hours in between sessions and a strict maximum of 15 minutes per session) at a time but as your range improves and the pain or discomfort subsides, then you can also decrease the frequency and duration of the stretch. However, should the 15-minute duration give you either a headache, or feeling of dizziness/nausea, or back pain, then you may need to decrease the time and place the pad more towards the middle of your neck.

We like to compare this in improving hamstring flexibility. If you have REALLY tight hamstrings, then you are probably going to need to stretch them 2 - 3x a day for a few weeks to see significant physical change. If you have relatively flexible hamstrings, then you probably only need to stretch them 3 - 4x per week.

This depends on your body as your neck will have a preferred position. We recommend trying both (placing the pad at the back of the head/base of the skull OR at the middle of the neck) and do what feels best and most comfortable for you.

For example, if you know that you text a lot or usually do things that keep your head in a downward position for extended periods of time, your neck probably needs to restore its natural "C-curve" so moving the pad to the middle of your neck will help restore that natural curve.

On the other hand, if you have a desk job, travel a lot, or sit all day, you can probably benefit from the neck hammock most by having the pad under the base of your skull for general neck traction.