Why Traction?  

Balance and symmetry on tissues enable those tissues to respond to stress from gravity and other forces. When this symmetrical balance is lost due to abnormal posture, the stressed and strains cannot be overcome and degeneration ensues.

The primary target tissue for traction forces are the spinal ligaments and intervertebral discs; secondary tissues are muscles and tendons. When a specific load is applied to spinal tissues and sustained over time, the tissue experiences creep (deformation) and stress relaxation (a decline in internal stress over a period of time due to creep).

-from CBP Structural Rehabilitation of the Cervical Spine

Pictures of Traction Therapy