Deck 7: Soft Tissue Treatment Techniques: Traction

Question 1

According to the literature, which patient position is preferable when treating the cervical spine with traction?

A)Prone
B)Sitting
C)Supine
D)There is no preferable position.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A patient has received lumbar traction once before for relief of radicular symptoms and reported that the symptoms no longer were perceived in his left ankle but now were located in the center of his back. What happened, and how would you explain this to him?

A)The traction failed, and you would apologize and try something else.
B)The traction failed, and you would try it again with more poundage.
C)The traction worked, and you would ignore his complaints.
D)The traction worked, and you would explain the centralization of symptoms.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following positions is best for providing posterior vertebral separation of the lumbar spine during lumbar traction?

A)0 degrees of hip flexion
B)45 degrees of hip flexion
C)70 degrees of hip flexion
D)100 degrees of hip flexion

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A patient has received lumbar traction once before for relief of radicular symptoms and reported that the symptoms no longer were perceived in his left ankle but were now located in his right ankle. He returned today for traction, and, before setting up the traction, he confided in you that he has not been able to urinate since yesterday. What is the most appropriate course of action to take and why?

A)Set up the traction as before and monitor him closely.
B)Ignore him and set up the traction anyway.
C)Send him home and refuse to treat him until he sees a physician.
D)Call his physician and see if the patient can be seen immediately to rule out the possibility of a spinal tumor.

Question 5

Which statement most accurately reflects the claims made about the application of traction in the clinical environment over the past 30 years?

A)It is a mainstay in the physical therapy clinical environment for spinal indications.
B)It produces profound changes in spinal occlusion to no significant changes at all.
C)Traction has no impact on spinal problems.
D)There is no literature to support the use of traction for spinal problems.

Question 6

Which of the following activities would require the most force, and why?

A)Pushing a wheelchair from a stopped position, because it was stopped
B)Pushing a wheelchair from a stopped position, because you need to overcome friction to move it
C)Continuing to push a wheelchair that was already moving, because you would be overcoming gravity to move it
D)Continuing to push a wheelchair that was already moving, because you would be overcoming friction to move it

Question 7

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)According to the literature, lumbar traction is less controversial than cervical traction in terms of efficacy.
B)According to the literature, cervical traction is more controversial than lumbar traction in terms of efficacy.
C)According to the literature, neither cervical nor lumbar traction is efficacious.
D)According to the literature, cervical traction is less controversial than lumbar traction in terms of efficacy.

Question 8

Approximately how much of the patient's lower body weight would be required to overcome the coefficient of static friction if the patient were lying on a treatment table, secured by a thoracic harness?

A)10%
B)25%
C)50%
D)75%

Question 9

Which statement is most accurate regarding the application of static and intermittent traction?

A)It makes no difference which is applied; both static and intermittent traction are efficacious.
B)Patient comfort is an important consideration in the selection of either static or intermittent traction.
C)Greater amounts of poundage can be applied when the duration is short and intermittent.
D)Patient comfort is not an important consideration in the selection of either static or intermittent traction.

Question 10

Which of the following conditions is NOT a contraindication to the use of traction?

A)Spinal infections
B)Joint hypermobility
C)Rheumatoid arthritis
D)Osteoporosis

Question 11

According to the literature, what is the minimum amount of poundage required for cervical traction to produce elongation of the spine?

A)10 pounds
B)15 pounds
C)20 pounds
D)25 pounds

Question 12

Which position of the cervical spine is more generally acceptable for cervical traction if the goal is to increase intervertebral space overall?

A)25 degrees of flexion is optimal.
B)Neutral spine is optimal.
C)45 degrees of flexion is optimal.
D)There is no optimal position.

Question 13

Of what significance is the angle of pull of the traction to the target tissue?

A)The angle of pull is insignificant.
B)The significance of the angle of pull is unclear.
C)The significance of the angle of pull varies depending upon the amount of separation desired.
D)There is no significance to the angle of pull.

Question 14

Which of the following definitions best fits traction as it is applied to physical therapy applications?

A)Pulling apart bones
B)A force that pulls apart
C)Drawing apart spinal segments
D)The drawing apart or separating of bone surfaces

Question 15

Which of the following treatment goals cannot be accomplished with traction?

A)Reduction of radicular signs and symptoms
B)Reduction of muscle guarding
C)Reduction of joint pain
D)Increase in height

Question 16

According to the literature, what is the potential adverse effect of too much cervical traction force (40 to 55 pounds)?

A)Pain
B)Increased muscle guarding
C)Disk rupture
D)Low back radiculopathy

Question 17

Which of the following represents a force that must be overcome before any motion can take place?

A)Gravity
B)Friction
C)Weight
D)Height

Question 18

What is the difference between a traditional halter and an occipital halter for cervical traction?

A)A traditional halter applies pull evenly between the mandible and the occiput.
B)An occipital halter applies pull from the occiput and not on the mandible.
C)A traditional halter is applied in sitting position and an occipital halter is applied in supine position.
D)There is no difference between the two, except the name.

Question 19

What is the primary difference between a traction table and a standard treatment table?

A)Traction tables are more expensive than standard treatment tables.
B)Traction tables are lower than standard treatment tables.
C)There is no difference between a standard treatment table and a traction table.
D)Traction tables are designed to split to reduce frictional force and standard treatment tables do not split.