Restoration of Normal Cervical Lordosis

Cervical pain is one of the most common symptoms in today’s society. Indeed, in our personal clinical experience, well over 90% of patients with headache have a cervical component easily observed with physical examination and which reveals abnormal cervical posture. Among other conventional treatments, axial linear traction (ALT) has been used with a variety of designs and weights of 20-25 lbs. This type of traction clearly straightens or even reverses the normal cervical curve and often results in temporomandibular joint pain. The current study was carried out to compare axial linear traction and Expanding Ellipsoidal Decompression (EED) via Posture Pump.

Normal cervical posture presents with a lordotic curve of approximately 43 degrees measured from C2 to C7. Without this normal lordosis, most often the balance of the weight of the head is tilted forward and thus creates increased wear and tear on the intervertebral discs and the vertebral bodies. This eventually leads to bony spurs and osteophytes. Such changes also lead to decreased mobility of the cervical spine and to cervical pain.

With axial linear traction, the cervical lordotic curve was flattened or even buckled posterior into kyphosis in 83% of subjects with a variety of variations in the degree of such change. On the other hand, when EED was applied via Posture Pump joints were decompressed and the lordotic curve was enhanced or restored. Cervical curves were actually compromised or made worse in 30 of 36 subjects during ALT. In contrast, the cervical curve during EED via the Posture Pump was improved in 26 of 36 subjects. None of the subjects had any significant discomfort during the procedure.

In all 36 subjects, the posture during EED was superior to that with axial linear traction. Despite the fact that the curvature was significantly worsened with axial linear traction, in only one subject was there a significant increase in posterior disc bulging and this was subsequently improved during the application of EED.

The current findings emphasize the additional benefit of EED via Posture Pump in improving cervical anatomy along with significant symptomatic improvement in cervicogenic pain.