Intersegmental Traction Therapy in Burnsville

What is intersegmental traction therapy?

Intersegmental traction therapy is a gentle, passive treatment delivered by a motorized “roller table.” You lie back while a set of rollers moves slowly along the length of your spine, flexing and mobilizing each segment in turn. It’s used to encourage motion in stiff joints, relax tight muscles, and warm up the spine — drug-free and comfortable.

How it works

Your spine is made up of vertebrae stacked with small joints and cushioning discs between them. When those segments get stiff or restricted, the surrounding muscles tighten and the discs lose some of the gentle movement they rely on to stay healthy.

As you rest on the roller table, the rollers travel slowly up and down beneath you, following the natural curves of your back. Each pass produces a soft, rhythmic stretch that:

• Mobilizes the spinal joints — the slow rolling motion is thought to coax stiff or restricted segments through a gentle range of movement.
• Relaxes the surrounding muscles — the rhythmic stretch can help tight paraspinal muscles let go, easing the tension that often accompanies a stiff spine.
• Encourages circulation to the discs — spinal discs draw in fluid and nutrients through movement, so gentle mobilization may support the soft tissues around the spine.

Because the table does the work for you, it’s often used to warm up and loosen the spine at the start of a visit — or as a soothing complement to other care.

What to expect during a session

There’s nothing to do but relax. You lie face-up on the padded table, and the rollers begin moving slowly along your spine. Most patients describe the sensation as a gentle, massage-like stretch that travels up and down the back — there’s no sharp pulling and no force. A typical session lasts only a few minutes, and there’s no downtime afterward, so you can drive yourself home and get on with your day.

At our Burnsville clinic, intersegmental traction is usually one part of a visit rather than the whole appointment. Dr. Jeff Plaster often uses it to loosen the spine before a chiropractic adjustment, so the joints move more freely when it’s time for hands-on care.

Conditions it can help

Intersegmental traction is most useful for spinal stiffness and as a complement to care for a range of mechanical spine problems, including:

• Back pain and general low-back stiffness
• Neck pain and a tight, restricted upper spine
• Disc injury and irritation, as part of a broader plan
• Sciatica and related nerve-irritation symptoms
• A pinched nerve causing discomfort along the spine

It works best as a supporting therapy. For disc-related and nerve-compression problems, it’s commonly paired with spinal decompression, which targets a specific disc with computer-controlled traction, while the roller table provides broader, gentler mobilization across the whole spine.

Why choose Eagle Trace Spine & Sport

Patients from Burnsville, Savage, Apple Valley, Lakeville, and across the south metro choose us because we build complete, sensible plans instead of relying on any single tool. Dr. Jeff Plaster uses intersegmental traction where it fits — to loosen and prepare the spine — alongside chiropractic care, spinal decompression, and corrective care so you’re addressing both the stiffness and the mechanics behind it.

Curious whether a gentle roller-table session belongs in your plan? Visit our new patients page or contact us to schedule an evaluation in Burnsville.