Low-cost, light weight portable cervical traction or spinal decompression
devices for home use by a patient. A carriage is slidable along a portion
of a support structure parallel to a longitudinal axis. The carriage
includes a restraining mechanism adapted to releasably restrain a portion
of a patient's body to the carriage. The pneumatic traction force
generating apparatus is operatively coupled to move the carriage relative
to the support structure when in a pressurized state. The pneumatic
traction force generating apparatus is adapted to maintain a generally
static traction force during a treatment period when in the pressurized
state without additional pressurized air being supplied. A hand pump
operated by the patient is fluidly connected to the pneumatic traction
force generating apparatus to inject pressurized air. The hand pump is
capable of injecting at least 138 kPa (20 psi) of pressure into the
pneumatic traction force generating apparatus. A pressure relief
mechanism operated by the patient is adapted to release pressure from the
pneumatic traction force generating apparatus.