Lubricating your treadmill walking belt regularly helps prevent wear and tear to the belt from excessive friction. Most treadmill manufacturers recommend lubricating the belt once every six to 12 months, depending on how often you use your machine. Using the wrong type of lubricant can damage your walking belt more than protect it. Silicone is a synthetic substance that is found in many products. Lubrication is just one of many uses for silicone. Most fitness equipment manufacturers recommend using 100 percent silicone to lubricate the walking belt on a treadmill. Silicone is available in a spray and a liquid. Teflon is a brand name and registered trademark of the DuPont company. It is a silicone-based lubricant. All Dupont lubricants contain the Teflon fluoropolymer, which, according to the DuPont website, provides extra protection against high temperatures, water and excessive friction. Many treadmill manufacturers only recommend 100 percent silicone lubricants. This would mean Teflon is not appropriate, though DuPont lists treadmills as a valid application for Teflon.
However, it does not specify lubricating treadmill belts. Rather, DuPont may be referring to lubricating other parts of the treadmill, such as the nuts and bolts. Johnson Fitness recommends lubricating the air shocks with a Teflon-based spray. Not all treadmill belts require lubrication. Some models are coated with a high-performance lubricant at the factory. Many Icon Health and Fitness brands, which include NordicTrack, ProForm and Weslo, among others, pre-lubricate the walking belt. In this case, Icon warns that applying any silicone spray or other substance to the belt could deteriorate it and cause excessive wear. Most treadmill manufacturers supply a list of recommended lubricants to use on the walking belt. Consult your owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer of your treadmill brand to find out what is recommended. If you use an unapproved lubricant, you may void your warranty. How Do You Lubricate A Treadmill Belt? How to Make the Belt Run Smoothly on a Manual Treadmill
What Oil to Use on Treadmills Reasons Why My Treadmill Belt Stops When I Step on It? How to Maintain a Nordic Track Treadmill How to Repair a NordicTrack Manual Treadmill How to Reduce Treadmill Noise Alternatives to Silicone Spray for Treadmills How do I Lube a Horizon Treadmill? How to Adjust the Treadmill Belt How to Repair a Treadmill That is Sticking How to Troubleshoot a Treadmill That Stops Suddenly Why Does My Belt on My Treadmill Keep Sliding to One Side? How to Lubricate Weight Machines The Best Quiet Treadmills Why Is My Treadmill Belt Slipping or Skipping? How to Remove the Belt on a Weslo Cadence Treadmill How to Tell If a Treadmill Belt Is Worn OutEasily used at home, neck traction devices work to relieve stressful tension due to anxiety and trauma, impeding proper blood circulation and nerve function. As sensitive nerves and blood vessels become constricted by a pinching or squeezing effect, symptoms like neck pain, shoulder pain, tingling or numbness into the arm(s) or hand(s), and even headaches can result.
< READ MORE > Hold Mouse Over Pictures For Short Descriptions Of Our Neck Stretching Devices Neck traction can help with relief of pain, decrease pressure on nerves and ease muscle spasms. The newest neck stretcher devices can help increase blood circulation to the structures of the cervical spine, helping to oxygenate muscles, nerves, tendons as well as ligaments and this can increase energy, decrease pain while promoting relaxing via relief of constricting nerve and blood vessels, thus reducing pressure and tension. Increased muscle tension relates to constriction of blood vessels and nerves causing a release of inflammatory chemicals which create further irritation, tension and pain. Relieving this pressure may assist in alleviation of herniated discs and painful degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis and/or facet syndrome of the joints. These new home based neck traction devices are lightweight, easy to travel with and effective for neck pain relief. For many years neck stretching devices have been used to obtain relief by removing nerve pressure and relaxing the tight muscles and improving the circulation.
Until recently, many have been cumbersome and difficult to use at home. Many cervical traction devices employ a weighted system attached to the head and placing great amounts of pressure on the jaw. They may utilize a harness that attaches with weights and allowed to place significant weight by hanging over the edge of a table or use a pulley system connected to a door with strings and a water bag. This may place harmful stress about the jaw, aggravating tmj pain in the jaw and may appear intimidating, instead of being a relaxing experience as well as being able to apply with ease and comfort. I have not had much luck getting patients to comply with these type of neck traction devices and I guess I don’t blame them. It’s just a bit scary for the average person. Technological advances with newer methods and neck traction devices for home use are now easier to use, more comfortable, safer and more effective than door mounted devices. They range from general use by lifting the weight of the head off the neck while sitting, to more specific and effective methods used while lying on the back which can help to restore the natural neck posture.
Newer designing makes it easier to stretch and increase the length of muscles, while separating cervical joints, and this may induce effective relief related to discomfort and inflammation associated with many neck issues. Mild cervical traction may exercise neck muscles, improving blood circulation; where stronger traction forces decreases constriction of joints, taking pressure from pinched nerves and disc herniations. The air neck traction collars provide good traction force with great variability in sizing as well as comfortable and easy to use designs. The Home Neck Traction unit is the most effective means to restore correct posture because it uses extension during therapy with a disc pumping action. It is important to know if there are any problems with extending your neck or tilting it back. Please review neck stretches to show how to test for extension. If this causes any dizziness or increase in pain then extension devices may not be the right ones for you. If there are no problems with extension or if it feels good, then either of these neck stretcher devices along with the neck exercises would be useful to aid in the restoration of the normal neck curve and posture.
Restoring the proper curve is an important part of helping neck pain. The loss of the normal curve leaves you 4 times more vulnerable to pain. Loss of this curve is promoted by poor neck postures. A 2008 study in the journal Spine indicates loss of the neck curve can accelerate disc degeneration. The retrospective analysis used kinetic MRI to further recommend that restoring the normal curve should be considered to prevent degeneration and deterioration of symptoms. This is the goal for neck traction combined with extension in many of our products, but especially the home neck traction device as featured in the above video. You may feel some discomfort initially, but that would not be uncommon. With continued and regular use along with the exercises illustrated at our complete source for neck exercises you can probably have noticeable correction of the curve within approximately six months. Depending on your specific condition, it may take up to a year and in some cases complete correction is not possible.
You do not always need to have complete correction for relief however. You can see at neck arthritis from the left side menu that correction of neck problems usually depends on the initial condition of your neck. Make sure you have a sleeping pillow with good support so that you are not losing any gains you have made while you sleep and be very sure not to watch TV in bed unless you head is in the proper upright position by using ergonomic wedge pillows. A great selection of neck traction devices provides relief at home. Choosing one depends on affordability, condition, preference and/or doctor recommendations or prescriptions. You can easily compare the traction units and we are glad to help you find individual solutions. Cervical traction (stretching) is often employed to bring relief from compressed nerves and stiff muscles, however, it can also be used in rehabilitation from chronic conditions and injuries. With the new collar type traction devices, it is easy to perform exercises while using traction.
The units can be inflated and resistance exercises can be performed to help increase strength of the neck muscles, which is a goal for rehabilitation. In a 2014 study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, individuals with neck pain and radiculopathy were treated with exercises using traction. They found the addition of traction to exercises for individuals suffering from cervical radiculopathy displayed lower levels of both pain as well as disability. This relief of neck and arm pain was maintained at long term follow up evaluations. With the inflatable collar units, it is easy to add rehab exercises while wearing the device for improved results. Radiculopathy happens if a nerve in the neck becomes irritated. This may cause neck pain, pain as well as loss of strength in the arm, and possibly loss of feeling or tingling in the arm. If you have a pinched nerve producing cervical radiculopathy, you may also feel uncoordinated or clumsy hands. Neck traction and exercises are used to alleviate nerve irritation in your neck, reducing pain and increasing your ability to function.
A 2014 biomechanical experiment in the journal Spine indicates traction of the spine promotes the transportation of nutrients into the discs. The authors of this study indicate traction to be a conservative therapy for disc problems, recognizing biomechanical benefits such as; recovery of disc height, enlarging passage for nerves and reducing disc pressure. The study indicates traction to be an effective treatment to improve nutrition supply and the growth of disc cells to damaged discs. Traction or spinal decompression can help many individuals with neck pain and is an effective way to help stiff neck muscles, irritated joints, disc problems & pinched nerves, headaches, stress reduction and in the restoration of the cervical curve. The devices are designed to provide a gentle, adjustable to user preference and comfortable therapy for many neck conditions. One way to tell if traction can help is to have someone gently lift your head. Have them place their hands around the back of the head and lift.