Muscle dysfunction is not the cause of this problem but the result of the herniation. If you have no motor weakness but pain and numbness down your leg, in my practice, you would be a candidate for a physical therapy rehab program and an epidural steroid injection. This injection does not reduce the size of the herniation but reduces the inflammation around the nerve and “toughens” the nerve root. Traction is relatively ineffective for this disorder.
Dr. Corenman