Purpose: To increase mobility and decrease pain in the hip.  

Start:  Patient in supine.  Therapist stands near patient’s feet at bottom of plinth.

Procedure:  The therapist holds the patient’s leg with hands slightly above the malleoli and lifts the patient’s leg off table into slight hip flexion, abduction, and external rotation.  The therapist then provides inferior traction/distraction force.  

Alternate:  The patient starts in supine, the therapist can flex patient’s hip to 90 degrees with the therapist’s shoulder providing counterforce at the patient’s popliteal fossa.  The therapist places both hands on the anterior surface of patient’s thigh near hip crease. The therapist provides inferior traction to hip.  

Comment:  The patient should not slide inferiorly on the table.  If necessary, the PT can hook the patient to the table using a belt to prevent sliding.