A critical appraisal of "Anxiety, depression, and quality of life in backache patients before and after spinal traction"

The article selected for a critical appraisal was chosen because of its relevance to treatment of chronic low back pain. Chronic low back pain is an umbrella term inclusive of several pathological conditions. It is likely that most individuals will experience low back pain once in their life. Forming a better understanding of how traction therapy works, and its effectiveness may help treat individuals early with their symptoms as well as individuals suffering chronically. This critical appraisal aimed to analyze the study's introduction, methods, results, and discussion to determine relevance and credibility of the study's findings for clinical application. The critical appraisal was completed over several weeks aligned with weekly class lectures to thoroughly assess each section of the article.