The iTrac® Spine Remodeling System involves a uniquely designed device meant to restore normal positioning of your neck and head. When you practice forward head posture out of habit or due to spine misalignment, the resulting strain and stress on your vertebral discs, back/neck muscles and neck ligaments can cause chronic pain, neck stiffness, temporomandibular disorder (TMJ) and headaches. In addition, abnormal neck and head posture makes soft tissues in the neck and upper shoulders vulnerable to suffering injuries that increase pain, headache and TMJ symptoms.

5 Reasons to Use theiTrac® Spine Remodeling System

1. You sit at a desk all day

Extended computer work not only strains your neck muscles but also reinforces forward head posturing when you are away from your desk. The iTrac® Spine Remodeling System will ease muscle strain and restore normal posture to eliminate sore muscles and headaches. The iTrac® for desk workers may also relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms as well.

2. iTrac® Therapy re-establishes your head’s center of gravity over the shoulders

Other posture therapies focus on your pelvis and shoulders instead of your upper spine and neck. With iTrac® the focus is on the primary reason for your neck pain, headaches, TMJ pain and other problems caused by forward head posturing–your cervical spine.

3. Aligning your head also aligns your body.

Based on the chiropractic principle that correct alignment of the spine begins with aligning cervical vertebrae, iTrac® Therapy patients enjoy significantly reduced neck/back pain, fewer headaches and increased quality of life by enhancing central nervous system functioning.

4. Customizable to fit each patient’s individual needs

iTrac® offers over 55 settings to accommodate individual spine configurations, support restoration of normal posture and maximize treatment results

5. iTrac® Therapy is passive therapy

Anybody can participate in iTrac® Therapy because it takes little to no effort to benefit from its pain-relieving abilities. In addition, iTrac® Therapy is often used in conjunction with massage, adjustment and muscle strengthening therapies.

This is the sixth blog in the “Take the Lead: Tech Neck to Perfect Posture” series focusing on engaging and challenging doctors around the world to Take the Lead in their communities to begin changing people’s lives by integrating cervical curve remodeling and posture correction into their existing treatment protocols.

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Earlier this year I wrote a blog addressing the incredible need for us (chiropractors) to become posture correction experts in the communities we serve in order to battle the rapidly growing tech neck epidemic. As the public becomes increasingly aware of this condition and the various symptoms that accompany it, our profession will continue to be presented with a growing opportunity to help millions of people worldwide enjoy a greater quality of life.

Along with this amazing opportunity comes great responsibility –

1. 1. The responsibility to objectively evaluate the patient’s spinal structure

1. 1. The responsibility to provide evidence-based, structural corrective solutions to the patient

1. 1. The responsibility to objectively evaluate the patient’s post-treatment structural changes

1. The responsibility to provide ongoing structural-supportive care to patients in order to ensure the investment they’ve made in their spinal health is protected.

Many of us take pre-treatment x-rays during our initial exams. X-rays give us an opportunity to educate our patients about the importance of healthy spinal structure and its vital role in overall health and well-being. Radiography allows us to objectively establish a “need for care”. It is one of the best diagnostic tools we have and it nearly always supports the need for structural spinal correction. After all, how often do you see a lateral cervical x-ray with a normal lordosis and no forward head posture? Rarely, if ever!

Sadly, as I communicate with more and more doctors I find that we, as a profession, are failing to fulfill responsibilities 2, 3 and 4. We are quick to point out the lack of curve in a patient’s neck in order to “sell” the patient a care plan but how many of us actually take a post x-ray to objectively demonstrate structural improvement to the patient?

The following conversation with new patients in my clinic is all too common:

Me: “Did your previous chiropractor take x-rays of your neck?”

Patient: “Yes. I don’t have a curve in my neck like I should. He/She said that’s why I have chronic headaches and neck pain.”

Me: “Did he/she prescribe specific therapies to restore the neck curve?”

Patient: “Do you mean adjustments? I got adjusted a lot! I also did some exercises and stretches.”

Me: “Did he/she take new x-rays after your treatment plan was completed to show you how much your curve improved?”

Patient: “No.”

Me: “Ok – I’d like to take updated neck x-rays today to determine the structural health status of your neck so I can prescribe the most effective treatment plan for your specific needs. Does that sound reasonable?”

Patient: “Yes, that sounds good. I’d really like to know what’s going on.”

Me (after taking new x-rays): “Well – I think we’ve found a major factor contributing to the return of your chronic headaches and neck pain – You don’t have a curve in your neck. Don’t be discouraged. Most often, we can fix this. The treatment we use in this office includes adjustments, exercises and iTrac® Therapy which is specifically designed to correct straight necks like yours. iTrac® Therapy for neck is similar to orthodontic bracing for teeth – structural alignment correction is the goal.”

For a moment, take off your provider hat and put on your patient hat. Can you empathize with this person?

As you can imagine – when I have these conversations with my patients they are extremely happy they found my clinic and are able to receive the specific care they need (cervical curve remodeling). At the same time, they are incredibly disappointed in my colleagues who recognized and communicated a need but chose not to deliver the results.

As trusted healthcare providers, when we tell the patient they need care using the loss of neck curve evidence as a basis, do we not also have a responsibility to re-measure the curve following a treatment plan to objectively communicate success or failure of the treatment? If your answer is no, you can stop reading, as the remainder of this blog won’t apply to you. However, if your answer is yes, keep reading to learn how I have been successful with cervical curve remodeling in my own clinic utilizing new FDA-cleared technology that provides me with the resources necessary to offer the highest level of care to my patients and gives me the confidence to take post x-rays, knowing that I’ll see structural improvement.

The re-exam conversation that occurs after 4-8 weeks of care typically sounds like this:

Me: Well, it looks like your hard work has paid off. Your neck curve has improved remarkably…Congratulations!

Patient: Thank you so much! I was skeptical at first but now I’m a believer. Being symptom-free right now is great but seeing the dramatic change in my neck curve when I see the two x-rays side by side gives me hope that the symptoms won’t come back!

Me: Exactly! Now, we’ll begin transitioning you into iTrac® maintenance visits so we can protect the investment you’ve made in your health. Maintenance treatment is similar to wearing a retainer after braces are removed – the goal is to maintain the improved structural alignment.”

Pre-Treatment		Post-Treatment

With iTrac® Cervical Curve Remodeling technology – predictable, measureable and repeatable structural correction can be a reality for your patients too.

iTrac® Therapy is quickly and seamlessly integrated with your existing technique package to provide long-lasting structural correction to your patients, enhancing your treatment outcomes, maximizing your patient’s quality of life and health potential, and giving you the confidence to take post x-rays knowing that you’ll see good change.

You can find iTrac® clinical support information such as case studies, training literature, videos and colleague testimonials at www.fixthecurve.com. For specific clinical questions that aren’t directly addressed within the previously mentioned site, please email me directly by clicking the link below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Original article can be found here.

 

This is the fifth blog in the “Take the Lead: Tech Neck to Perfect Posture” series focusing on engaging and challenging doctors around the world to Take the Lead in their communities to begin changing people’s lives by integrating cervical curve remodeling and posture correction into their existing treatment protocols.

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You’re probably familiar with the research showing that for every inch the head moves forward from its ideal position, directly over the shoulders, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds. More weight means more stress on the muscles of the neck and upper back which means chronic symptoms are likely to develop in these patients. Our daily work and lifestyle activities contribute to this more now than ever before so it is no wonder why many of us experience some level of pain on a daily basis.

Correcting and maintaining good posture is not easy, but with advanced iTrac® Cervical Curve Remodeling System technology and some simple lifestyle changes, it is possible. This blog will focus on the changes your patients can make on their own to help improve posture muscle strength. First, create awareness of the problem and encourage patients to make a conscious effort to correct their poor postural habits throughout the day. Siting up straight and standing up straight will decrease the physical stress on the joints, vessels, nerves, and supportive tissues of their body.

Exercises, stretches, and proprioceptive re-education can be significantly beneficial in regaining and maintaining healthy posture. Movement throughout the day helps the body reset itself into a healthy posture, so encourage patients to make a point to get up from their desk at least twice an hour to walk and stretch.

Provide patients with a prescription to incorporate all or a combination of the following exercises and stretches to strengthen and stretch the neck, upper back, and shoulders. Adding these into their daily routine in addition to following the iTrac® Therapy protocol will help correct abnormal posture and movement.

 

1. Band Pull-Apart (scapular/rotator cuff stabilization)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

2. Push Up Plus (serratus anterior strengthening)  |  3 sets of 12-15

OR

 

3. Door Frame Stretch and Reverse Door Frame Stretch (pectorals and latissimus dorsi)  |  5 sets of 30-45 seconds each

 

4. Cervical Retractions (strengthening deep neck flexors)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

5. Cervical Extensions (splenius capitis)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

6. Shoulder Row (biceps, trapezius, rhomboids and latissimus dorsi)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

7. Shoulder Abduction (deltoid, supraspinatus, subscapularis and biceps brachii)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

8. External Rotation (infraspinatus and teres minor)  |  3 sets of 12-15

 

By retraining your body with exercises and stretches and using iTrac® Therapy to restore the cervical curve and reduce forward head posture (FHP), improved alignment (posture) of the spine will occur. Furthermore, it creates physical stability in the body as it adapts to the new spinal configuration. Long-lasting symptomatic relief produces happier patients by maintaining structural changes in their spine.

Original article can be found here.

This is the second blog in the “Take the Lead: Tech Neck to Perfect Posture” series focusing on engaging and challenging doctors around the world to Take the Lead in their communities to begin changing people’s lives by integrating cervical curve remodeling and posture correction into their existing treatment protocols.

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Consider this. If we as spine care experts were successfully correcting posture (i.e. restoring sagittal balance and improving global spinal alignment) on a consistent and predictable basis, our clinic door hinges would be worn out from all the new patients rushing in requesting posture correction (i.e. spinal correction). The unfortunate reality is; this is not currently the case for most clinics.

Doctors often convey the following common scenario “I’m to the point that I don’t like taking neck x-rays because most of them time, the patient has no neck curve, they have forward head posture and when they ask me “how can we fix it?”, I have nothing to offer them!” At this, the doctor is frustrated which we can all relate to. But now, put yourself in the patient’s shoes. He or she has just been informed by a spine care expert that “I have no solution to offer you for this condition”. What then? If this is a first-time chiropractic patient, the feelings of suspicion and doubt begin to arise in his or her mind which will likely become a barrier to the acceptance of your other treatment recommendations, now that they have been told you can’t fix his or her problem. Where will they go next for answers and solutions?

Perhaps they won’t have to look elsewhere any longer!

With new cervical spine remodeling technology now available, structural correction is closer than you think.

With the addition of iTrac® cervical spine remodeling therapy we can now (confidently!) offer these patients predictable, measureable, consistent solutions to the rapidly growing posture epidemic.

iTrac Therapy is quickly and seamlessly integrated with your existing technique package to provide long-lasting structural corrections to your patients, enhancing your treatment outcomes and maximizing your patient’s quality of life and health potential.

Following is a brief case study of one of my patients to demonstrate how the addition of cervical spine remodeling is allowing me to do more for my patients.

She presented as a 25-year-old with chronic daily headaches and neck pain. She had spent the majority of her life under the care of an excellent chiropractor who delivered traditional chiropractic adjustments. These adjustments provided good symptomatic relief and functional improvement during her teenage years and even into her early twenties. Unfortunately, the relief she once enjoyed became more and more short-lived as she progressed from college into the early part of her career. She arrived at my clinic concerned and looking for answers. 

She was on day 5 of a very intense headache, a cycle she had become all too familiar with. Upon clinical evaluation, it was quite obvious to me why her symptoms were becoming more consistent, more intense and less responsive to traditional chiropractic care. 

She had lost 50% of her cervical curve, 50% of her atlas plane angle and she had developed nearly an inch of forward head posture. To a few doctors, the combination of these findings might be passed off as a normal variant and therefore no specific treatment prescribed to specifically address this abnormal structure. However, to most doctors these discoveries are very significant and provide valuable insight into the contributing factors in such a case, we just haven’t had the tools to consistently correct them.

Below is a breakdown of my treatment plan for this patient:

• Phase 1 (Corrective Phase – restore cervical curve/posture/function and reduce symptoms) of treatment consisted of chiropractic adjustments, trigger point therapy, posture corrective exercises and iTrac® Therapy: 3 visits/week – 4 weeks. On visit #8 her symptoms had completely resolved. On visit #13 I performed a re-exam and took post x-rays which demonstrated a normal cervical lordosis, normal atlas plan angle and only 2mm of forward head posture. The exam revealed normal ranges of motion and zero trigger points.

• Phase 2 (Transition Phase – maintain curve/posture/function and symptomatic relief) consisted of chiropractic adjustments, posture exercises and iTrac® Therapy: 1 visit/week – 4 weeks, 2 visits/month – 2 months, 1 visit/month – 2 months.
• Phase 3 (Maintenance Phase – maintain curve/posture/function and symptomatic relief) consists of chiropractic adjustments, posture exercises and iTrac® Therapy: 1 visit/month (avg.) to protect the patient’s investment in time, finances and energy. Analogous to wearing retainers after orthodontic braces are removed.

With consistent maintenance, my patient has been able to maintain her structural correction as well as her symptom-free, enhanced quality of life!

For those of you interested in learning more about cervical curve remodeling with iTrac® Therapy, this case will be reviewed in greater detail in our upcoming 15 minute “Lunch and Learn” on March 31. More information will be sent out about the Lunch and Learn in the upcoming weeks.

In order to best serve our patients and provide them with the most comprehensive spine care available, integrating cervical curve remodeling with your existing treatment protocol(s) is worth a closer look!

Our goal is to create a collaborative, productive discussion. We are taking the lead and fighting this posture epidemic in the communities we serve. I encourage you to reach out and share your questions and ideas with us.

Original article can be found here.