My dad is a prolific athlete. He was all state in high school, he fervently played racquetball when I was younger, he was all area in the adult men’s tennis circuit he got involved in later on, and for years he would whip out the VHS and do the Gilad’s Bodies in Motion workouts he’d tape on our VCR on ESPN (back when all we had were 12 channels; 2-13 and ESPN was channel 12). He also had the associated aches and pains which invariably went along with this type of exercise, including back pain. He would go to specialists, he would take ibuprofen, he would ice his back in a daily regimen which in hindsight was staggering (how he was able to maintain such adroit levels of consistency is impressive) but it was just part of the program growing up.
So whenever I find a product like this, I am skeptical and a little angry. I am not negative about progress or whatever. I just know that my dad did all kinds of stuff and put his faith in a lot of bum treatments, hoping to find some relief that took him years to get to.
The SpineDok is the product of record and according to their own commercial, this contraption “employs the force of gravity,” to bring relief to “chronically tight muscles in your back, neck, and shoulders…with just 5 to 10 minutes a day.” Another phrase which makes me hesitant to throw my support behind a product was present here as well… “Results may vary.”
But gravity, that’s something we all share, right? And it’s got a lifetime warranty! So it must be great, right? I did a little more investigation. According to the SpineDok website, “The SpineDok is a patented network of asymmetrical and symmetrical curves that employ the force of gravity to provide your spine with a gentle supported stretch.” That sounds fair. But how does it work?
Again, quoting the SpineDok website, the instrument “works three ways. If you suffer from lower backaches, pains, or discomfort, lie on the SpineDok with its high point on your lower back and feel its effects within the first couple weeks use. You’ll feel your muscles loosen and the pain melt away…If you have shoulder or neck pain, turn the unit around and place the high point of the SpineDok between your shoulder blades and feel those neck muscles, shoulder muscles, and your chest muscles open in weeks…And use it either way for Postural Correction and be walking taller and straighter over the same time period.
“Postural Correction?” We’ve all been told we slouch and we need to sit up straight, keep our knees under the table, and other such things. According to the SpineDok website though “a typical spine, after prolonged slouching and extended forward leaning of the head, will abnormally curve and this curve can be the source of backaches, pains, and discomfort. Using the SpineDok can reduce these abnormal curvatures helping you to straighten your spine gradually.”
Since this product is so new, it’s got zero commentary about it online and I’d just be curious, have any of you ever used the SpineDok or known someone who has? If so, what has your experience been with this product? Also, if you haven’t used it but have an opinion on it, I’d love to hear about it. So, I think, would people with back pain all over the world.
Reference:
- www.spinedok.com
- 800-653-6201
