Field Report: The Posture Right

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Field Report: The Posture Right
September, 2007
by Scott Alcott, DC
Chiropractic Products

The product corrects forward head posture and restores the natural, correct, and healthy cervical curve

The Posture RightÙ by Neck Orthotic is a revolutionary device people can use by themselves to restore the proper forward curve in the neck.

It is incredibly easy to use, and it gets the job done. Have patients use the Posture Right daily for 10 to 20 minutes. (Some patients will not be able to stay on it for that long at first and will need to work up to it.) I believe this product is the most significant device introduced to our profession since the x-ray machine; that is how strongly I feel about this product.
Correcting the Curve

The Posture Right was designed and engineered to correct forward head posture and to restore the natural, correct, and healthy cervical curve. You cannot sustain a healthy spine or neck if the neck does not hold the natural, correct curve.

Some of the benefits of this neck care product include staged progressive care and better post x-rays. That equals better correction and compliance.

The product is strong and durable, and it maintains its shape. Its simple design allows it to be very inexpensive compared to other products designed to restore the proper curve to the neck. You won't have to convince a patient to spend $100 or $200 on it.

Because of its light weight, easy adjustability, and simple design, the Posture Right encourages patients to participate in home extension traction care and take a more active role in cervical-curve correction. This shared responsibility creates the perfect formula for compliance, results, and accountability.

With its strong design that focuses on durability, the Posture Right holds up through continued use. And weighing in at just 1/2 pound, the Posture Right can be stored easily and is convenient to take along during travel.
Two Angles

The Posture Right allows for progressive care, offering two functional angles that can deliver more or less traction as neededÛor as the patient works up to it. The patient might need to start with the less severe angle and then advance to the steeper angle as he or she progresses. With its traditional wedge design, the Posture Right can achieve specific vertebral placement with comfortable maximum traction for most patients.

Traction may involve some discomfort, especially when a correction is needed.
PROTOCOLS

1. Have patient lie on the floor supine with knees bent.
2. Place the Neck Orthotic under the neck at the desired level, or as low as possible (C5 to C6).
3. Use daily (evenings are best) for approximately 30 days with the angle that supports the head (less traction).
4. Start out with 1 to 2 minutes per session or to patient tolerance.
5. Add 1 to 2 minutes per day or to tolerance up to 20 minutes per session.
6. For additional traction, turn the Neck Orthotic around for maximum traction without head support.
7. Traction should continue either daily or every other day.
8. The patient should complete all chiropractic adjustments.
9. The patient needs to understand that this is a process, not an event.

Keep in mind that we are talking traction here, so patients must realize that for progress to be made, it isn't going to always feel good. It's not going to be "comfy" like a massage, and if it did, it wouldn't be making corrections.

Make sure you and your patient understand that every form of cervical-extension traction involves some level of discomfort. Anything new to the body will cause the body to first react. This reaction for most people will be mild, because this neck orthotic uses only the weight of the head and gravity with a specific contact point to achieve the traction.

Every level of success requires focus, commitment, and sacrifice. Make sure you help your patient be successful in these corrective procedures and not give up at the first sign of change. Real, significant progress takes time and effort. Educate the patient.
Nothing Is for Everyone

This product is not suited for every patient. I don't think anything is. Some patients will find using this product to be simply too intense for them. Some patients picture something used on your neck to be soothing. This is traction. It is not soothing. Some will not be able to get over the fact that the pressure is and needs to be intense. Use your best clinical judgment when recommending its use. When the patient understands the process and wants the end result and all the benefits of having a normal curve in his or her neck, then you will have minimal compliance issues.
Upcoming New Product


Joseph Mannella, DC, inventor of the Posture Right, is developing a Soft Neck Orthotic that can be used with patients who find the original to be too intense. The new product will be "closed-cell" foam technology and will provide pressure over a broader area, which may be more appropriate for mature patients or anyone who finds the original too intense to use. But keep in mind that more progress will be made with higher pressure. So I wouldn't recommend the soft unit for those who can sustain the traction of the original orthotic.
Contraindications

Patient safety and well-being should always be the doctor's primary concern. The decision and responsibility for using any procedure, modality, or device is that of the attending doctor and should be recommended according to a report of findings.