Effects of physical therapy
This example illustrates how the Spinex International can be used to monitor
changes in spinal function after performing exercises under the guidance and supervision
of a physical therapist.
History
The patient was a 50 year old woman with a
history of spinal stiffness and complaining of pain in her lower back.
Spinoscopy
Biomechanical function was assessed
before and after a 20-minute session of directed exercises with a physical therapist. The
patient's biomechanical performance parameters were compared to the normal values for a 50
year old female.
The contribution of each lumbar level to the trunk
flexion is given for the pre-therapy (blue) and post-therapy (green during flexion and red
during recovery from flexion).
Where the patient value falls outside of the blue "normal"
zone, it is indicative of a functional problem.
Outcome
The patient reported
less pain and stiffness after performing the exercises. Note that the only mechanical
change was observed at the L4/5 level. This agreed with the localization of the patient's
pain and with the restriction in mobility detected by palpation. The shift with exercise
was indicative of an increase in spinal mobility.
The Spinex International was sensitive enough to detect the
subtle biomechanical effects of one treatment session.
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