Med-X program makes patients work to fix sore, injured backs.

Michael Jones, owner of Northern Engineering Services, Inc. in Fort Collins, suffered from chronic low back pain for 30 years. At times he would be doubled over in pain, incapacitated and unable to sleep. Since 1968, he had tried over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and home exercises. None worked.

But now, thanks to a revolutionary new back rehabilitation program offered at the MedX Clinic of Northern Colorado, Jones lives relatively painfree. "I do a lot more things now than what I was able to do and I am happier because I am painfree for the most part," said Jones. The local civil engineer enrolled in the MedX rehabilitation program in 1993 and undergoes maintenance treatment twice a month to keep his back in shape.

"MedX" is a brand of physical therapy equipment that was developed by Arthur Jones, the famed inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment. It is a unique, computerized exercise machine that uses a medically documented treatment protocol for people suffering with chronic back and neck pain. It took 20 years and more than 200 prototypes to perfect.

MedX machines lock the patient into position so that back and neck muscles are isolated. Then intense, specific, isometric exercises are concentrated on these muscles to increase strength. Studies have shown that most cases of chronic back and neck problems result from weakness and improper function of key muscles that support the lumbar and spine.

"Patients who come into our program can have less than 30 percent of the strength of a normal healthy back," said J.D. Murphy, president and owner of the Northern Colorado clinic, which is located inside HealthWorks. "When you reverse that situation and increase strength, you get a decrease in pain and an increase in function."

The MedX rehabilitation treatment lasts 12 weeks for a lumbar program and 12 to 14 weeks for a cervical program. Patients are seen twice a week for 20 to 40 minute sessions and are tested at the outset of the program, as well as at intervals of four, eight and twelve weeks. Patients graduate from the program once they plateau at their maximum level of strength, or medical improvement.

The MedX Clinic of Northern Colorado was established in 1989. The clinic has treated almost 700 patients with chronic back and neck pain and claims an 80 percent success rate. It is staffed by a medical director, a physical therapist and three exercise physiologists, all who are specially trained in the MedX treatment protocols. In February 1994, the clinic opened a facility in Cheyenne, Wyo. Currently, eight clinics offer MedX rehabilitation programs in Colorado.

The treatment is one part of a comprehensive back and neck rehabilitation program offered by the Med-x of Northern Colorado. Patients, like Jones, undergo an all encompassing program and graduate with an "MBI-Masters in Back Improvement" from the clinic's "Back University."

The program also includes a general fitness program using stretching, aerobics and strength training three times a week and comprehensive patient education. After completing the program, patients can continue to use the MedX equipment once a month for a year at no cost.

"We try to make it fun and that opens the door for us to educate patients so that they become a more informed consumer and can work in conjunction with their health care provider," said Murphy.

The best candidates for MedX treatment are patients who have had chronic, recurrent back or neck pain. Positive results have occurred in patients with degenerative disc disease, bulging discs, nonspecific back pain or are recovering after surgery. About 20 percent of the clinic's patients have auto-related injuries, 30 percent have work-related injuries.

Murphy, who also owns HealthWorks, had been working with neurosurgeons in the region for the past ten years to develop "Back in Shape," a post-surgical back rehabilitation program in the health club environment. The MedX clinic was an outgrowth of that relationship.

"Some of the neurosurgeons in town were expressing an interest in looking at conservative options for treating neck injuries and they began looking at the MedX mode of treatment," said Murphy.

"The whole field of spine care has changed dramatically," said Dr. James Warson, medical director of the clinic and a neurosurgeon at Front Range Brain and Spine. "It has progressed so dramatically that it is now a defacto specialty in and of itself."

Warson said 75 percent of all back and neck injury patients don't need surgery. Back problems are the No. 1 cause of industrial disabilities in America. Studies suggest that 8 out of 10 adults nationwide will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. Chronic low back pain is estimated to cost more than $40 billion a year in the United States, and worker's compensation disability for low back pain is growing at 14 times the population growth.

The cost of the MedX treatment pro gram is less than other forms of physical therapy. A typical 12week program costs from $ 1,700 to S2,000 compared to $8,000 to $10,000 for traditional passive treatment modalities, and $25,000 to $40,000 for surgery. Many insurance companies will pay for MedX rehab as a form of physical therapy. A physician referral is necessary to begin the program. A diverse number of medical professionals, from neurosurgeons and orthopedic doctors, to primary care physicians and chiropractors, are recommending the MedX program for their back and neck patients.

The MedX Clinic of Northern Colorado operates a speakers' bureau to assist companies with educating workers about back health and injury prevention. It is also piloting a risk reduction and injury prevention program for the workplace. Employees whose jobs make them particularly susceptible to back injuries can undergo strength testing and be put on a riskreduction exercise program using the MedX equipment. Colorado Compensation Insurance Authority, the state's largest carrier of worker's comp insurance, reported spending $47 million on back claims in 1993 and $7.4 million on neck claims. While back injuries accounted for only 14 percent of CCIA claims, these cases are expensive because employees often miss time from work. "The best time from work is the component most employers should be concerned about because these claims represent a huge amount in dollars," said Jane McGill, director of public relations for CCIA.

The Fort Collins MedX clinic offers free screening evaluations. While MedX is a successful alternative for many, it's not recommended for everyone. Patients suffering from spinal tumors, severe osteoporosis, cardiopulmonary disease, and acute disc problems are not good candidates.

Jones believes his MedX treatment program has resulted in an indirect cost benefit to his company. fit hasn't saved me money from time lost but it has made me money just in terms of my own productivity, " said Jones. "I can do a lot more and it translates to all parts of my life."