Chronic neck, back sufferers finding relief

Chronic low-back and neck pain is a crippling and costly problem in the United States.

According to William V. Zucker, Ph.D. next to the common cold, back pain causes more absenteeism from work than any other ailment. Some estimates show the cost of treating back pain has become a $40 billion a year industry.

For those suffering from chronic neck and back pain, finding relief can he a frustrating and painful experience but for some, the answer lies in specialized rehabilitation equipment designed by Nautilus creator Arthur Jones.

"There was no, way I could lift a bale of hay, let alone clean out a stall because my back hurt so much," recalls 25-year old horse enthusiast Kirsten Woy. "'The back pain was so intense that it was painful to ride. I'd just take a bunch of Advil and ride until I couldn't stand the pain anymore.''

For the last nine years, chronic back pain has had a big effect on the Fort Collins resident's life. She was hoping to use her degree in equine science to pursue a career in horse breeding but knew her back wouldn't be able to withstand the work and that she wouldn't be abIe to withstand the pain.

"There were days my back hurt so much that I couldn't get out of bed," says Woy. "And when I did manage to crawl out, I'd walk hunched over. I knew I'd never he able to work with horses full time." So she opted for an office job.

Woy isn't the only horseback rider suffering with chronic back pain. "Generally, people who ride western style have a tremendous amount of back problems," says Dr. James Warson, a neurosurgeon and medical director for the Med-X Clinic in Fort Collins. "In fact, we find that most people who work with horses have an abnormally functioning back. There is a great deal of premature aging of the discs, premature ligament tightening and muscle degeneration in these people as they try to guard against the pounding. We also find that these conditions can be reversed with an appropriate strengthening and flexibility program."

Fortunately for Woy, the I Med-X rehabilitation program was available to help put her back in the saddle. "A significant amount of back pain is due to deconditioned backs," explains Warson. "The goals of the Med-X program are to quickly and effectively improve muscle strength, decrease pain, restore range of motion and return the patient to their daily activities. Instead of treating symptoms and pain with medication, it is more effective to increase the activity level and strength of those muscles that were injured. For the patient, the result is relief or reduction of chronic pain."

Recent studies indicate that a person suffering from chronic back pain can have as little as 30 percent of the strength of a healthy back. Increasing the strength in the injured area can dramatically increase the probability that the pain will go away. "Ask 10 people if they have back pain and at least six will say 'yes', at least four would say it's bothering me now," says J.D. Murphy, who with his brother Harry opened the Med-X office nearly nine years ago on Riverside.

Now the clinic is located inside Healthworks health club, 415 E. Monroe.

A patient undergoes therapy
on the Lumbar Extension Machine

The Med-X machines are unlike any other spine rehabilitation program available today, because they are uniquely designed to isolate and clinically strengthen the muscles in the back and neck, and accurately measure their progress, says Murphy. With other equipment, "you never get a real isolation effect of lumbar muscles," he adds.

Arthur Jones designed the Med-X machines about 10 years ago.

Jones was intrigued with the effects of exercise on low-back pain, Murphy says. Jones's original premise was to find out if a patient who exercised the lumbar, or low-back, muscles before surgery would recover faster after surgery than someone without muscle strengthening. What Jones found, Murphy says, is that a majority of people avoided having surgery at all.

To enter this specific rehabilitation program, Woy needed a referral from her doctor. Initially, Leonard Sokoloski, the physical therapist on staff, measured the strength and range of motion of the injured muscles in Woy's back by utilizing the Med-X equipment. Then, a rehabilitation program was specifically designed to strengthen the deconditioned and damaged muscles.

"Once you've identified and strengthened the injured muscles, you can return to your regular fitness routine," says Warson.

The entire program takes only about 30 minutes, twice a week for 12 weeks. Woy maintains by going into the program every two weeks. "For the first time in nine years, I can forget about my back," says Woy. "I wake up in the morning and can get out of bed like a normal person. But most importantly, I can ride my horse as long as I want to and not feel that awful pain."

This article appeared in the Triangle Review May 25, 1994. Reprint permission requested from the publishers.