DALLAS, Texas – People will do just about anything to relieve their back pain and it doesn't involve drugs or surgery.
Andy Shane can clean his garage for the first time in 12 years thanks to his posture shirt. It's designed to hold his muscles in place.
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"With the posture shirt, now, I'm able to do these chores for as long as it takes pain free," said Shane.
He was born with cerebral palsy and has always been an athlete. But, over time, he developed terrible lower back pain. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Hisey has also tried the posture shirt. He thinks it has a future preventing injuries.
"Not even knowing what it was called, I put it on, said, you know what this does, it makes me sit up straight, makes me feel more comfortable when I'm having good posture," said Hisey.
Here's how it works. The fabric in the shirt acts like tape to hold the muscles in place, while they move naturally.
"This doesn't force them as much as it stimulates them into the proper position," Hisey explained.
For Shane, the posture shirt means more work around the house.
"So now i don't have any excuse," says Andy.
He also gets to enjoy long walks with his dog, leo, and then relax, pain-free.
Andy Shane bought his posture shirt online for about one hundred dollars. There are a few different companies offering the shirt, which are being used by weekend warriors and even some pro athletes, with positive results.
We haven't found any local stores that offer the posture shirt. However, here's a link to a company that carries the original posture shirt http://www.alignmed.com/ to purchase online. It might be covered by your insurance and it runs around $100.
Additional Information:
Back pain is very common and most people will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. It is known as one of the most common reasons people miss work. While back pain could develop without a specific cause, there are several common conditions associated with back pain. Muscle or ligament strains are caused by repeated heavy lifting or sudden awkward movements which will lead to painful muscle spasms. Bulging (or ruptured) disks, which normally act as cushions between the vertebrae, occur when the soft material inside of a disk bulge out of place or rupture, causing pressure on a nerve. These can be found on an X-ray; however it doesn't automatically mean that back pain will be present. Arthritis can affect the lower back in some cases where arthritis is in the spine; it can lead to a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, called spinal stenosis. Scoliosis is a form of skeletal irregularity, where the spine curves in an abnormal way. If the scoliosis is quite severe, it could lead to back pain. Osteoporosis causes bones to become porous and brittle, leading to compression fractures in the spine's vertebrae. (Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: The posture shirt is a garment designed to gently pull the shoulders back, enhancing the alignment of the spine, shoulders and arms, improving posture. Michael Hisey, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Texas Back Institute in Dallas, Texas told Ivanhoe that the shirt is, "like a physical therapist is here (at Texas Back Institute), coaching you and telling you about your posture and reminding you what to do." Dr. Hisey also explains that, "the shirt is several different types of fabric laid out in different patterns; some of them are stretchable in one direction, some are stretchable in all directions and some of them are not stretchable in particular in any direction." Over time the wearer can improve and maintain good posture by wearing the garments intermittently with the goal of a carry-over effect of good posture when not being worn. (Sources: http://www.alignmed.com/condition, Interview with Michael Hisey, M.D.)