Takes inter-vertebral mobilisation
to an entirely new level

To function properly, your spine needs to be supple and elastic. Loss of this elasticity is natural with time and age and it’s often greatly accelerated by poor posture and a sedentary job or lifestyle.

The vertebrae of your back operate a bit like the links of a bicycle chain: when sections get stiff the whole mechanical structure gets affected. If one group of

links gets jammed the ones above and below move too much (become “hypermobile”) and get irritated.

The solution is to restore this elasticity throughout the spine, which in turn eliminates the overstressing of the joints in the neck and lower back – and that’s where the Theraflex system comes in. This ground breaking back care technology helps to improve the natural elasticity and flexibility of your back. The “bionic hand” mechanically helps to restore the suppleness of the spine, the surrounding muscles and ligaments - all without using excessive force. The non-invasive nature of the Theraflex treatment means that it can be safely used on people of all age groups.

The details

Physical manipulation or mobilisation has long been accepted by physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors to be the primary treatment for mechanical disorders of the spine. Although it is possible to achieve a degree of movement

to the spinal column as a whole through exercise and physical therapy, generating movement manually between individual vertebral segments is difficult and very time consuming.

Over 20 years of research and design have led to the introduction of the Theraflex system, which consists of a specially-shaped treatment bed, and a computerised main unit attached to a “bionic hand”: a plate with four pistons powered by compressed air. It is light, safe, efficient and more effective than the hands alone in restoring mobility to the joints of the spine. In traditional manual techniques, therapists use their fingers to apply a mobilising force directly to the facet joints of the spine. Whilst this procedure is good in principle, it often fails because the joints of the spine are much bigger and tougher than the joints of the therapist’s fingers.

The beauty of the Theraflex mobilising technique is that alternating pressure is applied over diagonally opposed adjacent vertebral pairs. Therefore, mobilisation

is achieved through counter-rotational forces and fixed or stiff vertebral pairs are moved through their normal range of motion. The rapidity and pressure of the pistons can be varied to suit the condition of the spine. This enables the therapist to work with a speed and energy that would otherwise be impossible to achieve in the same amount of treatment time by conventional methods. The “bionic hand” makes if feel as though you are being massaged and manipulated by someone with exceptionally strong digits, yet who is sensitive to your spine’s particular condition.

Even though the Theraflex is a machine the condition of every joint can still be felt through the handset, defining the problem areas in the spine requiring attention. The operator still retains the feel and control of manual therapies.

Because the handset uses compressed air to move the feet there is no predetermined machine cycle, the feet will only push at the pressure level that has been selected by the operator and will stop moving if they meet any resistance beyond this. The operator ultimately controls the treatment regardless of what settings have been selected, because the handset cannot exert force unless the operator applies an equal force.

The Theraflex is amazingly effective in treating the mechanical problems of the spine from which the majority of adults suffer*. The history of the conditions may have been long or relatively short; they may be cervical, thoracic, lumbar or pelvic, or all the aforementioned. While Theraflex cannot correct congenital malformations of the spine, it may correct resultant problems, thus relieving stresses and reducing pain.

* If the patient has no mechanical problems of the spine, Theraflex will not create them. The treatment is non-invasive and requires no medications. Results include increased range of motion, pain reduction or elimination, greater flexibility and increased sense of well-being.