Sciatica and back pain are conditions where the symptoms naturally wax and wane in terms of frequency and intensity. Treatment for sciatica and back pain ranges from evidenced based therapies to the latest “snake oil” remedy. While the majority of sciatica and back pain cases represent a medical enigma, one thing is for certain; very few treatment options are actually effective.
My purpose here is to provide you with a review of a popular treatment option for the management of sciatica and back pain. My hope is that the information provided will assist you in making better decisions for the management of your particular condition.
To relieve lower back pain and sciatica, spinal decompression, improving muscular flexibility, and enhancing one’s posture are all treatment options advocated by many health care professionals. Specific treatment ranges from high tech traction devices to very simple stretching exercises. Look in any magazine or land on any late night infomercial and you’re sure to come across some form of back care treatment claiming to “end back pain forever”.
True Back Device
One such device advertised on the Internet is the True Back. The True Back claims to be a non-powered orthopedic traction device that helps eliminate pain by decompressing the spine and lengthening the muscles of the back.
The unit is made of a single piece of hollow plastic approximately 24 inches long by 10 inches wide, making it very light weight. The top of the True Back has a center channel that the bony part of the spine lies in. On either side of this channel are 15 pairs of suspension posts that are situated in such a way as to provide constant pressure to the muscles on either side of the spine. On the outside of these posts, are two removable foam cushions.
How It Works
To use the True Back, a person positions the unit so that the center channel lines up with the center of your back. From here, you simply lay back on the device as shown here.
The spine is suspended in the center channel while the weight of the body is supported on the suspension posts. The prolonged pressure provided to the spinal muscles results in a relaxation effect. While lying on the True Back, you are encouraged to take slow, deep breaths and allow your body to relax. Treatment time is a steady progression based on your tolerance and can last from a few seconds to several minutes.
The manufacturer of the True Back claims that the device provides spinal traction or decompression. This claim can be argued as there is no actual separation of the vertebral bodies themselves as you would expect to encounter with traction or decompression. That being said, however, one could argue that the front portion of the vertebrae in the thoracic spine move sway from one another while on the device resulting in an “apparent” elongation of the spine and an overall improvement in posture.
My Recommendation
The True Back Device is a handy device to assist with improving upright posture and spinal mobility, specifically that of thoracic and lumbar extension. Its use will also assist in improving the flexibility of the abdominals, anterior neck, chest, and shoulder musculature. For this reason, I would recommend the use of the True Back in treating the Backward Pelvis and Forward Head Syndromes as defined here: 4 Common Causes of Sciatica & Back Pain
Keep in mind, however, that, while I like the device in certain respects, it, in no way, represents a “final solution” to back pain. The medical research is quite clear in its assessment of back pain treatment options; active treatment has more long term benefits than does passive treatment. The True Back IS passive treatment and should only be utilized within the context of an active rehabilitation program and only for specific conditions.
Perhaps some of you have used the True Back and would like to comment. I certainly would like to know your experience with this device, especially the effects it had on your sciatica and back pain.
Of course, anyone with a question or comment, feel free to fire away in the comment section below. Oh, by the way, if there is something you’d like me to review related to anything back pain, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
Dedicated to Erasing Your Back Pain,
Malton A. Schexneider, PT,MMSc
The Back Pain Expert
7 comments ↓
I am interested in the True Back device. How much does it cost? Let me know. I live in Ghana, West Africa.
The true back device, along with inversion therapy and spinal decompression are the treatments that I use with my patients to provide fast pain relief for their back pain sciatica and leg pain. All three of the treatments work extremely well together.
I have the backrack I have 11 machines I have been working on core on powerplate and hamstring and hip flexors, I have one good day a month when I don’t feel like one wrong move I will spasm big style. It drives me crazy how random it is from perfect and well one minute to scared to move the next
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i have suffered in sciatica pain in 31 march 2007 while i was jumping from hurdls. i feel lower back ache but i agnor it i decided its one sports ingre and it will be recover in traning but with the time when hurt is goning old its become worse and worse i strech it more and more.now i suffered in sciatica back problem. would you like to suggest me some exercise.
I am looking for relief for back pain and sciatica but your backrack is not good for me since I have scoliosis in my lower back….curving to the right….I do stretches and try to keep my core strong but still have chronic pain….
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