Dr Oz: At-Home Gadgets For Back Pain
Millions of Americans suffer from back pain and after discussing pill-free solutions for relief, Dr Oz sent Dean Dimitruk out to test various gadgets that claim to help with back pain. He searched the internet for products and chose three that claim to help with back pain in different ways. With the help of Mike from the med unit, they took a closer look at the three gadgets to try them out.
First was the Omron Heat Pain Pro, a TENS device that uses electro therapy to ease pain. Then there was the Spine-worx, a medical device meant to help realign your vertebrae by lying down on it. Third was the sit and decompress. It’s a harness that goes on top of a pull-up bar that you then sit in and essentially hang in a door way.
Dr Oz tried three different gadgets with claims of relief from back pain to see which he would use personally and recommend to others. (lamerie / Flickr)
Dr Oz: Omron Heat Pain Pro Review
Dr Oz first took a closer look at the Omron Heat Pain Pro. Dean explained that TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It’s basically a low-voltage electrical current that relieves muscle and joint pain. It’s one of the only TENS devices that also has a heating element.
You attach two patches to the area you’re having pain and then choose any combination of heat and TENS at the level you want. Each setting goes for 30 minutes. It costs $89.99 but you can use it over and over again. Twenty published clinical studies show that TENS units can help with back pain and Dean was certainly a fan of this product.
He then moved on to talk about the Spine-worx.
Dr Oz: Spine-Worx Review
Next was the Spine-worx, You need to lay the device on a level surface and then sit down in front of it. Line up properly to allow your lower back to touch the bottom of the device. Then slowly ease your back onto the device while aligning your spine with the rails, until you’re laying flat. Then just lay there for about 15 minutes.
The Spine-worx claims to be like having a chiropractor in your own home. It costs $34.95 and is the most simple option of the three. However, it can be difficult to make sure you’re aligning your spine with the rails. There’s no published studies on it but Dr Oz liked the way it felt on his back, saying it was similar to a massage.
Dr Oz: Sit & Decompress Review
They then moved on to talk about the Sit and Decompress which certainly looks a little complicated but it can certainly help. If you don’t have a pull up bar, you have to buy one because it doesn’t come with the harness. Essentially you put the harness around your ribs and strap yourself in. Then put your feet out a little bit at a time while you rock back and forth. You’re supposed to work your way up from 3-5 minutes to as long as 50 minutes. You never want to take your feet off the ground.
Manufacturers claim they saw a 20-25% increase in disk space in users backs. Again, there’s no medical research done on the product. It’s a little difficult to to set up but it certainly provides a great stretch. It costs $54.99.
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