This Announcement is best viewed with active links by clicking here

This Announcement is best viewed with active links by clicking here

“Continuous Passive Motion” [CPM] equipment is used clinically to prevent joint stiffness1  and provide stimulus to joint regeneration processes2. CPM has been used to treat low back pain with clinically significant results3. By creating a sideways oscillating motion through the spine, the flow of synovial fluid between the discs can be encouraged, helping to reduce inflammation and ease pain, as well as improving range of motion. 

The FlexxiCore® Passive Exerciser combines the therapeutic back care benefits of CPM with the energizing and calming effects of a simple exercise machine popularised by the Japanese. The user simply lies down, puts their feet up on a cushioned cradle, and lets the FlexxiCore’s robust motor do the work. The body’s natural response to the swinging of the feet is a pleasant goldfish-like motion from the hips up, releasing tension in back, neck and shoulders, deepening respiration, and boosting circulation.

Research has shown that back pain can often be attributed to an inability to relax, physically and/or mentally4. A regular rocking motion is also known to help synchronize brain waves and calm the nervous system5. Another area of research has shown how cartilage production in degenerative joints can be stimulated by relatively small degrees of motion, thus allowing for better gliding of the joint surfaces without pain or restriction6. 

At a recent Back Pain Show at Olympia, London, 50 visitors were offered a 5-minute session on the FlexxiCore, with 84% reporting having experienced stiffness or pain in their Back / Neck / Shoulders (“BNS”) recently. Each reported on what they noticed during and after a 5-minute session: 72% reported feeling more relaxed / calmer; 54% noticed a reduction in tension; 40% said it had immediately helped BNS problems; 32% reported feeling more energetic; and 85% felt the session was of benefit for their condition, including 35 of the 42 (83.3%) who had recent BNS stiffness or pain.

Case studies from Practitioner Trials with over 200 healthcare professionals have previously confirmed the FlexxiCore’s benefits with a broad range of health conditions7. One practitioner’s client had back problems following removal of a benign tumour. After just 11 sessions she reported relief of tension in the back, increased mobility, better posture, and improved feelings of hope and courage for the future.8

References

1.  O'Driscoll, SA, Nicholas J. Giori, NJ. Continuous passive motion (CPM): Theory and principles of clinical application. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 37 (2): 179-88. Mar-Apr 2000.
2. Salter R. The biologic concept of continuous passive motion of synovial joints. The first 18 years of basic research and its clinical application. Clin Orthop Relat Res,;(242):12-25. May 1989.
3. Acosta-Rua AJ, Scuderi GJ, Levine SM, et al. Treatment of subacute low back pain with a novel device for continuous passive motion of the spine. Am J Ther 15(2):176-9. Mar-Apr 2008.
4. Lundberg U. Stress responses in low-status jobs and their relationship to health risks: musculoskeletal disorders. Ann N Y Acad Sci 896:162-72.; also Lundberg U. 1999. Psychological stress and musculoskeletal disorders: psychobiological mechanisms. Lack of rest and recovery greater problem than workload. Lakartidningen 100(21):1892-5. 297. 2003..
5. Bayer L., Constantinescu I., Perrig S., Vienne J., Vidal P.P., Mühlethaler M., Schwartz S. Rocking synchronizes brain waves during a short nap. Curr Biol. Jun 21;21(12):R461-2. 2011.
6. Viidik, A. Functional properties of collagenous tissue. Review of Connective Tissue Research 6:144–149 1970.
7. McDonald, H. Clinical Relief with Use of FlexxiCore Exerciser. Positive Health. Issue 141  November 2007.
8. Tisserand, M. Supervised Use of the FlexxiCore Passive Exerciser in a Clinic Context. Positive Health. Issue 177. December 2010.

Further Information

To find out more Tel: 01934 257066 / 08456 120129; info@EnergyForHealth.co.uk; for more background and to watch introductory and training videos visit www.FlexxiCore.com

No Time or ‘Surplus Energy’ For Exercise?

The Irony Of Our Instinct To Conserve Energy

Recent research has shown the remarkable difference that exercise makes to the heart and muscular health of 75-year olds who have been exercising regularly in their earlier years. Scott Trappe, the lead researcher, explained how surprised they were by the results: “We saw that people who exercise regularly year after year have better overall health than their sedentary counterparts. These 75-year-olds – men and women – have similar cardiovascular health to a 40- to 45-year-old.”

The study also found that people in their 70s who had been exercising regularly during their adult life had muscle health that was virtually the same as the muscles of people in their 20s:

“50+ years of aerobic exercise fully preserved capillarization and aerobic enzymes, regardless of intensity. These data suggest that skeletal muscle metabolic fitness may be easier to maintain with lifelong aerobic exercise than more central aspects of the cardiovascular system.”

With this and so many other studies showing the huge benefits of exercising regularly, why does the couch-potato lifestyle persist? Could it simply be that busy schedules lead to the feeling that we lack the energy to make the obvious healthy choices? The irony is that researchers have also found overwhelming evidence that “regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue.”

One attractive solution to this conundrum: Whole Body Vibration Training (WBV) accelerates the effects of many simple exercise routines so emphatically that a 10-minute session amplifies many-fold the results you could expect without the vibration aspect. The FlexxiCore Challenger was designed to make WBV more accessible and enjoyable for the hard-pressed individual who might struggle with the thought of a regular gym-based work-out regime; a roll-away platform that combines oscillation with vibration.

Tracey McAlpine, editor of Fighting Fifty - which advises on ways to age positively and live life after 50 to the full - recently tested the FlexxiCore Challenger. This was her verdict:

“There is something slightly addictive about the FlexxiCore Challenger.  By week four I was really looking forward to using the equipment daily.  My mood and sleeping patterns were greatly improved, my balance was so much better and my muscle tone impressive, especially considering I hadn’t been near a gym or got back into running.  Discomfort in my knee had practically disappeared, so I upped my game, I started ‘working out’ on the FlexxiCore Challenger.  I introduced hand weights and made sure to do squats and stretches while on the equipment.  My body definitely was wobbling much less than it did when I started the trial, it was changing shape and looking well-toned.  My feet even improved, I had more movement in my toes.  My productivity levels were increased, and I had far more flexibility.”

Tracey’s Full Report can be read here.

This article was first published by Positive Health Online Magazine - Issue 252