Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic is one of only 11 companies in Missouri that offers MedX equipment. You will find cervical and lumbar extension machines at all PTSC clinic locations: West Plains, and Mountain Grove. State-of-the-art computerized MedX lumbar and cervical testing and strengthening equipment is used to test and treat patients with neck and/or low back pain and limited range of motion resulting from acute or chronic injuries.

MedX as a Treatment Tool
The ingenuity behind MedX’s success in helping patients become pain free and regain functionality is its ability to isolate the torso and deep muscles of the spine during strengthening exercises. Unlike other spine strengthening exercises that involve muscles in the arms, abdomen or legs, MedX targets only the muscles responsible for maintaining the alignment of the spine. Poor spinal alignment leads to pain. Patients hoping to avoid surgery as well as those who have undergone surgeries for back and neck pain to no avail have been receiving positive results after only a few sessions with MedX. Click here to read their testimonials.

How MedX Works
Patients are seated comfortably in the MedX cervical or lumbar machine. In the cervical machine, the muscles in the torso are restrained so that only the muscles in the neck are targeted. Because the cervical muscles in the neck must continually support the weight of the head, weak muscles can lead to headache, neck pain and poor posture mechanics. In the lumbar machine, the muscles in the abdomen, hips and legs are restrained so that only the muscles in the low back are targeted. Weak lumbar muscles can be responsible for back pain, leg pain, stiffness and many other debilitating complaints. The exercises performed in the MedX cervical and lumbar machines are slow, gentle, take just a few minutes to complete and are computer monitored. Patients typically report mild soreness after using MedX, which can be relieved with massage or other modalities.



MedX as a Testing Tool
MedX’s data recording and processing software allows therapists to safely and accurately determine a patient’s physical limitations and improvements in neck and back strength. The software calculates accurate range of motion and muscle strength at numerous joint positions by factoring out torso mass, stored energy, tissue compression and/or joint elasticity, and a lack of reasonable effort by the patient. Reports can be generated showing comparisons between age and or gender matched norms. MedX’s computerized reports offer physicians, therapists, caseworkers, and insurance companies accurate, quantifiable data to use in determining a patient’s level of disability at the beginning of treatment and their degree of improvement at the end of treatment. MedX testing is often used at PTSC as a component of a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE).

MedX Case Study Physicians, to request additional case studies on MedX, click here or visit the MedX manufacturer’s website. ABSTRACT Eight hundred ninety-five consecutive chronic low back pain patients were evaluated. Six hundred twenty-seven completed the program. One hundred sixty-one began, but dropped out, and 107 were recommended for treatment but did not undergo treatment for various reasons. Average duration of symptoms prior to evaluation was 26 months. Forty-seven percent of patients were workers' compensation patients. The primary treatment was intensive, specific exercise using firm pelvic stabilization to isolate and rehabilitate the lumbar spine musculature. Patients were encouraged to work hard to achieve specific goals. Seventy-six percent of patients completing the program had excellent or good results. At 1-year follow up 94% of patients with good or excellent results reported maintaining their improvement. Results in the control group were significantly poorer in all areas surveyed except employment. Originally published in Orthopedics, October 1995, Vol. 18, No. 10