WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE PETTIBON SYSTEM AND IT'S TECHNIQUES?
• We take seated x-rays of the entire spine using an aligned x-ray machine. In the seated position, soft tissues are under 30% greater load than standing and 50% greater load than lying down. Practitioners can classify the various displacement configurations (balanced or unbalanced) according to soft tissue failures, stress, and function.
• We compare our prospective patients' x-rays with measures for normal.
• We do not automatically accept prospective patients for care. Prospective patients are tested with weighted diagnostic x-rays to determine 'if' and 'how' they will respond to care.
• By having our patients participate in home care, it allows for faster correction.
• We use head weights as the core treatment protocol for spine and posture correction.
• Our corrective care patients prepare for adjustments with warm up exercises and stretching with the Wobble Chair and Repetitive Cervical Traction.
• The adjustments increase the joint mobility so that rehabilitative exercises can take advantage of an increased range of motion.
• We treat patients in three distinct phases: Phase I-Acute Care; Phase II-Rehabilitation & Correction, Phase III-Maintenance & Supportive Care.
• Our patients are re-evaluated after Acute Care and after Rehabilitation & Correction to assess progress.
• Before moving from one phase of care to another, we show proven correction with post-treatment x-rays and the comparison to pre-treatment x-rays.
Why does The Pettibon System put so much emphasis on muscle rehabilitation, especially isometric exercise procedures?
"Spinal muscles are made up of two types of fibers: phasic and postural. Most muscles contain both types of fibers but one can be predominant within a muscle. Kinetic exercises like those used in gyms work for phasic muscles. They'll gain strength and endurance within 90 days. Postural muscles require exercising eight times longer. And they respond best to isometric exercise."
How does the Wobble Chair address the aging process positively?
"'You're just getting older' is a catch-all for common musculoskeletal complaints of neck, arm, shoulder, back, and leg pain. It's a feeble explanation, especially when the pain can be eliminated and the cause of spinal dysfunction and pathology can be arrested, reversed, and prevented.
All of the chemicals and materials of normal spinal discs are present even in pathological and aged spinal discs. But spinal discs don't have their own blood supply so there has to be another way to pump the nutritious fluids into discs and then squeeze out wastes. While physical activity can create a pumping force, Vert Mooney, M.D., a world-renown researcher and orthopedic surgeon cites loading and unloading the lumbar discs as the best way to create a pumping force that produces fluid exchange. And that's exactly what the Wobble Chair does. For a strong, healthy, pain-free back at any age, we prescribe performing loading and unloading exercises with the Wobble Chair twice daily."