Spencer supports in modern medical practice : 23 illustrated case abstracts / Spencer, Incorporated.

  • D.D. & A. Spencer (Firm)
Date:
[1948]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Spencer supports in modern medical practice : 23 illustrated case abstracts / Spencer, Incorporated. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    wearer of his goal in retraining muscles and body attitudes. And it is of great importance to remember that proper support does NOT cause muscle atrophy; on the contrary, proper support permits the cor- rect use of the body including muscle exercise and activity.4°16 However, to be effective, a support must be not only of correct Uesign but must also hold its shape. A support that stretches or other- wise loses its shape loses its effectiveness, Not only to the neurosurgeon and the ortho- pedist, but to all practitioners, there is one par- ticularly interesting aspect of posture in preventive medicine—the relationship of faulty posture to the syndrome of the disabled spinal discs.®» 6 8. 10 Jones® presents the claim that “the shearing stress of the pelvis tilted forward in faulty posture, combined with the ‘hollow lumbar spine’ may eventually wear away the intervertebral disc, and that it is within reason that when body weight is carried on top of a sacrum that slumps forward, the constant pressure so exerted on the posterior part of the disc .. . may result in degeneration and possibly be a factor in producing disintegrations that later allow protrusion.” This would indicate an etiological relationship in faulty posture to de- terioration of these discs, Lewin® has shown that “the tilt of the pelvis, which is controlled partly by the abdominal muscles but largely by the muscles which control the position of the pelvis with relation to the femurs, causes variation in the compensatory curves of the spine, and postural strains result. . .” Improvement of posture and maintenance of good posture is, then, one of the important ortho- pedic aims in preventive treatment. Proper sup- port is a valuable aid in realizing that aim. Guri™ has stated that one of the most frequent problems the orthopedist faces is that of deciding on conservative vs. surgical measures in back cases. Evidence in medical literature indicates the im- portance of at least trial conservative treatment in most cases. Such treatment usually includes support for the back,® 19 and Raney® found that “only a very small number of cases resist nature’s healing forces and require surgical treatment.” IN POSTOPERATIVE TREATMENT Proper support of the back is often indicated following fusion or other spinal surgery. The pur- pose of the support is to restrict or to immobilize motion and to protect the surgical area; to assist the patient “through his muscles, ligaments, and especially his brain and nerve cells to gain the right or best use of his body;” to assist in the cor- rect position of the pelvis which is the structural base of the body; to help prevent the usual sag of the body backward from the hips by pushing the dorsal spine forward and helping to elevate the ribs.? Since proper support of the back and restriction or immobilization of the affected parts is often essential to the success of both conservative and post-surgical treatment, the selection of the sup- port of choice is an important one. Physicians are finding Spencer Supports therapeutically more effective because: Each Spencer Support is individually designed, cut and made at our New Haven plant—after a description ot the patient’s body and posture have been recorded and detailed measurements taken. Spencers are designed for the patient’s body— not as it is—but as it should be. And because each Spencer is individually de- signed for each patient, it can be—and is—guaran- teed not to lose its shape. The illustrated case abstracts which follow indi- cate the versatility and effectiveness of Spencer Individual Designing.
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