Learn More About the Disease of Movement Dysfunction and how to cure it.

The primary factor that determines spinal joint health is joint stability. The major factor that determines stability is how proficiently the joint moves. Think about the scenario of walking with your feet turned uncomfortably in or out. This is clearly dysfunctional for the ankle joint, as it is not designed or shaped to move in this manner. It would quickly result in an inflamed painful ankle. The most effective fix is not to take an anti-inflammatory pain tablet or to strengthen the muscles around the ankle or stretch the ligaments or to receive a cortisone block or ankle replacement surgery!

The obvious solution is to re-establish coordinated movement of the ankle joint and very quickly you will notice a progressive improvement in pain symptoms. This common sense approach is effectively Functional Movement Therapy for the ankle and eliminates Movement Dysfunction which is the Functional Disease causing ankle pain in this scenario.

The fundamental principles also apply in the lumbar spinal joints, which require slightly more specific and distinctive Movement Therapy because unlike the ankle joint scenario most people affected by Chronic Low Back Pain are not even aware that they are moving the lumbo-pelvic spine dysfunctionally. Most people are not even informed that their corrupted movement (motor) patterns are responsible for their pain and despite having suffered for years with low back pain they have no concept of proficient movement points of performance for engaging in simple activities of daily living in particular bending tasks which if performed poorly result in the accumulation of biomechanical stress on the lower lumbar spinal joints which then leads to biological inflammatory and nociceptive pain and secondary structural changes to the joint and atrophy of the Multifidus Muscle. If this is prolonged then you are at risk of requiring a surgical structural intervention in conjunction with the Functional Intervention of Movement Therapy.  The preferred way to prevent this is simply to engage in Functional Movement Therapy in the early stages of when you begin experiencing the “warning bells” of Back Pain symptoms. After all that is why we experience Adaptive Pain…to inform us that something is not “Functioning” correctly. Fix the problem with “Functional Therapy” before surgical “Structural Therapy” such as lumbar fusion becomes a consideration.

Why Doctor Johnson Embraces the ReActiv8 System and Procedure

The success and goal of the ReActiv8 system is centred around restoring Movement Proficiency by delivering what is referred to as Restorative Neurostimulation. The philosophy behind the system and technology reinforces the paradigm of Back Pain symptoms arising from a Functional Disease. Restorative Neurostimulation derived from the ReActiv8 implant promotes the activation and subsequent function of a very important muscle group in the lumbar spine named “Multifidus”. This is a unique muscle which contracts to create intersegmental stability. Intersegmental stability means that the individual levels of the spine are moving in a safe and coordinated way that restores health to the spinal motion segment (the spinal joint) which ultimately leads to improvement in pain and disability.

Patients with chronic Low Back Pain almost universally display atrophy (wasting or shrinkage) of this multifidus muscle group on Lumbar Spine imaging studies. This reflects disuse of the muscle and poor intersegmental spinal control. This is radiological evidence of Movement Dysfunction. People who move proficiently and participate actively in simple daily living tasks which encounter frequent bending, constantly activate this muscle which of course remains normal in size relative to their individual physical demands.

In comparison to effectively all other spinal surgical procedures the ReActiv8 surgery is extremely safe and minimally invasive. It usually involves one night in hospital and two small shallow skin incisions for insertion of the very fine stimulator leads and implantation of the matchbox sized battery unit (IPG: Implantable Pulse Generator).

Restoring function to the multifidus muscle is entirely synergistic and complimentary with the rehabilitation methodology of Dr Johnsons Functional Movement Therapy focused rehabilitation.