This a story on why I added a cutting edge technology to my chiropractic practice. But before it becomes a “rah-rah” post about how great the technology is, first we have to have brief conversation about clinical tech in general.
The wrong tech can be a waste of patient time, and the right tech can save unnecessary suffering
Clinical technology for its own sake can be a distraction from the “old-school” technology that leads to positive patient outcomes: the doctor actually listening.
I’m very sensitive to the fact that many patients find modern health care to be frustrating and dehumanizing because doctors and their support staff are hidden behind layers of every growing tech.
It’s very easy to find state-of the-art tests. It’s harder to find a doctor that will take the time to listen and offer guidance long term. They can’t because they have data driven assessments of their own performance from hospital CEOs and insurance boards to think about.
That’s why I’m slow to add assessments and treatments: in case they get in the way of patient care.
What patients aren’t telling us, but can show us
I’m a fan of the old-fashion assessment of a good consultation, but often patients cannot tell us the whole story. What they cannot tell us can be revealed in a physical exam and x-rays. But these have their own limitations in that it is hard to gather repeatable, objective data for the body’s musculoskeletal system without using advanced imaging that is both costly and time consuming, especially when dealing with insurance regulations.
Which is why when it comes to caring for the neck (and my extension the whole body since the neck connects the brain to the body), I was excited to learn about the development of the NeckCare Device and its ability to gather repeatable, objective data.
What is the NeckCare™ System and what can it tell us that patient’s can’t?
The NeckCare device is the fruition of over 20 years of development by European researchers. They were seeking a better way to assess the mechanical health of the head and neck. It is an FDA approved device that offers over 120 positional data points per second.
The NeckCare device offers incredibly accurate measurement of neck range of motion, proprioception, and sensorimotor integration. Each of these will be explained.
Cervical Range of Motion (Neck Movement Ability)
What It Measures:
The cervical range of motion test checks how well your neck moves in six main directions:
- Flexion: Bending your head forward (chin to chest)
- Extension: Bending your head backward (looking up)
- Lateral Flexion: Tilting your head toward each shoulder
- Rotation: Turning your head left and right
Why It’s Important:
A healthy neck should move freely in all these directions without pain or stiffness. The NeckCare device measures how far your neck moves (measured in degrees) and how smoothly you perform these movements. This helps identify stiffness, pain points, or imbalances between the left and right sides, and front and back. Limited range of motion can be caused by issues like muscle tightness, joint problems, cervical disc injury, nerve damage, and other signs of misalignment (chiropractic subluxation.)
Clinical Application:
- Baseline Testing: Helps establish your starting mobility level.
- Treatment Progress Tracking: Shows improvement that we can correlate to symptom changes.
- Injury Detection: Identifies movement restrictions from conditions like whiplash or arthritis.
Proprioception (Joint Position Error Test)
What It Measures:
Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense where your neck is in space without seeing it. The Joint Position Error (JPE) Test measures how accurately you can return your head to a specific position after moving it. Because neck proprioception influences global posture balance this is an important test!
How the Test Works:
- You wear a head sensor and look straight ahead at a target on a screen.
- You are asked to move your head in a specific direction (like turning left or right) and then return to the starting point without looking.
- The device measures how close you get to the original position. The difference between where you think your head is and where it actually is is called the joint position error.
Why It’s Important:
Accurate proprioception is essential for balance, coordination, and avoiding neck injuries. Poor proprioception can result from injuries like whiplash, concussions, or long-term neck pain. It can lead to dizziness, headaches, and a greater risk of falls or injuries.
Clinical Application:
- Healing After Injury: Helps retrain the neck’s position-sensing ability.
- Dizziness or Balance Disorders: Useful in cases of vertigo or balance problems.
- Post-Concussion Care: Tracks recovery progress after a head and neck injury.
Sensorimotor Integration (Butterfly Test)
What It Measures:
Sensorimotor integration refers to how well your brain, nerves, and muscles work together to control neck movement. The Butterfly Test measures how accurately and smoothly your head follows a moving target on a screen.
How the Test Works:
- A target, usually shaped like a butterfly, moves across the screen in different patterns.
- You wear a head sensor and try to follow the target by moving your head in sync with it.
- The device tracks your head movements and compares them to the target’s path, measuring accuracy, smoothness, and response time.
Why It’s Important:
Good sensorimotor integration ensures that your neck muscles respond properly to signals from your brain, allowing you to move smoothly and react quickly. Poor integration can cause clumsy or delayed head movements, leading to problems like neck instability, dizziness, and even migraines.
Clinical Application:
- Post-Injury Healing: Helps recover lost coordination after neck or head injuries.
- Balance and Stability Testing: Useful for patients experiencing dizziness or balance issues.
- Sports Performance: Enhances athletic performance by improving head control and reaction time.
Using NeckCare for better chiropractic patient outcomes
The combination of these three tests—Cervical Range of Motion, Proprioception (JPE Test), and Sensorimotor Integration (Butterfly Test)—provides a complete assessment of neck health that can’t be found in a consultation or x-ray exam alone. By using the NeckCare device, we can
- identify hidden issues (including overlooked signs of brain injury),
- create and alter personalized treatment plans,
- and track improvements with precise data, in particular for patients with neck pain, headache (including migraine), and concussion.
The NeckCare™ System can also identify other procedures and providers with whom we may team-up for successful patient recovery.
If you’d like to experience the NeckCare technology, please give us a call, or set up an appointment for a consultation via the contact form on this page. Unless you’re a current patient, in which case, please let me know you read this article and we will set up an evaluation that includes the NeckCare device and software.
- Three things you think are helping your neck, but aren’t – Some controversial thoughts about the neck - January 13, 2025
- This is why we use the neckcare device to improve patient outcomes - December 11, 2024
- THe big move! Check here for updates - August 14, 2024
