Guide to Good Posture and Wearables

A Facebook Chiropractor’s Guide to Good Posture and Wearables

Chiropractors and physical therapists can’t be everywhere all the time. Outside of our patients’ visits, we can’t be there to prod them into making better decisions, like “drink water instead!” or “sit up straight!”, no matter how much we’d like to do so. Thankfully, it’s in those moments that technology is most helpful.

As an on-site chiropractor with Crossover Health we constantly see employees coming in for treatment of their back and neck pain. My team, which provides physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, behavioral therapy and nutrition services, works together to treat some of the brightest minds in Silicon Valley.

Our clinic at the Facebook Health Center is lucky: Facebook’s company culture is driven by innovation, and the use of technology in patient care is not only accepted, but encouraged. This is what led us to start integrating Lumo Lift into our rehabilitation programs.

After four years working with Crossover at the Facebook Health Center, providing patients with a Lumo tracker and other forms of treatment, there are a few best practices I’ve learned that can help other chiropractors or physical therapist incorporate this posture-correcting device, or other wearables, into patient treatment plans.

Don’t discount the data

The way that you recommend a wearable tracker and reminder to your patient is going to depend entirely on their problem and their ability to adapt to technology.

In our clinics, some patients have injuries with a long recovery time or suffer from chronic pain, and they require more regular check-ups to track their progress. For those patients, we offer a Lumo Lift for posture tracking outside the doctor’s office, set goals, and check in on how their posture and movement was since their last visit, making sure the data is trending in the right direction.

For other patients, they may be coming in for a quick visit and tips for avoiding back pain while they’re at work. We’ll often hand them a Lumo Lift, show them the basics on how to use it, and let them self-regulate how their posture is by checking in on the app.

Pair data tracking with actionable feedback

The Lumo Lift is designed to be worn on the clothes, clipped beneath your collarbone with the sensor touching your skin. It’s helpful for any varying level of back pain or posture problems, but we saw incredible success with one patient suffering from scoliosis. She suffered from chronic pain through her right upper back and shoulder due to complications with scoliosis, and was regularly using opiates to deal with the pain.

This patient came to us for coaching sessions, and we gave her the device to wear on her right collarbone. After a few sessions focused on improving her posture behavior and movement patterns, she was able to move off her pain medicine.

This particular case highlights the importance of having that real-time buzz from the Lumo Lift, taking a wearable device beyond data collection. For injuries or illnesses that actually require behavior change, having a wearable that keeps you focused on better posture outside of the chiropractor’s office can go beyond traditional treatments.

Prevent the problem, don’t just treat the symptoms

Aside from our regular appointments, part of our philosophy at Crossover is to educate patients on the best practices to live healthier lives.

Our teams teach classes on campus about posture, ergonomics, core stability and injury prevention, which gets us in touch with those employees who might not normally have a reason to stop by for a full session at a Health Center. A lot of times, people are athletes or regular workers who are just concerned with performing their best and avoiding injuries.

We always say that slouching doesn’t come from laziness. Most of the time, people who slouch are so focused, and so in the zone of their work, that they don’t realize what they’re doing to their bodies. Wearable technology has helped us understand that we need to bring mindfulness back into our workflow.

Physical therapists and chiropractors like myself may not be able to nudge you back into better posture at your desk, but I’m glad to know there are some Lumo Lifts clipped onto our patients that are doing it for us.

For inquiries about the wearable posture reminder/tracker contact: lumobodytech.com/posturemonth

Guest Author: Dr. Daniel Lord

Daniel works as the physical medicine lead for the Facebook Health Center with the integrated primary care medical group Crossover Health. He manages the physical therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic services on-site. Daniel is also the sports chiropractor for Oracle Racing Team USA which successfully defended the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. During their campaign he was in charge of Oracle’s sports medicine program. Before that Daniel practiced at Chiro-Medical Group, a successful integrative sports-medicine practice in San Francisco. In 2013 Daniel founded the ergonomic and wellness consulting group Propriocep.