It didn’t matter that Roland S. Berthiaume has spent the past 15 years as a chiropractor, he still couldn’t manage to get his own back straightened out when he needed it most. So, he invented a device that would do it for him.
He’s formed a company called NGC Industries with Springfield businessman and landlord Thomas A. Valentine and that company has started selling Lo-Bak Trax via an infomercial and Website. The devices cost $159.95 each. He’s been developing Lo-Bak Trax since the year 2000. It’s received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But Berthiaume said that beats more elaborate traction devices that often involve motors or pulley setups that affix to doorways.
Here’s how it works. Users lie down flat on their backs then pull their knees up and get their ankles as close as they can to their buttocks. The Lo-Bak Trax is a set of handlbars a pointed part that goes between the person’s legs and two curved pieces that fit over the thighs. By placing the curved pieces as far up on the thigh as possible and pressing down on the handlebars, people can apply gentle pressure stretching out their spines, Berthiaume said.
“It takes less than 10 minutes,†he said. “Anyone can do it.â€