Hudson Valley, New York. Physical therapist Dr. Christian Campilii at the Center for Physical Therapy notes “Oh, when my patients’ backs go out, I start with lying them down on a floor in the 90/90 position with a WEDGIE cushion. These sufferers gleam with excitement and can attest that this is the only pain-free position “when their back goes out”.
World Problem: Four out of five world citizens currently have or will have a significant spinal problem at some point in their lives. This is true in every country. Back pain can fully debilitate a person, stopping them from walking, even breathing properly. Many more people are suffering with a low-grade ache, or numbness in the arms or legs. People are living their days with aches and pains wishing to have better health and quality of living. They want better days with their family or loved ones, at the workplace, during activities of daily living, and in extracurricular activities they truly enjoy.
Origins of the WEDGIE: After 20 years of recommending pillows, cushions and pads, physical therapist Dr. Christian Campilii embarked on a project to properly design a cushion to help people with back pain. Using a design team and many tested iterations they produced the WEDGIE which is patent pending. Dr. Christian Campilii has tested his design with thousands of patients in the Hudson Valley, New York.
Science: Recent research on astronauts has shown that there are changes within the spinal disc spaces that vary depending on the time of day and hydration levels. Jeffrey C. Lotz, PhD the David S. Bradford, MD, Endowed Chair in Orthopedic Surgery and vice chair for research at the UCSF Department of Orthopedic Surgery performed studies and discovered that with gravity, when standing, our spine is vertical, and the discs become compressed. The water is squeezed out of the disc spaces. He found that over the course of the day, the height of the disc spaces diminishes, the curvature of our spines changes, and our spinal flexibility is increased. When we sleep, however, as we go horizontal, then gravity is removed, and hard discs rehydrate due to their inherent ability to take on water and swell. Disc height and stiffness are recovered.
Studies have shown that runners who lie in the 90-90 position for 30 minutes daily are able to run and function with much less back pain. Athletes are encouraged to rest in 90/90 to counter the effects of running and jumping.
DESIGN RATIONALE: The WEDGIE is a spinal cushion whose unique shape and exact dimensions is primarily used to raise one’s legs to take the pressure off the lumbar spine. This product is durable and transportable so that one can travel and then maintain the position. It can be inflated and deflated to adjust to a person’s height. The WEDGIE is used in physical therapy settings, hospitals and in homes.
The benefits are as follows:
- Relieves back pain
- Opens up the spine to reduce pressure on the nerves
- Decreases muscle spasms by relaxing major lumbar muscles such as the PSOAS and the QUADRATUS LOMBORUM
- Re-hydrates the lumbar spine discs
- Relaxes the joints of the hips, knee, and ankle
- Reduces the tension of the upper body, including shoulders and neck
ENDORSEMENT: Spinal Surgeon, Dr. Ken Hansraj opined: “When the patients are rehabilitating after spine surgery, then my treatment is then placed in the hands of the physical therapists. My patients have responded very positively and are very thankful for the treatments rendered by Dr. Christian Campilii. The patients rave about the 90/90 position and the WEDGIE Cushion”