Products

Except for our Community Education CD, all products that have been previously available for purchase on our website are now available for purchase through www.optp.com. These products have been designed to enhance your practice and to educate you and your patients on the condition of osteoporosis and its physical therapy management. Listed below are some of the products we offer along with a short explanation of what it is and how to use it.

• The Physical Therapy Management of Bone Health --
  A Clinician's Guide
  The World's Osteoporosis Time Bomb is Ticking.¹
  ARE YOU PREPARED?
  2ND EDITION ON THIS, ONE-OF-A-KIND CLINICIAN'S GUIDE TO BONE HEALTH! Focused primarily on The Meeks Method, a 12-point comprehensive approach to bone health, this booklet includes information on Pre-Assessment Screening, Patient Assessment and Education, Site-Specific Exercise, Body Mechanics, Postural Correction, Balance, Weight-Bearing Exercise, Bracing, Breathing, Relaxation, and Modalities, as well as updated guidelines for Advanced Exercises in the Gym, Yoga, Pilates and more. Also included in the 2nd Edition is information on the new World Health Organization/National Osteoporosis Foundation Fracture Risk Assessment (FRAX.) There is also information on the management of special populations such as Pediatrics and the Physically Frail.
  
  The Meeks Method has proven to be a very successful program for the management of osteoporosis and bone health and is based heavily on principles of movement and exercise substantiated in the research literature.
  
  A study from The Mayo Clinic indicates that strengthening of the back extensors reduces the risk of subsequent compression fractures more significantly and for a longer period than vertebroplasty.² The Meeks Method has, as its core principle, strengthening of the back extensors.
  Preview The Clinician's Guide PDF Format
      ¹ World Health Organization 2003
      ² Huntoon, Schmidt, Sinaki. Mayo Clin Proc. Jan 2008.
  
  
• 2ND EDITION WALK TALL! An Exercise Program for the Prevention & Treatment of Back Pain, Osteoporosis and the Postural Changes of Aging
  
  WALK TALL! An Exercise Program for the Prevention & Treatment of Back Pain, Osteoporosis and the Postural Changes of Aging 2nd Edition is now available. At 159 pages, it is about 40% larger than the first edition and still comes in the handy 5" X 8" spiral-bound format. Once again, although this book does not necessarily contain all the exercises one could do for osteoporosis, all of the exercises and guidelines have been specifically developed for SAFETY. The book is well-illustrated and each exercise is described in detail with easy-to-follow instructions. Included are Site-specific Exercises, Posture Perfect, Balance, Weight-Bearing Exercise, Safer Sitting, Breathing & Relaxation, Activities of Daily Living, Scapular Strengthening with Resistance Band, Use of Foam Rollers, and enhanced Do's and Don'ts for other Activities (e.g., Yoga and Pilates) and Gym programs (Keeping Bone Healthy). New to this edition are two pages of routines you could follow-examples of routines include exercises for strength, flexibility, what you can do on an airplane, in the car etc. Although this book has been written especially for the public, it has also been reported to be very useful to clinicians.
  
  
• PATIENT EDUCATION DVD
  This DVD contains three video recordings:
  
  #1 Patient Education shows Sara Meeks with a model of the skeleton explaining what osteoporosis is, giving information on bone density testing and, most importantly, what can be done about it from a movement and exercise perspective. Contraindicated exercises are also explained.
  #2 Basic Exercises shows Sara Meeks working with a patient who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis and demonstrating the basic exercises in her program.
  #3 Postural Correction, Balance, Gait shows Sara Meeks working with two different patients, both diagnosed with osteoporosis, and demonstrating exercises to improve body alignment, balance and walking.
  
  
• FOAM ROLLERS
  These foam rollers can be used to improve spinal alignment, strength and balance and to promote spinal elongation. Two of the rollers recommended by Sara Meeks come in a vinyl-covered soft density foam: one is a full round 6X36 roller and the other is a ½ round 6X36 roller. The other recommended roller is called the OPTP Soft Pink Pro Roller—actually this roller is more like a medium density roller when compared to the other two. As people master the exercises on the softer rollers, they then progress to the more firm Pink Pro Roller.
  
  For your more sensitive patients, it is suggested that you begin a foam roller exercise program with the ½ round 6X36 roller. This half roller can be used in a bed, recliner chair or on the floor, is placed vertically up the back, and is very supportive.
  
  Some of my patients have called this ½ roller their "Comfort Cushion."
  
  Once they have mastered the use of the ½ roller, patients can progress to the full round soft density or even to the Pink Pro Roller. However, please try your patients on these rollers before you order one specifically for them. Some people will not progress beyond the use of the half roller and that is fine—if they will use that for exercise, they will obtain spinal elongation benefits.
  
  Contact SARA MEEKS SEMINARS for any clarification.
  
  
• EZ POSTURE PILLOW
  The EZ Posture Pillow was designed (by Sara Meeks, PT) to support the pelvis in seated Yoga postures and other exercise. Although the original intent of the design was as a meditation pillow, it can be used in a standard chair, wheelchair, on board an airplane, in your car etc.—basically, any place you sit.
  
  It has a recess in the back for the ischial tuberosities (SITS Bones) and a bump in the front for the pubic symphysis ("P" Bone.) This unique design supports the pelvis in a neutral position thus giving more support for the back. With pressure on the bump in the front, the pelvis is tilted forward thereby helping to protect the natural lordotic curve of the lumbar spine.
  
  Combine correct seating on the EZ Posture Pillow with elongation of the spine by lifting up through the manubrium bone ("M" bone) and you are seated in the Perch Posture which strengthens the back extensors.
  
  Each individually hand-made EZ Posture Pillow comes with a re-moveable, washable cover.
  EZ Posture Pillow Brochure PDF Format
  
  
  
• EZ POSTURE STRAP
  The EZ Posture Strap (another original design of Sara Meeks PT) consists of a single triangular piece that fits on the back between the shoulder blades, two looped straps that fit over each shoulder, cross in the back (within the triangular piece) with a handle at the end. Pictured is the EZ Posture Strap in the starting position and in the finished position.
  
  The EZ Posture Strap is NOT a brace. It is designed to be an exercise tool, an easy-to-use device that you can throw into your workout bag and carry with you to the gym or keep it handy at home for your home exercise program.
  
  Its unique action pulls the shoulder blades down and in, thereby stabilizing the shoulder girdle for cervical and shoulder exercises.
  
  
  Available in 3 sizes by chest measurement:
  S (28"-34") M (35" - 42") L (43" - 52")
  
  Comes with instruction for use.
  
  
• COMMUNITY EDUCATION CD
  This CD has been created by Sara Meeks, PT as a sort of "starter kit" PowerPoint Presentation for therapists to use when they go out to give lectures and teach classes in The Meeks Method. It contains about 135 PowerPoint slides recorded on a re-writeable disc so that you can personalize it for your own use. You can change colors, fonts and add your personal and clinic information as you like.
  
  Many therapists have used this very successfully as they have gone out to give community presentations.
  
  

To order products, please visit the registration page.