Spine/Scapula Stabilizer Testimonials
Megan is an Athletic Trainer at Virginia Tech University. One of her tennis players has significant shoulder instability and the S3 helps her by reducing pain and giving her the support she needs to play the sport she loves.
"Amanda- We have seen great results with the S3! Shannon’s pain levels have decreased significantly and her posture has definitely improved. Overall, we think this product has directly impacted her level of play. I have to say that Ive seen significant improvements in my posture after wearing the posture shirt. Thank you for this great product! Thanks!" - Megan R. S.
"The S3 has provided me with an enormous amount of pain relief and corrected my posture ever since I started wearing it. I can feel the improvement as soon as I put it on! So much so I even sleep in it! Surfing is so demanding on your upper body and without proper maintenance and stretching, injury is inevitable. This vest has contributed to my successful recovery from a herniated disk in my neck and has also allowed me to maintain good posture, resulting in pain free surfing and living. I recommend it to all my friends and family and anyone who wishes to avoid surgery, as I have."- Layne Beachley, Six Time World Champion Surfer
"The S3 optimizes the position of the scapula by improving proprioceptive feedback to enhance the tone of the scapular stabilizing muscles. It simultaneously stretches tight anterior structures to correct postural alignment and restores normal shoulder kinematics" - Ben Rubin M.D.
"The S3 optimizes scapular position, as well as motion, and increases rotator cuff strength. All of which improve treatment of shoulder injuries."- W. Ben Kibler M.D.
Terri is a registered nurse that rehabilitated herself with the S3. She believes in the product to the extent that she referred her own son to utilize it as well.
"I am a 20 year critical care registered nurse veteran. Since 1990 I’ve had 3 right shoulder reconstructive surgeries, including rotator cuff, impingement, dislocation, A-C separation repairs, C5-C6 neck reconstruction surgery for traumatic herniation with cord compression, right elbow lateral epicondyl tendon reconstructive surgery for traumatic rupture. As a result of the mentioned surgeries, I have had years of physical and occupation therapy along with other modalities including acupuncture, bi occipital nerve blocks, and multiple medications. Last year my orthopedic surgeon recommended the S3 Brace for me. I can say without a doubt that the moment I put the S3 Brace on, I could feel my body alignment automatically occur without much active, conscious movement on my part. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my posture, which I thought was good and had been told by many people what good posture I had. Not only did my posture seem to improve naturally, but my neck, shoulder and back pain I was experiencing seemed to slowly disappear. This past summer, I broke my ribs in a go cart race. I put my S3 Brace on for the next few weeks and it really helped me feel better while my ribs healed. I use my S3 Brace on and off when I feel like I need to. I highly recommend the S3 Brace for anyone who has neck, back or shoulder issues. My son is a golfer and we just ordered him the S3 Brace." - Terri H., RN.
Ben H. is a customer who called us to get another S3 since he incorporates it in his daily life and has for years!
"I am 67 years old and have dealt with a bad back since my late 20's. I had a back operation in 1980 for Spinal stenosis and it has been downhill since. I have spent a lot of my energy trying to do the correct things to make a back stronger. In the early years after the operation, I did all the strengthening stretches I could find and did manage to work and travel on the road for 4 decades. Somewhere about 10 years ago, my posture became an obvious problem and some doctor suggested the S3 as an aid. The S3 has been the best aid that I have ever seen. It has allowed me to continue work and has lifted my upper body. We all know what the body will do especially in men after age 55. Mine was really collapsing as the structure was not there and I started having real pain in both shoulders and my neck. The S3 give me a great relief as if someone was holding my upper body up. This allowed me to stand much straighter and my pains in the upper body have lessened significant. The last two years, I have worn the S3 every other day and I could not exist without the S3."
- Ben
Jonathan Smith is a chiropractor in Virginia who not only refers his patients to wear the S3, but also wears it to train in himself!
"Amanda, I am writing regarding my S3 brace. I started wearing the brace this past Monday to do cardiovascular exercise. My typical cardio regime consists of walking with a 20-40lb weighted vest and I average about 13.5 minutes per mile. I have been experiencing pain in my bilateral anterior tibialis and the superior aspect of the right rectus femorsis while engaging in exercise. I noticed an immediate change in my gait when wearing the brace. Throughout the walk, I realized that the pain in my left anterior tibilialis was non-existent and the pain in my right rectus femoris was drastically decreased. Once I finished my walk, I check my CPG and found that my time had decreased by 1 minute per mile. I am thoroughly impressed with the results of the S3 brace and pleasantly suprirsed that it could change the whole kinetic change from the thoracic spine to the pelvis. Thank you for this great product."Sincerely, - Dr. Jonathan Smith
Tommy Shirley is a MLB player for the Astros that utilized the S3 to rehabilitate his shoulder to continue to play and excel as a pitcher!
"Since I started wearing the S3 System I have found success. I am a pitcher and needed something to strengthen and align my shoulders; the S3 was exactly what I needed. It gave me instant pain relief once I put on the brace. It was not done after that though, as I kept wearing the brace it greatly improved my posture and gave my shoulder more strength. It improved my fastball from 88mph to up to 94mph. It has increased my upper body flexibility and strength almost magically, but it is pure science. Before the S3 I had poor posture, after wearing the brace for a few weeks it cleaned up my poor posture. At times, I even throw and do workouts in the brace to keep good athletic posture. The S3 was a big part of my success at Xavier University and earned me the honor of being picked by the Houston Astros in the 9th round of the 2010 MLB Draft (237). My family and friends are firm believers of the brace and have even ordered their own. It is truly revolutionary." - Tommy Shirley (LHP)
Kolleen wrote to us to express her genuine appreciation for Alignmed's customer care and to share her story on how the S3 has impacted her life.
"I thought I would drop you a line to let you know how much I appreciate your professionalism and care. You provide a valuable service that has a very positive effect on the self esteem of women like me who have had an assault on their body and confidence. I can only speak from my own personal experience your S3 has had on my acceptance of myself and the rise in confidence whenever I have to go out in public. My story would not be unique to your company but it has been a personal struggle for me. When I was born in 1957 I apparently had a massive infection and the solution in those days was to cut it out which resulted in a partial mastectomy of the right breast. It also resulted in some scarring which I asked about as a child but was never given a full explanation. As I was going through puberty it then became obvious to me that the end result was far more reaching than just some unsightly scarring. My relationship with my mother was rather distant and as a result I have had no one to confide in regarding the problem. This resulted in a lot of shame and embarrassment which stayed with me. For my whole adult life I have had to be careful with my choice of clothing. I have never been able to wear T shirts or knitted tops without a loose over shirt regardless of the season. My posture has made me hunched over to help disguise the unevenness. Now I have a choice to wear what I like and discard the over shirt in the warm weather. This is the first time I walk straight and tall, which is necessary when one is under five feet tall. There is no easy way to put words on paper to rightly express the change in my confidence and greater acceptance of my body image. I thank you very much for the caring and professional manner you dealt with my problem and how you put me at ease. Thank you for your service and being a kind caring person." - Kolleen
"The S3 is absolutely transformational, life-changing, indispensable, and irreplaceable. Or maybe I should start at the beginning- February 1989 and the onset of my unfortunate relationship with secondary-progressive Multiple Sclerosis and yes it is a relationship. Since then it’s been muscle spasticity, crippling exhaustion, impeded movement and difficulties with balance. I could enumerate a half-dozen more, but I suppose the point is made. With considerable Myelin loss in my brain, combined with my body’s fascia not being able to hold me up, living like we all do under the "tyranny of gravity" every day, day after day, makes the saying 'do not try this at home' applicable. And because-barring phenomenal events in both immune and neurological regeneration sciences -my condition will not improve, there is only one way forward: fight...it’s not the burden-but how you carry the burden. I will never give up, never give in; I fight for myself; I fight for my family and friends; I fight for all my brothers and sisters who have MS; I will fight because a life with MS is still a life worth living. This fight is a very unequal fight, where the weapons are limited and the options few. Interferons to slow the progression and medications alleviate symptoms but in my case exercise, stretching and nutrition help me make it through the day. I say this because I'm absolutely certain, as is my neurologist, that my life would be very different were it not for the hours of exercise and stretching I do every single day. Enter Alignmed....enter the S3...enter the possibility of posture...the holy grail of anybody in my situation. I say "holy grail" because against all odds I’ve kept the ability to stand and move albeit with a walker and/or crutches and the ability to do standing and stationary bike exercises. Unfortunately because all of these exercises are done tentatively and under difficult conditions-such as struggling to stay balanced and struggling with uneven movement because I no longer move bilaterally- bad posture not only increases the possibility of injuries but makes the various exercises and stretches much less effective than they would otherwise be. This is huge for people with MS who are as active as possible within their limits- the more we do the more we risk injuring ourselves due to this lack of balance and unbalanced movement. Thus the S3 has become a constant companion. Constant to the extent that together with my walker, crutches and wheelchair( by-the-way you need proper posture in a wheelchair too) I can’t imagine life without it, I even sleep in my Posture Shirts. When I’m at my computer and my body begins to slump and my shoulders "round" the S3 does it’s magic. Used in conjunction with an exercise ball-phenomenal! I know this sounds like an infomercial but I simply love the S3! I know that everybody’s MS profile is different so the decision must be made both individually and with a physician, but the S3 and Posture Shirt has made a difference in my life-A BIG DIFFERENCE. Yet I fervently believe that anybody, whether it be somebody like me, an athlete, a sportsman (fishermen, hunters), resistance trainer, or anybody at the computer for hours-- anybody battling the "tyranny of gravity" can use an S3. I only wish I had discovered it earlier."- Keith G
"Amanda- We have seen great results with the S3! Shannon’s pain levels have decreased significantly and her posture has definitely improved. Overall, we think this product has directly impacted her level of play. I have to say that Ive seen significant improvements in my posture after wearing the posture shirt. Thank you for this great product! Thanks!" - Megan R. S.
"The S3 has provided me with an enormous amount of pain relief and corrected my posture ever since I started wearing it. I can feel the improvement as soon as I put it on! So much so I even sleep in it! Surfing is so demanding on your upper body and without proper maintenance and stretching, injury is inevitable. This vest has contributed to my successful recovery from a herniated disk in my neck and has also allowed me to maintain good posture, resulting in pain free surfing and living. I recommend it to all my friends and family and anyone who wishes to avoid surgery, as I have."- Layne Beachley, Six Time World Champion Surfer
"The S3 optimizes the position of the scapula by improving proprioceptive feedback to enhance the tone of the scapular stabilizing muscles. It simultaneously stretches tight anterior structures to correct postural alignment and restores normal shoulder kinematics" - Ben Rubin M.D.
"The S3 optimizes scapular position, as well as motion, and increases rotator cuff strength. All of which improve treatment of shoulder injuries."- W. Ben Kibler M.D.
Terri is a registered nurse that rehabilitated herself with the S3. She believes in the product to the extent that she referred her own son to utilize it as well.
"I am a 20 year critical care registered nurse veteran. Since 1990 I’ve had 3 right shoulder reconstructive surgeries, including rotator cuff, impingement, dislocation, A-C separation repairs, C5-C6 neck reconstruction surgery for traumatic herniation with cord compression, right elbow lateral epicondyl tendon reconstructive surgery for traumatic rupture. As a result of the mentioned surgeries, I have had years of physical and occupation therapy along with other modalities including acupuncture, bi occipital nerve blocks, and multiple medications. Last year my orthopedic surgeon recommended the S3 Brace for me. I can say without a doubt that the moment I put the S3 Brace on, I could feel my body alignment automatically occur without much active, conscious movement on my part. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my posture, which I thought was good and had been told by many people what good posture I had. Not only did my posture seem to improve naturally, but my neck, shoulder and back pain I was experiencing seemed to slowly disappear. This past summer, I broke my ribs in a go cart race. I put my S3 Brace on for the next few weeks and it really helped me feel better while my ribs healed. I use my S3 Brace on and off when I feel like I need to. I highly recommend the S3 Brace for anyone who has neck, back or shoulder issues. My son is a golfer and we just ordered him the S3 Brace." - Terri H., RN.
Ben H. is a customer who called us to get another S3 since he incorporates it in his daily life and has for years!
"I am 67 years old and have dealt with a bad back since my late 20's. I had a back operation in 1980 for Spinal stenosis and it has been downhill since. I have spent a lot of my energy trying to do the correct things to make a back stronger. In the early years after the operation, I did all the strengthening stretches I could find and did manage to work and travel on the road for 4 decades. Somewhere about 10 years ago, my posture became an obvious problem and some doctor suggested the S3 as an aid. The S3 has been the best aid that I have ever seen. It has allowed me to continue work and has lifted my upper body. We all know what the body will do especially in men after age 55. Mine was really collapsing as the structure was not there and I started having real pain in both shoulders and my neck. The S3 give me a great relief as if someone was holding my upper body up. This allowed me to stand much straighter and my pains in the upper body have lessened significant. The last two years, I have worn the S3 every other day and I could not exist without the S3."
- Ben
Jonathan Smith is a chiropractor in Virginia who not only refers his patients to wear the S3, but also wears it to train in himself!
"Amanda, I am writing regarding my S3 brace. I started wearing the brace this past Monday to do cardiovascular exercise. My typical cardio regime consists of walking with a 20-40lb weighted vest and I average about 13.5 minutes per mile. I have been experiencing pain in my bilateral anterior tibialis and the superior aspect of the right rectus femorsis while engaging in exercise. I noticed an immediate change in my gait when wearing the brace. Throughout the walk, I realized that the pain in my left anterior tibilialis was non-existent and the pain in my right rectus femoris was drastically decreased. Once I finished my walk, I check my CPG and found that my time had decreased by 1 minute per mile. I am thoroughly impressed with the results of the S3 brace and pleasantly suprirsed that it could change the whole kinetic change from the thoracic spine to the pelvis. Thank you for this great product."Sincerely, - Dr. Jonathan Smith
Tommy Shirley is a MLB player for the Astros that utilized the S3 to rehabilitate his shoulder to continue to play and excel as a pitcher!
"Since I started wearing the S3 System I have found success. I am a pitcher and needed something to strengthen and align my shoulders; the S3 was exactly what I needed. It gave me instant pain relief once I put on the brace. It was not done after that though, as I kept wearing the brace it greatly improved my posture and gave my shoulder more strength. It improved my fastball from 88mph to up to 94mph. It has increased my upper body flexibility and strength almost magically, but it is pure science. Before the S3 I had poor posture, after wearing the brace for a few weeks it cleaned up my poor posture. At times, I even throw and do workouts in the brace to keep good athletic posture. The S3 was a big part of my success at Xavier University and earned me the honor of being picked by the Houston Astros in the 9th round of the 2010 MLB Draft (237). My family and friends are firm believers of the brace and have even ordered their own. It is truly revolutionary." - Tommy Shirley (LHP)
Kolleen wrote to us to express her genuine appreciation for Alignmed's customer care and to share her story on how the S3 has impacted her life.
"I thought I would drop you a line to let you know how much I appreciate your professionalism and care. You provide a valuable service that has a very positive effect on the self esteem of women like me who have had an assault on their body and confidence. I can only speak from my own personal experience your S3 has had on my acceptance of myself and the rise in confidence whenever I have to go out in public. My story would not be unique to your company but it has been a personal struggle for me. When I was born in 1957 I apparently had a massive infection and the solution in those days was to cut it out which resulted in a partial mastectomy of the right breast. It also resulted in some scarring which I asked about as a child but was never given a full explanation. As I was going through puberty it then became obvious to me that the end result was far more reaching than just some unsightly scarring. My relationship with my mother was rather distant and as a result I have had no one to confide in regarding the problem. This resulted in a lot of shame and embarrassment which stayed with me. For my whole adult life I have had to be careful with my choice of clothing. I have never been able to wear T shirts or knitted tops without a loose over shirt regardless of the season. My posture has made me hunched over to help disguise the unevenness. Now I have a choice to wear what I like and discard the over shirt in the warm weather. This is the first time I walk straight and tall, which is necessary when one is under five feet tall. There is no easy way to put words on paper to rightly express the change in my confidence and greater acceptance of my body image. I thank you very much for the caring and professional manner you dealt with my problem and how you put me at ease. Thank you for your service and being a kind caring person." - Kolleen
"The S3 is absolutely transformational, life-changing, indispensable, and irreplaceable. Or maybe I should start at the beginning- February 1989 and the onset of my unfortunate relationship with secondary-progressive Multiple Sclerosis and yes it is a relationship. Since then it’s been muscle spasticity, crippling exhaustion, impeded movement and difficulties with balance. I could enumerate a half-dozen more, but I suppose the point is made. With considerable Myelin loss in my brain, combined with my body’s fascia not being able to hold me up, living like we all do under the "tyranny of gravity" every day, day after day, makes the saying 'do not try this at home' applicable. And because-barring phenomenal events in both immune and neurological regeneration sciences -my condition will not improve, there is only one way forward: fight...it’s not the burden-but how you carry the burden. I will never give up, never give in; I fight for myself; I fight for my family and friends; I fight for all my brothers and sisters who have MS; I will fight because a life with MS is still a life worth living. This fight is a very unequal fight, where the weapons are limited and the options few. Interferons to slow the progression and medications alleviate symptoms but in my case exercise, stretching and nutrition help me make it through the day. I say this because I'm absolutely certain, as is my neurologist, that my life would be very different were it not for the hours of exercise and stretching I do every single day. Enter Alignmed....enter the S3...enter the possibility of posture...the holy grail of anybody in my situation. I say "holy grail" because against all odds I’ve kept the ability to stand and move albeit with a walker and/or crutches and the ability to do standing and stationary bike exercises. Unfortunately because all of these exercises are done tentatively and under difficult conditions-such as struggling to stay balanced and struggling with uneven movement because I no longer move bilaterally- bad posture not only increases the possibility of injuries but makes the various exercises and stretches much less effective than they would otherwise be. This is huge for people with MS who are as active as possible within their limits- the more we do the more we risk injuring ourselves due to this lack of balance and unbalanced movement. Thus the S3 has become a constant companion. Constant to the extent that together with my walker, crutches and wheelchair( by-the-way you need proper posture in a wheelchair too) I can’t imagine life without it, I even sleep in my Posture Shirts. When I’m at my computer and my body begins to slump and my shoulders "round" the S3 does it’s magic. Used in conjunction with an exercise ball-phenomenal! I know this sounds like an infomercial but I simply love the S3! I know that everybody’s MS profile is different so the decision must be made both individually and with a physician, but the S3 and Posture Shirt has made a difference in my life-A BIG DIFFERENCE. Yet I fervently believe that anybody, whether it be somebody like me, an athlete, a sportsman (fishermen, hunters), resistance trainer, or anybody at the computer for hours-- anybody battling the "tyranny of gravity" can use an S3. I only wish I had discovered it earlier."- Keith G