More than one-third of all adults will have significant neck pain at some point in their life. And often it becomes chronic. Neck pain is generally due to irritation of nerve roots coming from trauma, herniated disc, or arthritis. The nerves become inflamed and cause muscle spasm.

Neck pain is usually treated with drugs and physical therapy, and all too often people undergo surgery. But a unique new device relieves neck pain by gently reducing the muscle spasm that is often the root cause of neck pain.

George Wilson, 65, was tired of living with daily neck pain. "I had had neck pain for years. At first I tried to ignore it... but it got worse to the point where I had to do something. The neck pain took over my life... it was all I could focus on. When I turned my head, it hurt... and it even hurt in the morning when I woke up. And everything I tried... the medicines, the chiropractor, and physical therapist, didn't relieve my neck pain long term. I got depressed thinking that I'd have to live with it. But my doctor recommended the Pronex neck pain improvement device... and that has made all the difference in the world. I got relief within a week of starting to use it. I used it as directed for 10 minutes twice a day. My doctor measures pain on a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being the worst pain you could have. I had about a 7 on most days before the Pronex. In fact, there were many days when it was a 10 plus. Now it's about a 1 or 2. I have started a neck exercise program too which I couldn't have done before. I now use my Pronex about every other day."

George is not alone. Pronex is a new type of treatment that has been clinically proven to reduce neck pain in more than nine clinical trials.

So... what is Pronex?

This treatment is a lightweight, easy-to-use, device that has made at-home neck pain treatment feasible. It's portable, comfortable, and convenient, and the patient manages pain control in the privacy of their own home.

Here's how Pronex works...

Pronex cradles a person's head and neck on two soft foam cushions. One cushion supports the back part of the head and the other rests against the muscles between the back of the neck and shoulder. An air-inflated bellows between them is slowly inflated by the patient using a blood pressure type bulb and gently lifts the weight of the head away from the shoulders. This permits tense muscle spasm that causes most neck pain to subside naturally.

As the bellows expands, it both elevates the head and supports the normal curve of the neck.

Pronex unique construction gently reduces this muscle spasm while slowly relieving pressure on inflamed nerve roots. The end result is elimination of the chronic pain cycle! There is a slow even relief of pressure from the neck and shoulders. There is no imbalance. Patients have total control over the amount of traction applied. Pronex does not cause jaw pain like many other devices do. It is portable, comfortable, and user friendly.

What's truly attractive is that Pronex pays for itself in reduced pharmacy bills, lost days from work, and eliminates the need for ongoing office visits and drawn out physical therapy. Pronex has no medical side effects and is based on scientific research which shows how gentle evenly applied traction can relieve more than 84% of neck pain.

Pronex can be used along with most other therapies. Provided you are considered a candidate for Pronex and you use the Pronex as directed by your physician, your neck pain should subside within 3 weeks. If you stop using the Pronex, your neck pain will return. Pronex is not for everyone, though. Patients with neck instability should not use the Pronex system. You need to check with your physician to see if it's right for you.

84 percent of the patients rated Pronex "Good to Excellent" for an overall rating.

91 percent of patients rated Pronex "Good to Excellent" for ease and convenience of use.

72 percent of patients reported a reduction in pain interference, enabling them to resume normal activities, including returning to work.

76 percent of patient reported a reduction of pain interference with daily activities, and

59 percent of patients originally on pain medication reduced or eliminated its use.

Here's a list of situations where Pronex is indicated: nerve impingement, herniated disc, ligament encroachment, osteophyte encroachment, spinal nerve root swelling, narrowing foramen, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, hypomobility, joint changes, degenerative changes, joint pain/ symptomatic facet joint, spasm/guarding, discogenic pain, postcompression fracture.

Consider Pronex if you have a chronic neck problem that isn't getting better. If you would like more information about Pronex, you can contact the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland at (301) 694-5800.