Many hardcore athletes and weekend warriors call Boulder home, enjoying the area’s hiking trails, cycling routes and nearby ski resorts.
So it makes sense that chiropractor Sande Jacobson, an avid skier and golfer, would move his Living Health and Wellness Center to Boulder. A Philadelphia native, Jacobson has practiced for 18 years, combining traditional chiropractic techniques with nutrition counseling and other holistic practices.
Jacobson brings with him a state-of-the-art muscle-stretching machine, the Therbo Robot, designed by Al Meilus of Pinellas Park, Fla. According to Jacobson, this is the only machine of its kind not located on the East Coast. He said that while many professional athletic teams use them, only 10 are available for public use in the East.
Jacobson claims that he felt positive results after his first treatment with the robot.
“It felt like gravity didn’t exist,” he says. “You feel lighter.”
The Therbo Robot places precision, non-invasive pressure on overused muscles, releasing the lactic acid that creates that “sore” feeling after a workout. It can be programmed to move over an area in intervals or can be controlled manually. It puts pressure on an area for 15 seconds and releases pressure for seven, moving down both the x and y axes of the muscle.
The pressure can be precisely controlled, even working facial muscles for patients suffering from headaches caused by TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder).
“It’s hooked up to a computer that takes measurements and puts pressure on the muscle,” says Jacobson. “It pushes the muscle fibers apart, lengthening the muscle.”
The machine’s software makes it more accurate than human massage, because it puts a consistent amount of pressure on the muscle it’s working.
“It’s precise every time,” Jacobson said. “Just the act of a person breathing is going to alter the pressure they put on a muscle.”
Benefits of the Therbo Robot treatment include increased range of motion, decreased occurrences of repetitive stress injuries, improved joint positioning and function, and increased muscle endurance.
Jacobson believes that everyone can experience these benefits. “It’s great for athletes, but also great for people whose work position is sitting at a computer, or the weekend warrior.”
Boulder-area skiers stand to benefit most from sessions with the Therbo Robot. Jacobson has been skiing since he was 3 years old, and he understands the constant stress placed on the quads, hamstrings, psoas and abdominal muscles. Jacobson said that both competitive and recreational skiers will see increased endurance after treatment with the Therbo Robot: “You won’t tire out as much.”
Located near the intersection of 26th and Canyon in Folsom Village, Jacobson’s Living Health and Wellness Center is open by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 303-447-1625.
