Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, Richmond Hill Liberal, Copyright October 17, 1990
In the Sept. 10, 1988 Liberal, an article appeared called “Spinal protector popular seller.” The article detailed the efforts of a Thornhill chiropractor to have the world gain acceptance of his new invention – a spinal protector.
This spinal protective pad is to be worn covering the spinal column and is designed to diffuse impact of any low-velocity blow directed through the spine.
I remember my first reaction when I read this article two years ago and it was not too positive. I felt the spine was not a suitable candidate for protection because of its constant motion and I felt discomfort was sure to be a major complaint.
Dr. Howard Fisher, the chiropractor-inventor of the “back strip”, was boasting about all of the professional hockey players who were now wearing his back strip. I filed this information away in my head and felt it was probably a fad and many of the parents who bought it for their children were mistakenly thinking that it was designed to prevent spinal cord injuries which we hear so much about.
Well, my son is now starting to play hockey and I am getting very old, and we are both going to be wearing the back strip this season.
Michael Goulet, Sean Burke, Rick Vaive, Russ Courtnall and many other hockey stars and “has-beens” write testimonials declaring their gratitude to Dr. Fisher for inventing the back strip. Professional hockey players have ample opportunity to become injured, and one of the most vulnerable places for injury is the spine.
Approach a hockey player in full uniform. Slap him in the shins, feet, knees, hips, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, face and head and he will not likely feel much. Slap him on the back and you will likely get a slap back. Usually, just a sweater is what separates the cool arena air from the skin of the back.
Although the back strip will not prevent all spinal column injuries, it is designed to absorb the sharp, initial impact of the blow and therefore spreads this force over a wider area.
Being hit with a puck, crosschecked, hit into the boards or hit into the goalpost are the main ways to injure the spine in a hockey game.
(Although the back strip was originally designed for use in ice hockey, it has widespread use in any contact sport such as lacrosse or dirt bike racing.)
The back strip will almost always reduce the chance of major injury to the spine resulting from one of these accidents. Because the goalposts come off their moorings easily in a professional hockey game, but not in most arenas around the country where hackers like me play, the risk of goalpost impact injury is even greater with amateurs.
I do admit that the back strip will not do anything to prevent the severe, life-threatening spinal cord injuries one sees from neck trauma in hockey games. It is not designed to do this.
The back aches, bruises and the occasional fracture of the back will be prevented if this device is worn. It is easy to put on and is comfortable, although I must admit that I was very aware that I was wearing it the first few times I had it on. It consists of plastic layers and foam which conforms to the shape of the spine. It is flexible and lightweight.
Now I am sounding like a commercial for the back strip. The idea of this article was to let you know that there is a product on the market which may help reduce certain injuries which occur in contact sports. It is called the back strip.
I know the price and I know where to buy it, but I am not going to mention either one. If I do, I will be accused of having something to gain from the sales of this product, and I assure you I don’t.
I do know Dr. Fisher, its inventor, and he is one of the most aggressive, Ken Linseman-like hockey players I have ever faced. His opponents would be well advised to wear his invention. If I tell you where to buy it, he may be nicer to me when I face off against him this year and that would take all the “fun” out of our games!