Recent Life West alumnus Josh Grey, DC, has a new tool available that uses 3D printing.
A proponent of the Blair technique, which is a method of analyzing and adjusting the upper cervical vertebrae of the spinal column, Dr. Grey said he was using a tool to help measure leg length, which helps chiropractors understand when and where to adjust a patient.
“The more objective we can be, the better, so we measure the difference,” he said. His mentor, Thomas Forest, DC, a chiropractor who teaches the Blair technique at Life Chiropractic College West, used a version of the tool to measure leg length that was two pieces glued together. That tool was only available locally to the college, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Dr. Grey said he worked on the model to improve the measurement tool and fed the design requirements into a 3D printer. The tool can now be manufactured on a 3D printer quickly and then shipped anywhere in the world, so that other chiropractors who also use the Blair technique can use it.
He said the new version is durable, easily cleaned, and provides a barrier between a patient’s shoe and the chiropractor’s hand, which makes it more sanitary.
Dr. Grey said he hopes the project inspires others to think outside the box and improve chiropractic as well.
The new tool is available for purchase online.
