September 2003

Company Profile

All in the family

Sooner or later, everybody wishes they had a chiropractor for a brother. Luckily for Steve Ansley, he does!

Steve's been a union carpenter in local 839 for about 20 years. Two years ago, he could have given you a sciatica sob story that would have had you reaching for a tissue. Still, he dragged himself to work. Like many of your patients he really didn't have a choice. 18 Advil a day. He might as well have taken a placebo. Sleepless nights, constant pain. You've heard it before. After about a year of this his physician was suggesting surgery. Steve refused.

Steve's words: "I would get up in the morning, cry, put my boots on and go to work." He made it through the day, but "quality of life" was getting pretty dismal. He was obviously getting concerned. So was his brother, Mike. Fortunately for Steve, not only was his brother a D.C. and in sports medicine, but as it turned out, he was also a pretty inventive guy.

Dr. Ansley suspected that Steve having over 10 lbs. of tools sloshing around on his belt all day was at least contributing to the problem. But, being a carpenter, Steve had to wear a tool belt. Dr. Ansley searched for the solution to this dilemma and since there wasn't one to be found, he invented one. He modified a tool belt to incorporate a lower back support pad. Now, Steve wasn't wearing a tool belt all day, he was wearing a medical device all day.

The extra support and stability of the modified belt produced such a marked reduction in Steve's level of pain that it actually surprised both of them. He could feel the difference in the belt as soon as he put it on. It was more comfortable and secure, it stayed in place. More importantly, it kept his pelvis in place, and in two months he was pain free. That was two years ago. He's still pain free, and he swears by his brother's invention.

There are many tradesmen out there who have to wear tool belts eight hours a day. Both Dr. Ansley and Keith Hudon, (a contractor and friend) knew that many of them had back pain. The opportunity was obvious. A partnership was formed, a patent was awarded, and the ANSON‑PRO tool belt was born.

The next step was to get their product into the hands of the people who needed it. The 500 Group, a Chicago‑based sales & marketing firm, was recruited for that task. It wasn't long before things got under way and the testimonials started pouring in (read some at www.backeze.com).

Since then, the same idea has been applied to a lower profile belt. It's being used with great results for various sports, and also to assist in the rehabilitation of patients working their way back into their daily routine after an injury. That one's called the ANSON‑MED. Both belts have been engineered to allow for a full range of motion while still providing the necessary support. An important consideration for tradesmen, and likewise for the person out swinging a golf club.

The 500 Group is currently working on establishing a dealer base to distribute the products. Any D.C. interested in reselling them through his or her practice can call 800/562‑1959 for more information. If you'd like to advise a patient to wear one, you can send them to www.backeze.com to purchase one online. Or, call The 500 Group's 800 number and they'll send you some ordering brochures.