Performance Tech Becomes Catalyst for Spine Health

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2018) -This year Performance Tech Motorsports has positioned itself as a catalyst for spine health, wellness and medical technology by bringing together industry partners in the education and business of healthcare. 

Driver and spine surgeon Dr. Robert Masson aided Performance Tech Motorsports in opening its racing relationships to the world of modern health science. The crossover, while new to the racing paddock,is uniquely qualified for businesses like Centinel Spine, CardioAccess and Restitute Health, and is positioned to represent the charity organization, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Masson does not just use Performance Tech to educate but to prove that he practices what he preaches and that what he preaches is effective. Through endurance style racing, Masson is proving that spine health is imperative to living an active life and that spine surgery is not the end of an active lifestyle.

Masson himself has had spinal surgery and now sports Centinel Spine’s Prodisc C artificial disc product. Having surgery on his own spinal cord injury from a wake boarding accident ignited in Masson a greater passion for spine recovery and “prehab.” His new supplement Spine™ is a byproduct of his own quest for recovery and continued spinal health maintenance. Spine™ uses a unique and natural combination of eggshell membrane, BCM-95 Bio-Curcumin and Boswellia for proven efficacy on inflammation, mobility, flexibility and joint health. 

“After my own surgery, while healing and improving my physical shape via fitness training, old degenerative problems started declaring themselves,” Masson said. “I had progressive knee arthritis, low back pain and flexibility problems aggravated by the burden of getting in shape. I actually ended up with a bleeding ulcer and endoscopies from managing the issues with too many anti-inflammatory medications. That pushed me to find a better solution.

“During research for the California Stem Cell Agency, the benefits of eggshell membrane, which is the amniotic lining of a chicken egg, were presented. The membrane naturally has regenerative and anti-inflammatory qualities and made sense to use for mobility and flexibility of spine and joint health. It combines several proteins and compounds, everything you would buy separately,into one.” 

The addition of BCM-95 offered the highest absorption of Curcumin possible, eight times higher than the average option. Boswellia was the final ingredient added, selected not only because it could get the job done but because it offered an herbal tea aroma and made the pill easier to swallow. These features mattered to Masson, but perhaps not for obvious reasons.

“The ingredients were selected because they were the best for me,” Masson said. “That’s why our product is more expensive. I had no interest in commercializing anything. We had to in the end because it was so effective. We had to bring it to the marketplace for all the people who suffer from chronic spine and joint problems. 

“That’s why it’s revolutionary. Spine has new, modern versions of standard supplements. I have access to newer technologies, because of our relentless outcome optimization strategies,and I frequently our solutions ahead of the curve and first to market.”

Masson’s career and passion begin to cross most obviously when he speaks of being ahead of technology. In motorsports, it is imperative to use the most advanced product on the track. Teams race to better understand innovations making advancements possible. Those advancements lead to better outcomes. Better outcomes are what Masson strives for on track and in patients.

Masson has consistently integrated modern technology and advanced patient preparation to help prevention, overall spine health and when necessary microsurgery as a pathway back towards physical recovery and spine health.

“Being ahead is critical to my personal obsession with progress. Racing is an obvious example to use when speaking on that topic,” Masson said. “A driver on any given weekend wants a better outcome. The preparation for that is in every detail. It is the wheels, the car, the driver, how the driver sleeps or what he eats and even the team’s eating and sleeping habits. These represent a parallel to patient outcome limitations. Every variable is relevant when trying to optimize patient outcomes.

“In the same way if we’re using highly sophisticated tools to incrementally replace old technology, then we are racing towards better patient outcome. Unfortunately, the market is driven toward the herd effect and the need of the marketplace. I always find myself at the front, pushing the spine market and pulling the best new technologies to the spine market because I don’t wait for the market. I go off of my peripherals and what I see happening and we very carefully integrate them into our patient care, in small incremental steps.”

For each and every surgical encounter, the Masson Spine Institute uses multiple technologies to improve the surgical process. Types of technologies include advanced microscopy, endoscopes, 3D-HD audiovisual systems, digital tracking and management, augmented reality, world-class medical implants, advanced x-ray navigation systems and is working towards artificial intelligence and diagnostics.

The long list of technology mixed with counter-market thinking brings medical professionals from around the globe through Dr. Masson’s doors. Masson successfully trains surgeons and industry on spine health by following his own passion.

“One of my passions is extreme recovery in spinal surgery. The best sports spine reconstruction product is Prodisc C, the one that’s in my neck from Centinel Spine,” Dr. Masson said. “Products made for rapid recovery translate most completely into functional recovery. We see this at the highest-level performance in sports. We have world-class athletes from many professional sports with these same products in their neck. 

“We also have those same athletes using Spine™ to better their spine health. What I want to make understood is the value of mobility, commitment and ultimately spine wellness and health. I think sometimes surgery is what it takes to maintain spine health, but often times these same fundamentals are critical to surgery prevention.”

Guided by Masson’s passion, Performance Tech has become a spine health inspired team. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship gives Performance Tech the opportunity to educate the nearly one million fans that visit races over the season. Potential and former patients watch Masson take to the track to demonstrate why caring for your spine is essential. 

“No question, racing provides a great opportunity to educate the public about spine health and I can demonstrate it as a spinal cord injury patient,” Masson said. “I now can show people what I did when it was my turn to go through spinal surgery. Because of my commitment to fitness, better nutrition, recovery, rest and preparation, at 54, I still ski double black diamonds, play full court basketball with my boys, and now I race prototypes. 

“It’s relevant to the public to see what a surgeon does when he has the same issues. Several years ago, while recovering from my neck surgery, I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I didn’t let this devastate me. I carried on.”