3D/4D body motion scanners to detect changes in gait/flexibility/movement speed/flexibility over time?

#1

https://mitnano.mit.edu/immersed-seminar-series

There are so so SO many “health clinics” and none of them even use something as simple as that

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#2

I wonder if there is a well-defined walking / running phenotype for aging that could be easily used to help characterize your functional age and aging rate?

#3

osture

If you actually want to see whether your chiropractor’s handiwork is fixing anything instead of just funding their next vacation, you’ve got a few visual options:

1. Before-and-After X-rays or MRI

This is the gold standard, though pricey and radiation-y. If your chiropractor claims structural correction (like scoliosis angle reduction or vertebral realignment), you’d need identical-position imaging before and after a treatment block.

  • Compare Cobb angles for scoliosis.
  • Check cervical curvature (lordosis) or pelvic tilt on lateral views.
    If your “after” looks identical, congratulations—you’ve just funded a nice set of office plants.

2. Posture & Motion Analysis

Use a phone or posture-tracking app with consistent camera angle, distance, and lighting. Record from front, side, and back, standing relaxed.

  • Look at shoulder symmetry, hip height, spinal curvature, head-forward angle.
  • Better yet, get a motion capture app (like PostureScreen or Dartfish) to plot your alignment changes over time.

3. Surface Topography or 3D Scan

Some physiotherapy centers and researchers use 3D spinal topography scanners (e.g. DIERS formetric). They generate surface maps of the back and can quantify changes in curvature or rotation—no radiation, just lasers and your dignity.

4. Functional Metrics

If structure stays the same but you move better, that’s still progress:

  • Measure range of motion (cervical rotation, lumbar flexion).
  • Balance on one leg, gait symmetry, or pain-free movement tests.
    These are less about bones, more about how your nervous system integrates posture.

5. DIY Alignment Test

Stand against a doorframe: back of head, shoulders, butt, and heels touching. Snap photos monthly. If your head’s creeping forward less and your shoulders aren’t auditioning for the Hunchback reboot, there’s improvement.

In short: X-rays if you want proof; photos and functional tracking if you want sanity; 3D scanning if you want to feel like a cyberpunk patient.