Spinal orthosis to inhibit kyphosis and to minimize disk disease

A method of treating a patient, comprising:

• attaching a shoulder unit to a left shoulder and a right shoulder of a patient, the shoulder unit comprising a left shoulder portion and a right shoulder portion, the left shoulder portion and the right shoulder portion connected to a retracting device through a retractable connector, the retractable connector being connected, at a first end, to the left shoulder portion and the right shoulder portion and being connected at a second end to the retracting device;
• securing an anchoring device to a lower body region of the patient so as to prevent substantial vertical motion of the anchoring device, the anchoring device also being connected to the left shoulder portion and the right shoulder portion through the retractable connector;
• retracting the retractable connector to pull the left shoulder portion and the right shoulder portion so as to move the shoulders of the patient in a rearward direction;
• releasing the retractable connector to release the left shoulder portion and the right shoulder portion, thereby allowing the shoulders of the patient to return to a relaxed position;
• and
• repeating the retracting and releasing while the left shoulder portion, right shoulder portion, and anchoring device are attached to the body of the patient.