If you’ve been suffering for years with neck and back pain and frustrated that you STILL haven’t found relief… you’re not alone.
For many folks – this is their life…
It’s not so debilitating that it keeps them from doing things – but it’s painful enough that it keeps them exhausted, unwilling to push themselves or try new things, and they are in and out of various treatment sessions on a weekly or monthly basis – just to get enough temporarily relief so they can keep this thing at bay and not let it get worse.
Sound familiar?
Some people just settle for this way of life and are thankful they are able to keep their neck and back pain “good enough” so that they can avoid surgery and serious pain pills.
But Jessica decided she wanted something better.
She wanted better control of her pain which meant more control over her LIFE. She didn’t want to live in fear of her pain anymore.
Read Jessica’s story below – it’s a good one – and the surprising missing piece to what was actually limiting her recovery…
Jessica's Story
Jessica is 47 years old and had been struggling with low back and neck pain for many years. When we first met her - she was extremely frustrated over the amount of time, effort and money she had already exhausted in her quest to solve this problem.
Prior to working with us - Jessica had tried quite a bit to tackle her problem...
Everything from physical therapy - to chiropractic care - to daily stretching - and Yoga.
These things all helped - but it was always temporary. She was finally ready for something long-term and that's when she decided to give us a shot.
When I first met with Jessica, her symptoms had progressed to include pain beyond just her low back and neck... She was now experiencing pain into her hips, knees and ankles - as well as a numbness and tingling sensation in her neck and shoulders. Jessica had developed a fear around any attempt to help herself at this point - because each time she tried - it only seemed to make things worse.
The temporary solutions for her pain while simultaneously trying to go at this on her own simply wasn't for her working anymore.
As we started working with Jessica and digging more deeply into her problem - we found that the root cause of her problem had been missed!
At first glance - Jessica appears pretty flexible and has good mobility - but when it comes to your spine - this is relative for each person. What looks like optimal mobility for you may not be optimal mobility for me - and that is exactly what was going on with Jessica's spine.
You want to optimize the mobility in your joints (including your spine) in order for strength and stability work to be effective.
Turns out - Jessica had some very specific obstructions in her spine that were hard to find because of her flexibility - PLUS - she was doing a great job compensating for them. This might explain why it was missed by so many others.
If you didn't go looking for this - it would have been impossible to find.
Once we determined the root cause for Jessica's continued neck and back pain - we were able to restore these restrictions - and most importantly - teach Jessica how to detect when tightness was returning all by herself! This allows her to stay in front of her problem and become more active without the fear that she will hurt herself.
Now - when Jessica experiences pain - she knows where it's coming from - and knows how to get rid of it.
With Jessica's newfound understanding of what was really going on in her spine - we were able to get her to a place where she is successfully keeping her pain gone but able to manage it if it rears it's ugly head. And now she takes regular Core and Back stabilization classes to work on her posture and core stability - which help to keep her back strong and healthy and make it less likely to get tight and obstructed again.
Hopefully Jessica's success story inspires you to not settle and take action - even if it's scary 🙂
If you're suffering from long standing neck or back pain and settling for this reality like Jessica once was - talk to one of my specialists!
If you have been following us for a while you've probably heard of our Discovery Visits.
These sessions are totally complimentary - and designed to make certain we can help you - and make sure you're a good fit for what we do before you spend another penny or ounce of time on your pain or problem.
If you're just like Jessica and "living" with your pain...
They can help you figure out if there's a better way - and what that might look like for you.
At the end of the day - our goal here is to always make sure you have the information you need to make the best decisions for YOUR health - ball's in your court now.
PS - Check out Jessica below – working hard on a back stabilization exercise - in one of our PT sessions!
Trupti graduated with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from UNC- Chapel Hill in 2001. She has furthered her studies with numerous post-graduate courses focusing on the Neck, shoulder, knee, and back, with a strong emphasis in manual therapy. Recently completed courses in Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy Seminars (Levels 1- 5), has afforded her an excellent way to relieve pain and help people get moving, active and healthy quickly and effectively.
With 20+ years of experience in Physical Therapy, Trupti has practiced in various orthopedic and sports focused clinical settings, in both the Raleigh-Durham, NC and DC regions. She has been Director of multiple Physical therapy Clinics in DC and also worked with some renowned specialists at Georgetown University Hospital in DC. During her years of service, Trupti has had the privilege of caring for a wide variety of clients: from school-aged children to retirees; from homemakers to business professionals; from weekend warriors to professional athletes.
Trupti is an avid fan of the outdoors, art, traveling and of course the Tar Heels. She enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew.
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