My Back Pain Story
Do you ever feel like you are fighting a losing battle against your own body?
When it came to my back, for years I seemed invulnerable. Back pain was always something that happened to someone else, not me. Over the course of several years I’d had the chance to see the struggle in others. I’d watch as friends and relatives fell to assorted forms and degrees of back ailments- a diseased or degenerated disc here, a herniated one there. Pain killers and surgeries never seemed to quiet their complaints- and the look of resigned suffering just served to make me feel more blessed.
I’d even had a car accident of my own: a twisting wreck where the entire body of my small, practical Civic had been wrapped around the hood of a hulking Ford F-350. I hobbled out of the wreck with a seriously damaged knee and just a slight twinge in my neck and back. In the following weeks, the surgeries surrounding my knee absorbed all of my attention. Physical Therapy and a great surgeon took care of my knee issues. My back pain died out without a whimper and I had felt nothing noticeably wrong for 10 years following.
Then, in the last few years, the pain snuck back in, just a step at a time. Leaning over my computer began to cause my neck and back to ache and burn as if they were on fire. Sometimes my whole back would lock and flare up in pain. Only once in a while at first, but then with increasing frequency - like it was making up for lost time. Working in the yard became a potentially dangerous activity that could cripple me for days. I became reluctant to get out, afraid my back would flare up at the wrong time and leave me in trouble.
I tried for a long time to tough it out. Once it got bad enough to admit that it wasn’t just going to go away, I started seeing a doctor. I tried just about every thing in order to get a little relief. Multiple doctors tried opiate painkillers from class 1-4, chiropractic adjustments, hypnosis, acupuncture, physical therapy, the list goes on and on. Nothing offered real relief.
Some people suggested surgery, but doctors wouldn’t guarantee any results. I saw myself faced with a future of pain management: painful injections, heavy drug therapy and possibly more ineffective surgeries. Then a friend suggested I talk to a local chiropractic doctor about something different: Spinal Decompression Therapy. I arranged an appointment to talk to the doctor and, after explaining the procedure, she set me up with a trial treatment.
I wasn’t sure about this, but the doctor was confident and seemed to really know her stuff - and to tell the truth, at this point desperation had set in. The doctor explained that the most common spinal condition treated with decompression treatment is a herniated disc, which was my problem.
It goes like this: Spinal compression causes disc herniations to expand, putting painful pressure on surrounding spinal nerve roots. The decompression treatment takes the pressure off these damaged discs so that the bulge will shrink back closer to its original size and relieve the pain. Several treatments are necessary to have a longer-lasting effect, but treatments usually begin to help relieve the pain right away.
After my first treatment I was blown away. Honestly, I couldn’t quite believe the results. After having just one treatment on the decompression table I walked out the front door 30 minutes later free of the pain that I’d put up with for years. But would it last? After the first treatment I had almost no pain or uncomfortable aches for well over week. After 13 treatments, I’m at about 90 percent - and going strong. I have seven more treatments to go and I’m looking forward to the future with new eyes.
If you’re living with back pain, I’d suggest you not try to “tough it out” any longer. Relief is possible - check out spinal decompression for yourself and see what happens. You’ve got your life to live. Don’t spend the rest of it fighting your own body.
For more in depth information on Spinal Decompression contact Dr Wachholz’ Hemet office: (951) 652-4357.