“The news ISN’T good Samantha – you’ve left your back problem too long and you’re only option is Spinal Surgery…”
More on that to follow…
Btw – It’s Paul again today.
Just stepping on the email as wanted to share with you this horror story about Spinal Surgery and the real problem with leaving back pain for too long.
Lemme fill you in on what happened to this patient of mine, few years back:
Her name is “Samantha”.
She’s from Hartlepool.
At the time she first came to see me, it was 2006 and she was much younger than you.
Just 17.
She loved to be active.
Running.
Cycling.
Swimming.
Gymnastics.
“The lot”
The kind of girl who’d had a great family up bringing and was encouraged by her parents to get out and go do things and see places.
(As opposed to sitting in and watching TV on the couch…)
And guess what?
At 17 she had dreams of wanting to be a Physio too.
But sadly, that’s not why we first met.
See, she first noticed a BACK problem when she was 15 years (and 7 months old).
But she left it 16 whole months before coming in to see me or asking any questions of anyone.
Other than her parents.
(That’s aprrox’ 480 days…)
She passed it off as “growing pains”.
Her parents thought that she “was just doing a bit too much” and that if she rested for a while, the pain would go.
And guess what…”it did”.
But only for a little while, each time she did.
(Rest…).
But every time she tried to get on with anything that she loved to do in her life, the problem came back.
Only each time it got worse.
And this went on for about 10 months.
And what started out as a stiff, mildly painful, slightly irritable lower back, developed into something else all together.
One day, suddenly she had this new “leg pain”.
And would night after night have to “wriggle around in bed” (her exact words) for hours, just to get comfy.
Now she and her parents were a little worried.
Then came “pins and needles”.
(They’re seriously worried now…)
Then not long after that she started to experience “numbness” in her right leg and just two days later that same right leg was “cold”.
Now it was past the point of concern and it was time to pick up the phone.
But…
Her GP didn’t really want to know at first.
(Standard).
Because when she got there her “symptoms” (the leg pain etc…) had dropped.
Not as bad on the day.
(“Sods law”…)
GP assumed that she was going to be okay (because she looked fit and well…) and Samantha was given a load of prescriptions for tablets and told to see how she goes for the next six weeks.
(Another standard response…)
But she didn’t get far.
Sleep was now disturbed regularly.
Sitting for longer than 10 minutes at college was torture.
And walking for any length of time (without leaning over double), was out of the question.
Her only relief was to curl up in a ball, i n bed and wait sometimes hours, for the pain to go.
Not a great way to live at just 17. So her Mam decided to make the call to me.
(Btw – it’s the summer of 2006 now).
So Samantha and her family came to see me and we talked and I looked.
And I had to give her the bad news that physio wouldn’t be able to help.
(Not like they hoped anyway…).
That the problem she had was way above what physio could realistically solve.
(I’d say this sort of thing happens to 1 in every 200 people that I see…)
And I remember giving her the BAD news that the only option would be spinal surgery.
And I’ll never forget the look on her face.
She was “crushed”.
And not because of the daunting prosecute of begin 17 and needing to go through spinal surgery.
“No”.
It was the more serious (…to her) prospect of missing out on a physio career and the hopes and dreams of fulfilling it, which she had.
Cruel irony that she wanted to be a physio ‘eh?…
(She’d be seeing a lot of them for the next 12 months after the surgery…)
And in just a few months she was set to start uni and study to be one.
(A physio…)
But in her current predicament, facing the prospect of major *SPINAL SURGERY*, at just 17, how would she ever recover sufficiently to be able to pursue such a physical (…heavy lifting involved) kind of career with a lower back patched up by steel rods and cables?
That was her new worry.
But guess what?
She made it through.
Despite risking it and nearly loosing it by stalling over the decision (for 480 days…), it turned out well for her in the end.
I recommended a great surgeon who got the job done.
Pain stopped.
She spent lots of time with me going through the post op recovery plan
– AND BEST –
She went on to study Physiotherapy at University in Liverpool.
She graduate a few years back and is now one of the best and most popular physios anywhere in the North East.
(I’m biased of course…)
Can you guess who she is and where she works?
Corse!
It’s Samantha Dakers…
The one whose been sending you the emails last few days.
And she has a BIG role here too.
She’s now one our top back pain expert and the leading Postnatal Specialist in the North East.
And more than the physical pain that you’re suffering from, she really understands the psychological ones to – she knows your fears and your concerns.
So when it comes to back pain:
And all of the emotions you’re going through AND the torment you’re suffering, as well as what you’re hopes and dreams are for living without it (back pain) really are…
*You’ve got someone on hand to talk to who really understands what you’re going through *.
(Way more so than me and most other Physios…)
And I want you to know that she’s here to talk to you, when ever you need.
Doesn’t get much better than having one-one-one access with someone whose been through something that I’m sure you’re trying to AVOID.
(Surgery).
Btw – She’s great with exercise plans too.
Samantha is the one who puts together all of the exercise plans that we give out to people with back pain to help them recover quicker.
Here she is featured in the Northern Echo demonstrating the kind of exercises we would recommend to you to help your back pain…
(Turn on images or click the image to view it ^ …)
And you’d only be given “Grade A” exercises.
Why?
Because she’d only be giving you the ones that she continues to do each day herself.
Surgeon told her she “has too”.
(It’s the price she has to pay).
“Who knows”,
Maybe if she’d have made the decision to act sooner, it wouldn’t be that way?
But she was young.
Maybe a tad naive and didn’t know what else to do back then.
Last thing to think about:
What price are you prepared to pay, for stalling?
And what would your excuse be?
In Samantha, you’ve found the solution to your Postnatal back problem.
Arrange to Talk To Her When You Access The Call Back Calendar and reserve the time and day that works best for you.
Do that when you click here and you’ll go straight to this weeks calendar and a 15 minute telephone appointment slot for you to reserve.
(It’s a FREE call back too…)
Or, HIT REPLY and talk to me about what’s holding you back?
Now is NOT the time to be a believer in “what ever will be will be”.
You know…”what will happen will happen”.
There’s *no need* to live that way.
It’s all down to you and the decisions you choose to make.
If you’re the type of person who really does value their health and has hopes of a future free from Postnatal Back Pain, then why not do this now?
Balls in your court:
Just arrange to talk To a Physio and we’ll show you how we can help.
Talk soon,
Paul “wants you to learn from Samantha’s mistake” Gough 🙂
P.S All you have to do is make a simple enquiry here and find out how specialist physio and the manual re-alignment techniques she uses, can help you.
Choose the day and time that works best for you on this calendar and we’ll call you right on schedule.
Come “discover” what we can do for you.
Or just call us on 01429 866771.
We’re waiting to help you 😉
.
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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