Between September and December, the sciatica on my left side went from annoying to unbearable. At first I experienced a severe wave of pain after standing up and walking about eight steps. As time went on, the pain increased, often stopping me in my tracks – sometimes causing me to go to the ground.
I tried acupuncture and massage. Neither helped. I have a phobia of manual chiropractic adjustments, however the pain I experienced became greater than the fear/phobia and I sought out chiropractic care. At this time, we really didn’t know the extent of the injury. The manual chiropractic only made things worse.
By December I was ready to try something else and gave into an MRI. The results showed an 8mm protrusion of the nucleus of the disc sitting against/on the sciatica [nerve]. My ND (naturopathic doctor) recommended decompression or surgery. Surgery was not an option I was willing to look at so I sought out decompression and found Spinal Relief.
Dr. Meadows clearly explained what was going on in a manner I could easily understand. (I’ll never think of jelly donuts the same again). During this initial consultation my pain level was so severe, I couldn’t sit in a chair for more than five minutes, and that was not comfortable. By this time my entire left leg was in pain almost 24/7.
During treatment on the DRX I was mostly comfortable, but I did have a few times where I considered having them lower levels of pull. At first coming upright was a bit of a challenge and reaching to pull myself off the table could take minutes. A few times – 3 I think – I felt as though I’d pass out. This got better and easier as time went on, thankfully.
My original treatment plan was extended because recovery was slower than expected.
My pain level is around a ONE now, and only in certain positions. The hope is with proper care and strengthening it will continue to heal.
And last, but not least, the care was amazing!
Thank you Spinal Relief Staff.
-Jennifer M., Renton
-45yrs old, Doula
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression. Works for Chronic Back Pain, Sciatica, Herniated Discs, Bulging Discs, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Neck Pain, and Even after Failed Back Surgeries