After having a month of severe right-sided low back pain – so bad that he had trouble getting out of bed and dressed in the morning – he was referred for physical therapy. It came on out of the blue when he got out of bed one morning. After a steroid pack he was minimally better. He was unable to sit for longer than about an hour, unable to work out, and unable to ride his bike. Unilateral (one-sided) low back pain with rapid onset (starts suddenly) is a common problem. Rapid-onset low back pain many times can be rapidly eliminated as well. [Read more…] about 31 y/o – Severe Low Back Pain
Treatment Outcomes
44 year old Tech Trainer, Hip/Groin Pain
After teaching all day and 3 hours in a car, he had severe right hip pain that was in the groin. He’d had a similar pain in the past, but it would pass in a few minutes. This time he was limping, and it’d been several days without any letup, so he reached out to me via Facebook. [Read more…] about 44 year old Tech Trainer, Hip/Groin Pain
83 year-old with Chronic Back Pain
Her back pain started about 4 years ago with slowly worsening symptoms since then, and started to have numbness and tingling down her left arm about 6 months before starting therapy. She had a previous corticosteroid injection and physical therapy – massage and light general exercise – which was minimally helpful. Her physician asked her to try again at a new clinic. [Read more…] about 83 year-old with Chronic Back Pain
66 y/o Retired Salesman, Knee Replacement
Knee Replacements are a treatment for advanced arthritis of the knee, usually resulting from normal wear and tear or trauma. The cartilage surfaces of the knee are replaced. These new joint surfaces are made of metal alloy and plastic, and (of course) have no nerves, effectively ending the painful cycle. [Read more…] about 66 y/o Retired Salesman, Knee Replacement
39 y/o Active Male with Frozen Shoulder
He reports that his pain started gradually, about nine months ago, getting worse over time until he had to start limiting his exercise and began having pain with dressing, grooming, and sleeping. He saw an orthopedist and underwent MRI which showed that he had fraying of his labrum and supraspinatus tendonosis. He was treated for frozen shoulder with subacromial and intra-articular injections, with gave him significant pain relief, but did not improve his ability to move. [Read more…] about 39 y/o Active Male with Frozen Shoulder
50 year old Consultant with Sciatica
Sciatica that is along the top and/or inside of the thigh is relatively rare, and normally originates from the upper lumbar spine. Care has to be taken to rule out hip arthritis, which can cause pain along the same area. Basic management includes obtaining a baseline of strength and sensation for areas affected by the involved nerve roots. Generally, sciatica of a longer duration, with symptoms that are further from the back, or with more severe signs – weakness, reflex loss, or numbness – is tougher to treat and has a lower chance of resolving with therapy. [Read more…] about 50 year old Consultant with Sciatica