“I Thought My Only Options Were Spine Surgery, but I was Completely Wrong”
“And this is how I got my life back…
Dr. Stewart changed my life and I had to share my story.
I suffered from debilitating lower back pain that left me reliant on my wife and kids. The pain was so intense that I had to crawl to and from the bathroom. I was pretty much bed ridden at this point and could not stand up at all. I had experienced bouts of back pain for 10 years, but this was much worse than anything I had experienced before. The pain was drastically taking a toll on my quality of life. I could not work; spend time with family and friends, and golfing was completely out of the question. I felt trapped in my body.
Like most people, I had visited the hospital for help. The doctor had given me muscle relaxers and pain relievers that took the edge off the pain, but it was still there. I was referred to a neurologist that performed an MRI. The MRI revealed that I had herniated my L4 and L5 disc. The disc was putting pressure on my spinal cord causing the symptoms I was having. Some of the symptoms were: extreme pain, including numbness and tingling into my legs, as well as the loss of bladder and bowel function. The worst part was the loss of feeling of when I needed to use the restroom. I had lost sensation to my lower half and I only knew when I needed to use the restroom when it was very urgent. I also had trouble getting and maintaining an erection, which was very concerning.
The neurologist’s recommendations were to start Physical Therapy and Spinal Injections. The Injections lowered the inflammation, which took a little pressure off of the nerves, but it did nothing for the herniated discs and the pain remained. Physical Therapy helped some, but it was difficult to perform the exercises and I was in extreme pain the day after the visits. This went on for a few months with little help.
I had become very frustrated at this point and was not sure if I would be able to have a normal life again.
Next, my doctor recommended surgery after the Physical Therapy and Spinal Injections did not help. My doctor stated that the success rate for the surgery was low, but he was hopeful that he could get me some relief.
This was concerning to me and I was terrified of going under the knife, especially if the outcome was not likely to help.
At this point I started doing some research and I had seen some ads from a local doctor that had talked about helping people who were experiencing bulging and herniated discs with decompression therapy. I remember contacting Dr. Stewart’s office and being able to get in that week.
Dr. Stewart explained the Decompression therapy and how exactly it would allow the disc to return to its normal position, which would take the pressure off my spinal cord, relieving the symptoms I was experiencing. I was nervous about the treatment, but figured it was worth a shot and better than my last resort of surgery.
Treatment took some time, but improvement progressed every week. The pain lessened and I was able to walk more day by day. Over about 6 weeks of treatment on the Decompression Table I was able to get back to a normal life, including work. I was not reliant on my family anymore and I was able to become more active. I still have my bad days where I might experience some discomfort, but nothing like before and I am happy to report that I have no more trouble with my bowel, bladder, and erection problems I was experiencing before. I just have to be careful and not push it too hard. I am very lucky that I was able to get treatment and avoid surgery. Decompression therapy on the DRX9000 got me my life back.
I hope that my story will reach others that need help with their problems. Thank you Dr. Stewart. ”
– Michael H.