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Acupuncture and Low Back Pain
"Pain!!
Everyday…Sometimes it was so bad I sweat and soaked
through my clothing. I had nausea …dizziness …
No one seemed to be
able to help me.
My ordeal started the
first week of February 2006. I went to bed one
night with a back ache and woke up the next morning
in worse pain. The following year would be the most
horrible physical and emotional trauma I have
experienced.
I laid low for a few
days, thinking it would settle down but the pain got
worse.
In the following
months I visited every medical professional you can
imagine, including primary care doctor,
chiropractor, neurologists, Physiatrists and pain
specialist. I had x-rays, MRIs, PT programs and 2
neurosurgeons.
My pain medications
progressed from Ibuprofen to Naproxen, to nerve
deadening therapy. Nothing was helping ….
In September and
November I had steroid injections in my lower back.
They did nothing to relieve the agony I was
experiencing. Finally I started taking Percocet.
By late November 2006 I was at my lowest point – I
could only stand or walk for a few minutes at a
time. When I tried to move around the pain would
increase so greatly I would have to lie down. At
this point I was over 80% disabled.
My oldest daughter
suggested that I contact an acupuncturist that had
treated her the previous year, David Sollars at
FirstHealth in Andover. At that time she was having
a problem with migraines and she had great results
from the therapy she received there.
In late November 2006
I called and made my first appointment with First
Health of Andover. My wife transported me there in
the manner I had grown accustomed to – laying in a
fetal position in the back of her SUV. I had my
first acupuncture therapy and set up an appointment
to see the resident Physical Therapist, Donna
Schneider.
After meeting with
David and Donna, I felt that I had found someone in
“my corner” in the medical field. They were caring,
concerned and sensitive medical professionals.
David, Donna and the staff at First Health met and
discussed my case – they went over my MRI reports
and X-rays. They told me they saw no reason why
they could not help me. This was the first time I
had heard anything positive in a long time.
For the next three
months I visited FirstHealth on a regular basis.
The acupuncture gave me pain relief and the physical
therapy made me stronger and stronger as time went
on.
It is now April 2007
– I am happy to report that I am well on my way to
recovery. I am actually planning on returning to
work next week for the first time in over a year.
Thank you First Health. You’ve given me my life
back!
Sincerely
GM, Methuen, MA
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