by Adam Field, P.T.
Like many people, Jacquie and her husband, Mike had several questions when I first began seeing them. They had both seen physical therapists and tried different therapies. They wanted to know, “Are your treatments just massages? Do you do exercises with patients? What about that electric stimulation and ultrasound my other therapists performed? It felt good initially, but then it was over, and seemed like a waste of time.”
A local high school English teacher, Jackie was concerned about her posture, and frequent stabbing lower back pain she felt when bending forward to help a student. Diagnosed with disc bulges in 2012, Jacquie took a variety of pain meds, sleeping only four to five hours a night. She said, “My doctor thinks I have fibromyalgia, but I’ve never been tested. I just know I have pain from the base of my neck down to my hips.”
My work with Jacquie consisted of 50 minutes of trigger point massage and myofascial release, and simple exercises to strengthen her abdominal muscles. She began feeling better after just four sessions. She felt better each morning, and could stand for longer time periods on the hard classroom floors. Best of all, she has cut down on her paid meds.
Mike admitted being pressured by Jacquie into seeing me. “She’s sick of me complaining,” said Jack. A computer programmer for a large bank, Jack’s job required sitting for six to seven hours a day. His lower back pain radiated down both sides of his buttocks to the back and outside of his knees. Walking during breaks helped, but his pain worsened as the day progressed, so that he was unable to bear sitting for another minute. Despite having arthroscopic surgery last year, Mike’s right knee was still very painful, and he was frustrated. Bike rides he previously enjoyed with Jacquie had become more painful than enjoyable.
In evaluating Mike’s standing posture, I observed pelvic crookedness, and slight twisting of his tailbone, causing abnormal tension through the fascia covering his diaphragm – the primary breathing muscle. I explained to Mike that fascia (the tissue that binds our anatomy together), is most affected in areas above and below the navel. The scar on Mike’s knee from surgery was clearly visible. What wasn’t as obvious was a strong pull further up at the attachment of his thigh muscle and kneecap, confirming a backward tilt on the right side of his pelvis.
After working on both areas, Mike was amazed at the improvement to his back and knee, admitting, “Jacquie was right – I feel like I’m on the right track.”
About the Author:
Adam Field is a physical therapist, who applies a whole body approach to treating chronic pain and injury. Learn more at www.adamfieldphysicaltherapy.com or call 716-982-8200,
