04/04/2023
Touching back to our post from yesterday about loads on the body that can cause someone to reach their capacity. It’s never the last rep of an exercise that causes injury. This chart could be individualized for each person (each person has a different injury history, adaptation to stress etc.) Yes, we address mechanics (Mechanoreception) but also adaptation to stress, hydration, nutrition, recovery, sleep etc.) This testimonial illustrates this concept perfectly.
You Don’t Have to Suffer from Chronic Pain!
In some ways, I don’t feel ready to write this testimonial - why? Because I feel like I am in a messy middle. I feel like I am a work in progress. To be brief, in 2018 I was diagnosed with a large disc herniation in my L4-5, T12-L1 small herniation, and an L5-S1 disc desiccation with a central annular tear. I saw two orthopedic surgeons and they both recommended surgery. From research I found that the likelihood of a surgery being effective was significantly reduced because it had been too long since the herniation occurred. I asked one of the surgeons if he thought I could recover without surgery. He said he wasn’t a betting man, but if he was, he would bet on surgery. After seeing a little improvement with aquatic therapy and considering the statistics for a positive outcome, I decided against surgery.
The circumstances in which my injury occurred were challenging. I worked a physically demanding job that I hated where I think the injury took place, I was taking 3-4 barre classes a week which I loved but there wasn’t instruction on proper form, and a close family member suddenly died. All of these life factors brought an otherwise healthy 28 year old to a breaking point.
For years I worked with many different people to try to alleviate my back pain. All of the approaches helped a little but I never felt like anything really stuck. I definitely felt better than when I did in 2018, so I kept hoping that I would someday be able to return to normal exercise. The only exercises I felt safe doing were walking and some pilates exercises.
Fast forward to October 1st 2021, when I began working with Katy. I had followed Katy’s posts on her CrossFit page for a while. I was intrigued by the way she approached healing and exercise, and the testimonials were phenomenal. I decided to give it a shot, and I am so glad I did.
I was still having low back pain, radiating leg pain, and ongoing neck pain flare ups. When I began working with Katy, my neck would spasm when I tried to do the core exercises she starts all of her clients with. I still couldn’t drive for long periods of time without pain. Almost every time that I came in for a session my right hip would be higher than the other which explained the pain I had while walking.
When we began working together we faced many interruptions because of Covid and just when I felt like things were beginning to improve a close family member developed a terminal illness which interrupted our sessions even more. I mention this, because even though I could not reliably attend our appointments Katy stuck with me. Whenever I was down about lack of progress she would look at me with determination and say, this will work for you, we just have to keep at it.
Fast forward to 2023, I generally have no pain in my low back. I do not have pain while driving, and pain does not shoot down my leg. My hips are consistently in alignment. If I don’t do my exercises for a couple days I can feel the pain creep back. I can perform modified exercises in her CrossFit Hybrid class and I’m excited to keep growing in that area.
For the first time in my memory I can do a straight leg raise with my back completely flat, with no pain in my back, or tension in my legs. I was never able to do that exercise without a wedge under my low back. Now my legs easily lift up and I feel my core working without back pain.
In addition to continuing with the exercises Katy gives me, I’m also using the chronic pain management app Curable, and working with a therapist to manage my anxiety and process some challenging life circumstances. What I love about Katy’s approach is that she doesn’t just look at your case through the lens of Physical Therapy. She carefully considers all the factors that go into a person's physical health and is always happy to discuss how conditions such as anxiety play a role in the experience of pain.
I’m honored to write this testimonial, and if I’ve learned anything from Katy - it’s that we don’t have to suffer in chronic pain. I recommend working with her to all of my friends and family, and to anybody who has pain and is willing to do the work to get better.
I’m not yet where I want to be - doing the full range of exercises offered at the gym, taking yoga classes without fear, running, or able to do a pull up - but I’m confident I’m going to be able to someday with Katy’s help.
