Many of us have struggled with pain and sometimes accepted that the way things are, are just that and cannot be changed. I would like to share a story about a patient I had the pleasure of working with. Susie was in her mid-forties, but when I first met her I would have guessed she was much older. I remember looking at her and actually feeling the sadness in her eyes. I could tell this lady had been through a lot. She walked into the office with her cane and said she was tired of being in pain. I learned she had scoliosis, one curve in her upper and one in her lower back which caused her to have three hip surgeries. She hardly had any feeling in her left leg down to her foot from one of the surgeries. The leg was also very weak and unsteady. Her back was constantly in pain and she had numbness in her hand from constantly depending on her cane to walk. I knew I could not fix her scoliosis, but I had faith I could help with her other complaints. I remember asking, “Besides getting out of pain, what are your goals?” She stated, “I would like to get rid of this cane and want to be able to go dancing with my husband again.”
For the next few months we did a lot of massage, rehab, and chiropractic adjustments. We loosened muscles that were tight, strengthened muscles that were weak and adjusted joints that were not moving properly. In time, Susie began to have more sensation in her leg and her pain started to decrease. Slowly Susie started to have a light back in her eyes. One day, she walked into the office and threw her cane in the trash can. We cheered her on and I remember feeling so happy when she walked to the counter and said, “I’m ready to go dancing!”
Susie’s life changed drastically for the better. Through her struggles with scoliosis and and struggles with surgeries she made the choice to make her situation better. It took time, it was emotional, hard, rewarding, and amazing. It is a good reminder that we may not be in the best situation, but we can do what we can to make it better. Susie chose her path and she is still doing the things she loves.
Dr. Jamie Elze is a nationally certified massage therapist and has been providing bodywork for nearly nine years. She worked with Chiropractors throughout the bay area before deciding to go back to school and pursue her doctorate. She is board certified in Chiropractic and can provide physical therapy in conjunction with chiropractic services. She has worked with various ailments of the body and caters every treatment to meet each individual’s needs