This 39 year old female teacher was brought in by her mom with spasms to left leg and intermittent loss of power to the leg. Her emotional status was very fragile, as this had been a 15 month journey of pain and lack of movement. She’d been in hospital the year prior to coming for BSR. She had been prescribed lots of pain medication to ease symptoms and had been stretched as one of the treatments. MRI scans had shown hairline fractures along L1 and L2 vertebrae. Heartburn and headaches had been the norm every day; she’d taken Gaviscon© and anti-inflammatory painkillers daily. When she stood, she’d rock constantly as a way of checking strength in her left leg.
1st Visit
On lying down on the bed, she couldn’t straighten her leg and the practitioner had to put a pillow under her legs due to discomfort. On the first visit the client experienced some discomfort and her leg twitched and was sensitive to touch.
2nd Visit
On the 3rd visit the practitioner noticed that her foot had relaxed more medial in position. After the 4th visit the client panicked as she experienced increase feeling and a return of symptoms but the practitioner explained how feeling may intensify as muscle adaptations take place and encouraged her to continue. After 6 visits, daily secondary symptoms like headaches and heartburn had eased off and her consumption of up to 8 painkillers per day and heartburn tablets had ceased. The practitioner also noticed that during releases the left leg was more relaxed and the client no longer experienced twitching and pain. The client had no back pain after 8th visit even though her back was sensitive to touch. After the 9th visit she started driving short distances which served as good encouragement to her in this long journey.
6th Visit
9th Visit
Legs straight, feet flat on the ground and walking with confidence. The biggest challenge was to get her to trust her body and the BSR process and not to be hunched over and rocking while standing. I reminded her to walk slower, but to concentrate with heal-toe walking so that we could correct her gait, thus running in less stress on her back.
I asked her for her perspective on how BSR helped her, especially when you read what she went through medically, and it’s amazing how they forget how much they have achieved in the long run, that it’s good to have photos to show their progress
This is a picture of the client with legs straight, feet flat on the ground and walking with confidence. The biggest challenge was to get her to trust her body and the BSR process and not to be hunched over and rocking while standing. The practitioner reminded her to walk slower, but to concentrate with heal-toe walking so that we could correct her gait, thus running in less stress on her back.
The BSR process from Kate’s perspective
17 months ago I made the decision to visit a chiropractor due to a pain in my front right-hand side. I had been for a colonoscopy and scope, wherein the doctor found nothing out of sorts. His referral was to see a back surgeon or chiropractor, as the pain could be a referred pain stemming from the back. So off I went to the chiropractor, in the hope of sorting out my burning pain.
On my first visit I explained to the chiropractor what my problem was as well as what tests I had already undergone. He stated that he felt he could definitely help me as it could more than likely be a referred pain from my back. He proceeded to crack me. The week thereafter I had terrible cramps and muscle spasms in my legs. I didn’t think anything of it as I was an avid runner as well as gym goer at the time and I assumed it was from over training. The following week I went for my second visit to the chiropractor. I did inform him of my muscle spasms and cramps however he seemed positive that it was nothing and in no way related to what he has done. He proceeded to crack me again.
A week later, I got up from the couch and my legs seized. I couldn’t move. I had to phone an emergency ambulance. The paramedics gave me morphine, however still couldn’t get me on the stretcher to transport me. They had to administer strong muscle relaxants in order to be able to move me. I was thereafter admitted into hospital under the care of a neurologist. An MRI was done and it showed hair line cracks in the lower discs of my back. (L1 and L2)
I was in hospital on three different occasions having MRI‘s and x- rays and ultra sounds. They also tried to stretch me. I was on crutches for 3 months and bed ridden for 4 weeks prior to being on crutches. Extensive nerve damage to the left leg was one of the informal diagnoses as none of the tests showed anything barring the cracked discs. I attended water physiotherapist for 6 weeks and eventually was walking independent of the crutches and started driving again. I recovered about 60% when I experienced loss of power in the leg and was not confident to drive. In December 2017 I made the decision to start therapy again, but thought I’d try Body Stress Release and I so desperately wanted to be able to run again. After the 4th session my legs regressed to almost 95% bad again. My practitioner explained that muscle adaptation very often takes the muscles through a journey, which can be painful as life force returns. Through lots of encouragement and perseverance I continued with BSR and slowly started to improve again. It has been a 4 month journey and I would say I’m 90% better again now. I do believe that with continued BSR and time that I will recover fully. I still have really bad days where I feel I am unable to drive let alone walk, however I do have really good days where I feel 70% better again. My practitioner has explained that this will be a long journey as I had been struggling for 15 months prior. With her encouragement and “miracle working” hands, I remain hopeful and believe for 100% healing.
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