'After high school, I had several old injuries that began to catch up with me. I had sprained my neck a couple of times in football and i began to notice a gradual decline in my physical capacities.I went to different chiropracters and was always told that I would feel better the next day, but I never did. My structural health continued to deteriorate for a few more years until it got to the point that I wasn't sure how I could continue working. I was very weak even though it looked like I still had muscles; they just didn't seem to work.I had very little flexibility and could no longer bend over enough to tie my own shoes. I could not look up nor turn my head sideways the way I should have been able to. I was in constant pain and began to feel very depressed about my circumstances.I would get all kinds of phantom pains each day that would be gone the next, only to be replaced by another. I would fairly often have spells where i had great difficulty thinking clearly.I remember thinking that I felt very old even though i was in my early twenties.
I decided to go to a physical therapist, even though I couldn't really afford to go. I just felt like I had no other options. I remember thinking that if i continued as i was without any help, I would soon be on disability. At first, there was no real progress with physical therapy. It took about six months to even tell if anything was really being done.Then I began to feel like my symptoms had stopped worsening. They were all still there, they just weren't deteriorating any further. After about a year, I noticed a slight improvement, but really not a lot. By this time, my health insurance had already quit paying for my treatments, but I continued to go because I had no other choice and I was encouraged by the slight progress that I had made. I continued to go to therapy for another two and a half years, each year seeing slight improvement, but overall still retaining the same old symptoms. If i went for any period of time without getting therapy, I would immediately regress. I remember thinking I would have to go to therapy for the rest of my life, just to be able to maintain the status quo (which was pretty low).
Then circumstances changed and once again I was in a situation where i didn't know what to do. My physical therapist moved away and I no longer had easy access to another. My appointments had been before work at 5:00 AM, but I was now going to have to have weekly appointments during regular work hours if I went to another therapist. That's when i began looking into other options and eventually ended up seeing you at the clinic.
Now, after 4 months of crossfit and paleo diet, I feel drastically better. I have very minimal back and neck pain . My overall flexibility is so much better. I haven't had brain fog again since i started.I have a lot more energy and drive at work now. Every day after work before, it used to feel like i had already put in a full week of labor. Now, even when Friday comes around, and i have put in a full week, i still feel like i could put in more hours. While i wouldn't say that i am quite at 100%,( more like around 90%), i am rapidly moving in that direction.Before with therapy, I was only able at best to feel and function at about 30-40%. The greatest benefit about crossfit, though, is that i have been able to dedicate more quality time towards family with a positive attitude. It has been such a long time since i have been able to interact with them without the feelings of fatigue and irritation that were always underneath the surface.'
--JK, 073015 |
