Back on the Dance Floor: Kathryn’s Patient Experience
Kathryn is a former patient of mine who has left a lasting impression. Her back pain began when she hurt her L3/L4 disc after a spinning class, and she believes she aggravated the injury during a subsequent game of golf. Initially, Kathryn told me she didn’t think too much of it because she’s athletic and used to pushing herself outside her comfort zone. Kathryn thought this was something she could deal with – so she sought a massage treatment, iced her lower back area, and rested. Afterwards, she continued to play golf and attend spinning class. Unfortunately, what Kathryn didn’t do was listen to her body and get help when she needed it. I see this in a lot of patients; a good rule of thumb is if the pain persists, starts to travel down your arm or leg, and/or keeps you up at night, it’s time to see a physician. Unfortunately, the pain took a turn for the worse when Kathryn further exacerbated her injury lifting a mattress while vacuuming. Kathryn contacted my office and met with me to discuss different options that would work for her injury. Because she had severe nerve compression in her lower back due