Testimonial

Chronic Lower Back and sciatica pain: 

L5/S1 Disc prolapse/sequestration. Treatment period: 4-months

MRI's before treatment

Hello my name is Greg Thompson, it is difficult to pin point exactly when my back trouble first started, needless to say I had been living with back pain for quite some time, over 2 years, before meeting with Dr Hooper. In that period I tried numerous attempts at resolving the problem, which I will go into more detail about later on. First I would like to give a brief history of my endeavors leading to my current position.

There are a few major accidents I have had in my time which are definitely contributing factors to the condition of my spine one of which resulted in me breaking both my wrists simultaneously after falling from about 20 – 30 feet  and landing directly on my tailbone, my wrists breaking the fall, at this point the damage to my spine was starting to manifest itself.

In my life I have led a very active sporting existence, sports at a young age was something that was my main focus, from basketball to football, tennis, athletics and as I got older I pursued different sports such as surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking all things that can put a great deal of stress on the back. 

In November of 1996 I headed over to Canada to snowboard full time and live and work at the ski fields. I moved to Banff  in the Canadian rockies and began Snowboarding on a daily basis. In May of the following year I entered a snowboard competition and had the second of what I call the major accidents, on this particular occasion I separated my tailbone broke two ribs and was unable to walk straight for a few weeks. My body healed and I continued to snowboard without any back pain for a number of years until 1999 when the pain really became severe.

It was here that I first sought the services of a chiropractor whilst still living in Canada. I had my first adjustment at the beginning of the winter and was being adjusted twice a week for about a month, after this period I felt great I had no more back pain for the rest of the season and figured my troubles were over, wrong!

In September 2000 I began to experience leg pain for the first time in my right thigh and slowly it began to move down to my calf and into my foot, walking lost its pleasure. As previous I sought the expertise of a chiropractor thinking that after the first incidence I would have success again. After having regular adjustments for over 6 months the pain had subsided slightly but not any where near enough. I took a break from chiropractic treatment for about 3 months in the hope that regular swimming and other treatments would repair the problem. I improved slightly. The following year, 2001, I returned to Australia and took up employment landscaping which of course didn’t help my back but it was feeling strong. I then resumed with a chiropractor who came highly recommended and received regular adjustments 2 to 3 times per week.

It is important to note that at this point I still had only received 2 x-rays to try and identify the problem, The first overseas and the second in February 2002 which stated that a mild narrowing of disc space had occurred at L4/5 and also at L5/S1. It is here that I made my first mistake in my rehab by not getting the proper tests done to see exactly what the problem was.

I consulted a GP the following month who recommended me for CAT scans which showed a disc prolapse at the L5/S1 level and I was placed on pain killers to relieve the problem and reduce the disc. I then consulted a Chinese therapist who swore he could repair disc prolapses and reduce the bulge in the disc, after several weeks of treatment I was still no further advanced. My final consultation was with an osteopath who after two visits recommended I have surgery as soon as possible! 

At this point I was devastated the last thing I wanted was to go under the knife but it seemed to be my only option. I met with a back surgeon who advised I have MRI scans and a epidural injection to relieve the pain and have a last effort at reducing the disc before surgery. It did not work.

In the period between having the epidural and returning to the surgeons office (about 2 weeks) I was advised to see Dr Hooper at the Spinal Rehab Clinic, upon our first consultation I was made aware of the seriousness of my situation and the resultant effects back surgery can have in the time to come. Dr Hooper informed me that I had a massive prolapse of the L5/S1 and that, in his words, I was a 'time bomb waiting to go off',  I didn’t like what I heard and opted against back surgery. 

Mal put me on a program involving intensive Hyperbaric treatment and acupuncture which had me receiving 2 -3 hours of treatment everyday for the first month. The effects were amazing! For the first time in over 2 years the pain had almost gone from my leg and I was able to walk for more than three minutes at a time without having to sit down. I was still along way from being completely cured but was definitely headed in the right direction. 

It has now been nearly a year since my first consultation with Dr Hooper and my back feels great, given the nature of my injury and the size of the prolapse I have come along way. There have been breaks within this time frame which may have slowed my progress but ultimately the treatment has been a great success.

I have to thank Dr Hooper for his massive support and motivation in getting my disc reduced and helping me to get on with the rest of my life free of back pain.

Greg Thompson.