Ian, Ex-Commonwealth boxer and Personal Trainer came in with severe back pain after a heavy weights session deadlifting.
“I was treated by Peter following a weight-lifting injury. It was really bad, I couldn’t move very much without pain and it was starting to frustrate me because in my job, I need to be active and show people how to do exercises, lift weights, be active.
When I saw Peter I was just desperate for the pain to go away and was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to carry on working. But he was really reassuring and showed me some stretches and ice to help the pain. He definitely put me at ease and it was amazing – I could touch my toes again after the first treatment and move around.
As a personal trainer, I was really impressed with his knowledge – he gave me loads of exercises and tips for my training regime to stop it from happening again. I even use some of this knowledge with my clients and have no hesitation in referring them to him for their office aches and pains!”
Peter says:
Back pain is a nightmare for anyone – but especially if it prevents you from doing regular activity and sports that you enjoy. For Ian the injury was particularly bad as it prevented him from carrying out his training and more importantly, his job.
During our first consultation I could see that Ian was in a lot of pain. A thorough clinical examination showed that behind the acute injury were some long standing postural problems and muscular imbalances that were responsible for his history of recurring back pain and would need to be addressed. I agreed with Ian on our plan of recovery; but first our priority was to reduce the pain and bring him some relief.
Acute back injury is often accompanied by tissue inflammation, muscular hypertonicity (spasm) and reduced spinal mobility in the area. Ice and painkillers can help but are temporary solutions; while osteopathy can be effective in reducing pain by restoring local mobility and reducing muscular tonicity; thus improving the symptoms. The NHS and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have recommended clinical evidence that demonstrates that osteopathy is an effective treatment for back pain.
After our first appointment, Ian felt immediate relief from his symptoms and within three sessions his quite serious back pain was now 100% pain-free. Over the next these sessions we worked on a long term plan to improve his back pain and prevent future reoccurrence. Long term prevention is a collaboration between the osteopath and the patient, and we combined my knowledge as a qualified personal trainer and biomechanical specialist with Ian’s existing training regime to find a suitable set of exercises to set him on the road to recovery.
Ian continues to enjoy freedom from his back pain and occasionally returns for some maintenance, especially after a heavy training session!