So 18 months ago Joe was in constant pain and had been for 4 years. He had given up a career as a professional soccer player and also as a pro boxer.
He came to DiY Physiotherapy with low expectations and an MRI scan that showed multiple low back disc bulges. The kicker was that not only did he have multiple levels of disc bulge but he also had a spinal instability called a spondylolistheis (look it up!).
The combination of an unstable spine along with multiple levels of disc bulges is relatively uncommon – and when it occurs it requires a very specific treatment regime in order to manage it. I say ‘manage it’ because there is no permanent solution other then spinal fusion surgery.
For whatever reason the previous practitioners that Joe had seen had been unable to manage his complex presentation.
Within a couple of weeks of instigating the correct protocol Joe was pain free for the first time in 4 years. A month later – and against all my good advice – he ran his first marathon.
To be continued …
