Pam's Story - Neck Pain Journey
Before Align
“I had pain and poor rotation in my neck in addition to nerve pain and numbness in my left arm and hand due to multiple herniated discs. It came on suddenly and unexpectedly and my active lifestyle came to a strange standstill due to the pain and immobility."
"Doing any kind of gardening, exercising, or home improvement projects became very difficult, and fun activities that we had done as a family like archery, kayaking, hiking and climbing became almost impossible. Standing on the sidelines watching became the norm for me due to the pain, fear, and lack of confidence.”
“I went through multiple rounds of PT, massage, acupuncture, spinal injections, chiropractor visits and although I got short term relief, the pain and hand numbness always came back. I was told by a spinal surgeon that a fusion of the vertebrae may be needed if things didn’t improve. It was then that a friend told me about Align and although I was very skeptical, I decided to give it a try.”
Life At Align
“What I discovered at Align is that the road to reducing or eliminating pain is a very long, slow-moving, and progressive one that requires a tremendous amount of patience. This is not like a shot or a pill that gives you short-term, temporary relief. My coach worked very closely with me to understand my pain, my body mechanics, and my goals to develop very specialized routines and therapeutics to not only relieve my pain, but to strengthen my body so as to prevent future injury and to get me back doing the things I love to do with confidence. This does not happen overnight, nor does it ever end. Being out of pain and maintaining my strength requires ongoing maintenance and commitment.”
Life Now
“I no longer have pain in my neck and numbness in my hand. I do get flare ups in both my neck and back but I now know it is temporary and there are solutions to get back on track that do not involve drugs or surgery."
"The solution is using my own body, through guided therapeutics and exercises, to calm the pain and stiffness. I see pain and even injury as merely a temporary setback now, not a life-altering, traumatic event that brings my life to a screeching halt.”
“When I look back at why I came to Align (neck pain), I realize that the Align Method has been a support structure that I have relied upon to keep me strong, healthy and most importantly, hopeful no matter what illness or injury I experience. Last year I had foot surgery followed by stress fractures in my foot, and a serious case of Covid that affected my strength and stamina. And I’m sure these will not be the last of the injuries and illnesses to come my way."
"My coach helped me take each setback one at a time, focusing on strengthening and rebalancing my health through highly modified therapeutics to fit my unique needs at that time. I now have confidence to manage just about anything that comes my way and I can face my setbacks calmly and patiently knowing that this too shall pass. I have been able to get back to doing many of the things I enjoy like home construction projects, exercising, gardening, and archery.”
Pass It On
“Align is not what you expect. It is not just a “gym”. It is an amazing hands-on education in reducing pain, understanding your own body, and what you need to do to get healthy and most importantly, stay healthy. It requires A LOT of patience and trust in yourself and the process. It takes time and it takes commitment but it can be life changing if you are willing to give both.”