“Surgeons feared I might end up in a wheelchair if they operated… but IDD Therapy finally cured me of my years of back pain”
Julia Stuart from Curdridge, Hampshire suffered for ten years with excruciating back pain and sciatica before finally finding relief with the targeted disc treatment, IDD Therapy.
After being on the merry-go-round of manual therapy, spinal injections and painkillers she is finally pain-free thanks to the non-invasive treatment programme which is establishing an important and much needed shift in conservative spinal care.
Back pain experts across the UK are championing IDD Therapy following the exceptional patient outcomes gained by their US counterparts in the last decade.
71 year old Julia tells her story:
“My back pain started a decade ago when I was working in the catering profession. My job meant that I was hunched over a workstation part of my day and at other times I was required to lift heavy boxes. At first the pain was sporadic but soon the episodes became more frequent until early last year when it was practically constant.”
Julia’s lifestyle was seriously affected by the pain in her lower back and in her leg (sciatica) and daily medication had little effect.
“Ten years ago, I’d really enjoyed an active life outside of my work, socialising with family and friends, looking after my grandchildren and playing quite a bit of golf and tennis. But when my pain was at its worst, I couldn’t sit or stand for more than 15 mins at a time – despite taking strong painkillers every day. I didn’t sleep very well during this time either; I was woken several times a night by the ache in my lower back and the shooting pain which travelled down my leg.”
During this time, Julia tried several manual therapies including physiotherapy and acupuncture. Unfortunately, none of the hands-on treatments gave her any lasting improvement.
“With manual therapy, I would sometimes get a few hours’ relief but then the pain would return. At this point, my GP sent me to see a spinal surgeon but even this route was closed to me: he said he wouldn’t operate as it was too complicated and there was a risk I could end up in a wheelchair.
In a final effort to get some relief I went to see a pain consultant who gave me some spinal injections but again, this didn’t make any difference. At this point I was beginning to feel very despondent and I couldn’t imagine a life without this awful pain.”
Coincidentally, around this time, Julia’s son, Ian Stuart had just introduced the targeted disc treatment, IDD Therapy at his osteopathic clinic in Botley and he was achieving some excellent results with chronic patients who had similar symptoms to hers.
Intervertebral Differential Dynamics (IDD) Therapy is a mechanical treatment which gently draws apart specific spinal segments where discs are damaged or herniated (bulging), taking pressure off targeted discs and any trapped nerves.
When Ian looked at Julia’s latest MRI scan, he was confident that IDD Therapy could help her so she began a programme of treatment in the New Year of 2014.
“I noticed a difference after the first session; my back felt ‘looser’ and I slept much better that night”
“I must admit, I was a little nervous about the treatment to begin with but Ian reassured me that it was very safe and gentle. He was right: I got on to the treatment bed easily from the standing position, the bed lowered me into the horizontal and I simply lay there for 25 minutes, just feeling a very soothing ‘rippling’ sensation through my lower spine. I noticed a difference after the first session; my back felt looser and I slept much better that night.
As the sessions continued, my pain reduced and I was able to move around for longer periods. I never thought I’d actually enjoy doing my housework but being able to do it without the agony was a real treat!
Once I’d finished my treatment, the improvement I felt was remarkable. I only get pain now if I stand for too long or lift the grandchildren up – so I try to be a bit more careful in that respect. I must say, it’s wonderful to enjoy a full family life again free of pain.”
The Totalcare Clinic is part of an international network of over 1000 IDD Therapy disc specialists. The treatment was developed in the US in the late 1990s and has been adopted by clinicians in the UK following the exceptional outcomes: practitioners report a significant improvement in 70-90% of patients.
Ian Stuart’s expertise in treating spinal conditions spans over 15 years. He’s delighted with his IDD patient outcomes:
“It was so gratifying to be able to help Mum after seeing her suffer for so long. Like many of my IDD patients, she finally has her life back to normal after having almost given up hope of ever getting better.
IDD Therapy is an ideal option for long-term sufferers and as an osteopath, it makes perfect sense to me: it’s a safe and gentle way of creating an environment for the body to heal naturally. It’s a very important and welcome development in non-invasive back care for sure.”
For more information about IDD Therapy and other treatments offered at The Totalcare Clinic, call 01489 788844 or go to www.thetotalcareclinic.co.uk
To find your nearest IDD Therapy Disc Clinic call 0345 625 2566 or enter your postcode on the IDD Clinic Finder: www.iddtherapy.co.uk/clinic-finder