If you don’t know me and despite being what most people would call a fit and healthy bloke, I’ve always joked that I have the body of an old man.
Years of a misspent youth playing rugby, getting kneed in the back after being dropped in a lineout and not recovering properly from injuries have led to chronic lower back and neck issues.
In fact even though I hadn’t laced on a rugby boot since a neck injury from a spear tackle stopped me from playing when I was 23 (I’m now 34) I had the constant grief of a neck that didn’t like even spending a few hours at a keyboard.
And a lower back that must be constantly looked after each day to ensure that I can actually get around relatively pain free.
It didn’t stop me doing things. I guess the body gets used to being ‘broken’ and works around it. It was never a massive pain or agony. It was just constant dull aching.
However, over the last 5 months I’ve had the pleasure of working with the great team of the best Chiropractors at Hands On Sydney – Dr Shaun Evans and Dr Debbie Miller to help repair my ‘broken’ body.
While I’m still a work in progress the differences are amazing!
I can work at a computer for a few hours straight and not get the daily discomfort that I used to have. My foam roller hasn’t been getting the daily workout that it used to.
As you can see from my before and after pictures below there’s a massive difference in my posture.
My wife always used to joke that in photos I always had a head lean going on. I found out it wasn’t cause I liked to ruin a photo but because my spine was all over the shop.
You can see that lean in the before photo in the blue shirt on top. It is definitely not as significant 4 months later (these photos were taken late in March 2012).
The other big thing that you can really see is I don’t have the forward head tilt that is so significant in the first shot. My posture is a lot straighter and as a result my spine more comfortable.
On the picture on the right you’ll see from the scans the amount of red (ie bad trigger points of grief) from my body scan.
These red spots in the lower back – especially on the right side were massive in shot one. Now they are no where near as bad – hence my lower back being a lot more friendlier to deal with.
But you know what’s the best feeling even after seeing all the visual proof? It is actually realising that you don’t have to live with the constant nagging pain and niggle.
There is a way that the body can repair itself – even 11 years after the fact of the initial injury.
I cannot recommend Shaun and Debbie and Hands on Sydney highly enough if you are like me and have any old sporting injuries or the typical constant office worker syndrome of the tense upper back and lower back from staring at your keyboard all day.
They are based in Circular Quay at Ground Level 15 Young Street Circular Quay or you can reach them on 9251 3411.
Don’t think you have to put up with the pain any more. I’m still getting treatment because the body is not 100% but it is 1000 times better than what it was.
Thanks guys!
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