August 3, 2018
CONDITION and HISTORY
CS5 is a large, strong man around seventy years old. By the time we first met nearly thirty years ago, he had built his own home in rural Arkansas and had developed a large organic garden and orchard. He was in his forties and was married with three young sons. After working for years in construction, he had been injured from a fall from second-floor height due to the collapse of scaffolding. He had surgery for a broken back, followed by months of recovery that included wearing a back brace.
One or two years later he decided to change professions since he believed that his back injury had compromised his ability to work in construction. He moved to another state to pursue training in horticulture. However, back pain continued to plague him to the point of increasing dysfunction. He became very concerned that he'd never be able to support himself and his family in his condition, and he was in so much pain that he could barely function day to day.
He showed up unannounced at my office late one day in April 1990, almost at the point of collapse. He had heard about my work, and he had driven five hours that day to seek my help. He asked me to do whatever I could. He was very agitated and obviously in severe pain. I was conducting a seminar and asked him to wait a short while until the class was dismissed, at which time I would work with him.
TREATMENT
CS5's treatment consisted of Applied Bio-Mechanics to align the structure and relieve muscle tension. The first session took about an hour, and at the end his pain level was so improved that he wanted to immediately drive back home. I advised him to stay in the local area, if possible, in order to rest and in case followup was needed. He said he could stay at his farm and would call the next day.
The following day he reported that he had slept well but after a half day the pain started to return and was at about fifty percent of what it had been the day before. He came for a session that afternoon, then another the following day. After the second session, he was completely pain-free, and the third session was mainly for reinforcement since he lived so far away. He returned home and called three days later to report that he continued to be 95 percent pain-free early in the mornings and by afternoon he would have no pain whatsoever. I advised him to continue being very cautious about getting plenty of rest and keeping his activities no greater than moderate to allow ample time for healing to occur.
My wife and I left home a few days later to attend a festival in Missouri. While we were there, CS5 contacted me in a panic. He had hurt himself very badly and needed emergency help. Since we were away from home and relatively nearby, he wondered if we could possibly come to his house. Arrangements were quickly made, and several hours later we arrived at his home.
CS5 explained what had happened to set him back so far. He said he'd been very diligent about resting and he felt good after his earlier sessions. But then his neighbor started building a wall of cement blocks and asked for his help. He explained to the neighbor that he was not supposed to do strenuous work, but he offered to come over to watch and advise him. His neighbor was struggling to do the job, and CS5 decided to help him just a little. He reached down, picked up a cement block (about thirty-five pounds average), and twisted around to place it on the wall, something he had done so many times in his profession as a builder that it seemed like a minor action, especially since he was now out of pain. His back immediately gave out and he collapsed in severe pain, much worse this time than before.
I worked with him as soon as we arrived late that night using Applied Bio-Mechanics. He was able to sleep somewhat better, but his response to treatment was much more sluggish than previously. The next day's treatment eased his pain enough that he was able to function better, though he was still in a lot of pain and couldn't sleep through the night. I included advanced (Bio-Engineering) techniques in his treatments, and he improved incrementally each day until the fourth day's treatment appeared to finally break through his condition. Even though he still reported being in pain, he said he felt different. That night when he turned over in bed, his back popped audibly and his pain disappeared.
His entire treatment, including the initial sessions at my office and those at his home after re-injury, took place within a two-week time-frame. He has never experienced that level of pain again.
CS5 finished his horticulture training and eventually returned to live full time in his Arkansas home. He expanded his garden into a full-fledged organic farm, making his living raising and selling produce. He has worked very hard in this endeavor for many years, and has remained fit and healthy. About four years ago, in 2014, I asked him to tell his story to a class I was teaching. He came straight from his work and gave a heartfelt talk to the students, which he allowed me to record and share. This is his story in his own words.
OBSERVATIONS
This was a fairly typical case of how Bio-Mechanics and Bio-Engineering can be used in recovery from serious injuries. Structural alignment, muscle relaxation, and rest are all important components for a full recovery. Pain medication, chiropractic adjustments, and acupuncture did not help in CS5's case, and the fact that he did not develop a dependency on medications or dependency on physical therapy or ongoing chiropractic treatments is an important aspect of his full recovery.
A point of interest, which he shared with the class, was the return of memories that he didn't expect. When tissues are able to reach a deep state of relaxation, long-forgotten events and emotions will sometimes surface. These memories are often meaningful to the person and will normally resolve on their own over a few days time.