Herniated Disc – Lumbar Disc Prolapse

I have suffered from chronic back pain for many years and as I am getting older, my “back episodes” have become more frequent and more debilitating. I am an ex-nursing sister and more than likely the years of heavy lifting have also affected my spine as well as bad posture and perhaps a bit of neglect too.

This year has been particularly bad and I had become frustrated with the unpredictability and instability which would catch me unawares. I have tried every treatment ranging from the allopathic to the esoteric, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and many others, and although they would treat the symptoms at the time, it did not seem to be a long-term solution.

I was then referred to Guy Ashburner by a friend,- I didn’t even know what an osteopath was, but was desperate to try anything at this stage. My first visit to Guy, I was in a very bad state, my mobility was very minimal, I was in a lot of pain and barely able to move my right leg, experiencing shooting sciatica pain even with the slightest weight bearing on the right side. I also had a cold at the time and sneezing was my worst night-mare .A recent MRI scan showed that there was a multi-level involvement resulting in prolapse and narrowing of disc spaces, and I was therefore not a candidate for surgery. On one hand I was very relieved about this, but on the other I was hoping for a ‘once and for all’ quick fix.

Guy did a very thorough examination, and very quickly made a diagnosis, which was very reassuring as I felt he was rather more concerned in treating the cause rather than just the symptoms. I was particularly impressed by his professional attitude, but at the same time he is friendly and very approachable.

The treatments consisted mainly of gentle manipulations, specific massage and stretching techniques as well as very good advice with regards to posture, habit, drinking lots of water and exercise. Each treatment showed a definite improvement and after the fourth treatment I feel as if I have never had a back problem, whereas up until now even in between the ‘episodes’ I constantly suffered from sciatica.

I am very pleased that I was referred to Guy in the first place, and for the first time in many years I am pain free. Thank you, Guy.”

Barbi Vandewalle


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