Brandon’s Story - Low Back & Neck Pain

Before Align

My life before Align was full of every sound a cartoon character in pain would make. Some of my pain came from overlooked injuries, while other pain came from my love for heavy metal and headbanging my way through mosh pits–super fun but not very kind to my body. Eventually, my body sent me the bill, and my pain started to make life feel like a hallway of closed doors. At 23 years old, I no longer enjoyed working, playing music, or doing any physical activities. 

Massages, stretching, and a thousand pain relief Youtube videos brought only temporary relief. Once I realized that my pain was controlling me I tried going to a couple of different physical therapists. After therapy I would feel okay for a day or two, but I never got 100% better. My upper and lower back, neck, and glutes would all be in pain again within days. 

So I reached out to Align. 

Coming to Align

When I went to my first consultation with Coach Jaylee, she took one look at me and confirmed I had a lot to work on, but that it was all fixable. At first, I was skeptical, but during the first few weeks I started to understand the importance of routine exercise with specific adaptations in mind. 

The Journey

At first, I wasn’t very consistent with my homework, so progress was slow at the beginning. (Do your homework!) The exercises were uncomfortable, silly, and weird, but they were working! My pain started to ease up until it was only an occasional experience. After a couple of months at Align, Jaylee showed me my progress photos, and I was shocked. I stood taller, looked stronger, and above all felt stronger with less pain than I had in the photos. One of my co-workers even noticed my posture was better and asked what I was doing. 

My favorite part of Align was the people. Even on my hardest days when I didn't want to go, I’d walk through the doors and be greeted with smiles and my awesome group members. The accountability and community makes a huge difference in choosing to be consistent with your program. 

Life Now

Fast forward eight months and I've taken the reins of my life back and feel capable of doing whatever I want to do. I now understand my body, its weaknesses, and how to prevent them from flaring up. With consistent exercise, patience, and my coach’s guidance, I've been liberated from my pain. If you partner with a coach at Align, you will meet your personal and pain goals.

Pass it On - What Advice Would You Give? 

I remember the first time Jaylee handed me a one pound pink weight for an exercise. My first thought was, "Is this a joke? I'm not that weak." Well, that one muscle was actually that weak. My advice is to do your exercises and communicate as much as possible with your coach. This will help the two of you work together to understand your body and solve your pain ASAP.  They will lead you through the process one baby step at a time, so trust your coach!