Marc's Story - Back Pain Journey
Before Align
“Every day I was just living with pain in my lower and upper back. My pain levels were at a 5 to 10 on the 0-10 scale, daily. Recently, even taking a long walk would be very challenging. Years ago when playing sports I was always in pain afterwards and I just thought that was my way of living. It was all I ever knew.”
“I was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis when I was 15 years old. Going to chiropractors was my new normal. I tried so many different methods of treatment including massage therapy and osteopaths. Sometimes it would help, but only temporarily. The previous six months before coming to Align, I had gone to three different chiropractors, which included at least 20 visits, nothing improved at all. I knew I needed to do something else.”
Coming To Align
“I first went to a workshop where I heard Matthew’s personal testimony and explanations of the chronic pain spiral and how the body should work. I then scheduled a consultation with Jaylee. When I met with Jaylee I felt understood when explaining my situation. Her insight about my situation and problems, what could be done to fix it, and how to maintain it, was refreshing and encouraging. There was no need for hype. I could feel the honesty.”
“The team at Align really knows what they are talking about and they are there to help you. I’ve been here for 4 months and I was impressed by how fast the improvement has happened. I was surprised about everything Align has done. Having spent thousands of dollars over the years, decades to only get some mild and temporary relief, it has gotten harder and harder to believe the nice promises you are being told before treatments. No one ever taught me techniques on how to take care of my body. To heal, to manage, and to reset when an issue starts to come back- this is exactly what Align has done for me.”
From Coach Jaylee
“I remember when I first met Marc. He was sitting there telling me about his pain and how it had impacted his life. I felt his emotion and how he was just sick of the cycle, he was ready to break through it. Through listening, asking questions, and evaluating his body, I knew we were going to change his life. I knew we could help him and walk him out of pain. I just remember getting this feeling of excitement like, ‘Wow, he is supposed to be here.’”
“Marc has structural damage (spondylolisthesis and stenosis) in his lumbar spine. But these things were NOT the root cause of his chronic pain. Stenosis doesn’t just “show up” out of the blue one day. Structural damage and degenerative changes like stenosis are outcomes of excessive load through the low back over a period of time. This is a common misconception Align strives to break. Muscle imbalance and an unstable SI joint put a ton of load through the low back."
"The reason Marc wasn't seeing progress with other treatment methods was because his muscle tissue, joint mobility, and nervous system were not changing. We had to go to the root cause- calming down his nervous system, stabilizing his SI joint, and increasing his strength to be able to do the things Marc wanted to do. That is fixing root causes, not chasing symptoms.”
Life Now
“It’s been nothing short of impressive. I don’t wake up in pain anymore. I have an active life, and I just feel good! Even if some pain does come back, I know what to do to take care of it and get right back to living my life and getting stronger in the gym. It’s just amazing!”
Coach Jaylee: “The other week Marc finished his workout and when walking out of the gym he started flapping his arms like wings of a bird. I laughed and he said “This is how I feel!” I think that's such a powerful image of what it's like to be free from chronic pain. Something that has been weighing you down for years- for what feels like your whole life, you don't know what a day feels like unaccompanied by pain and the limits it holds you to. To be free from that feels weightless. Like you can fly free and live your life again. That’s why I love my job. To watch someone stifled by pain become a strong and free human, able to live their life. That transformation is nothing short of… well, LIFE CHANGING!”
