Fern Oliner

"Is back pain really pain?"

I was having lower back pain and my sports medicine doctor sent me for an MRI. This showed severe disc degeneration at L4-L5, some bulging discs in the same place and an annular tear at L5-S1.  I was sent to Lindy Royer, physical therapist and pilates teacher at Park Meadows Pilates and Physical Therapy. She did a complete evaluation and found out all my troubles were from muscle imbalances. I felt pain on one side of my body but it was only because these muscles were so overworked. The problem was the other side of the body where the muscles had stopped working.

I started pilates. Pilates is learning how to get movement in all parts of your body while keeping your body in proper alignment. When I started, my upper back would not even move.....okay lower back, we want you to do all the work and we don't care if you hurt. Through pilates, all parts of my body have started communicating with each other. I move better, feel better and my balance is much better. Goodbye pain!!

My secret was and is to be pro-active. I believe that pain pills do nothing except mask the symptoms. I have lots of home pilates exercises that Lindy gave me which I do faithfully almost every day. How many people stop their exercises as soon as they feel better. I make time  each and every day to exercise and feel better.

In my opinion, pilates is the 8th wonder of the world.

If I had another back MRI today, it would still show the same problems, yet I have no back pain.

PT Lindy Royer + pilates = a healthy and happy me!!!