Back pain journey

After a CrossFit class in 2019, Rachel developed back pain she now recognizes was a warning sign. "I was doing deadlifts with poor form," she explains. "My back hurt for about two weeks, but I ignored it and kept working out." 

Later that year, her pain became so intense that she was bedridden. An MRI, which her brother encouraged her to get, revealed a lumbar disc putting pressure on the nerve. Despite weekly physical therapy, her condition worsened. When the pain became severe, she sought a spine specialist and underwent a discectomy and laminectomy between her L4 and L5 vertebrae. Immediately afterward, she felt tremendous relief and was eager to resume her active life. 

“I felt so good that I wanted to run out of the hospital, but the staff insisted that I had to leave in a wheelchair,” she remembers.

Once home, Rachel admits that she pushed her body’s limits again. “I wasn’t a very good patient,” she says. She resumed her activity level and even walked to and from public transportation with a backpack on. “I assumed I was fine.”

Unfortunately, Rachel experienced another significant back pain flare-up. New imaging confirmed that the same disk was causing her pain again. Her spine surgeon explained that, while the surgery was successful for a time, a recurrence can happen. She wasn’t a candidate for a second surgery.

Evaluating another option

However, her provider provided hope by recommending an expert in treating back pain non-operatively and without the use of pain medication: Dr. Thomas Lotus, an orthopedic clinician specializing in McKenzie Therapy. 

Once again, she was willing to try anything to relieve the pain, so she was grateful to secure an appointment with Dr. Lotus the next day.

“It was really hard for me to talk about my situation, but he listened,” Rachel explains. “What I love about Dr. Lotus is that although I was visibly upset during the appointment, he didn’t judge me or make me feel embarrassed.”

Dr. Lotus carefully explained to her the basics of McKenzie Therapy, which involves a variety of repetitive spinal end-range movements. He examined her and immediately asked her to perform a succession of simple spinal movements. She felt relief before she even left his office.

Rachel started visiting Dr. Lotus twice a week for evaluation and to adjust her at-home movement prescription. She has now graduated from weekly visits to monthly.

“Since starting with Dr. Lotus, my pain has gone from an 8 to a 2,” she explains. “But I know this isn’t like catching strep throat, where you take an antibiotic and you’re fine in 48 hours. It’s a process that’s not linear.”

“Rachel is absolutely correct; it is a process,” Dr. Lotus explains. “Especially post-surgically, when there is a return of pre-surgical symptoms. This is a delicate balance of pushing a patient and instilling confidence in them! Rachel did fantastically, and we are proud of all her accomplishments. We wish her well with all her functional goals.” 

“What really encourages me is Dr. Lotus’ confidence and directness,” Rachel says. “I know, with his help, I’m going to get better.”

Forever grateful

Today, Rachel is happily back in Pilates and taking long walks. She routinely hits 15,000 steps a day and is planning to get back to spin class soon. Looking back, she reflects that this has been a learning experience too.

“I will never ignore my body’s warning signs again,” she explains. “I am forever grateful to Dr. Lotus for honestly saving my life. I was so low, and now I’m hopeful. I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without him.”

About Dr. Thomas Lotus

Dr. Thomas J. Lotus received his Doctorate from the National University of Health Sciences in 2003, where he specialized in rehabilitation and non-surgical orthopedics. He teaches courses on classification, non-surgical orthopedics, rehabilitation, biomechanics, and pain management both nationally and internationally. He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh.