Madeline's Story - 30 Years of Back Pain Gone

*Because everyone is unique, individual results vary.

When I think about the 30 years I struggled with back pain, it brings me to tears. I missed out on so much including my daughter’s college graduation when I ended up in the hospital and my father’s eightieth birthday celebration when I couldn’t do anything other than stand up straight and still because I was in so much pain. My back pain ruled my life. When I had back spasms, I couldn’t sit, lie down or move; many times I couldn’t work. I could only stand still and ride out the pain. I sought out help from chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and physical therapists, which provided only temporary relief.

Debilitating Back Pain

My pain got to be so debilitating that my doctor recommended I have a device implanted in my spine that would “trick” my body into not feeling the pain. This made no sense to me because I knew it wouldn’t solve the cause of my pain. If I could resolve the cause, there wouldn’t be any pain. But I had to do something since I was already taking four pain pills per day, and my doctor said that over time I would need even more pain medication to keep the pain away. And because of the back pain, I was only getting two to three hours of sleep each night. The lack of sleep left me feeling anxious and irritable, and my memory was awful. The pain pills caused chronic constipation and heartburn, and my hair was falling out in clumps. Before moving forward with the drastic surgery, I decided to try one more thing…nutrition. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose.

Drug Free and Pain Free in Two Months

I have been a long-time listener of the Dishing Up Nutrition radio show and decided to make a nutrition counseling appointment. At my first appointment with Dar, I told her my goals were to be drug free and pain free; and within two months, Dar delivered. Dar designed a careful eating plan for me that addressed certain food sensitivities contributing to my pain. Until I came to Nutritional Weight & Wellness, no one had been able to find the source of my back pain, and I had dealt with doctors and all sorts of therapies for over 30 years.

I do occasionally miss some of the foods I used to eat such as pizza, bagels, milk and ice cream. But when I think of how much pain I was in and of how far I’ve come, it’s easy for me to pass on eating these foods. My heart breaks when I think back on all the things I missed because of my back pain. I was depressed because of all the pain I was feeling and never want to feel that bad again; no food would ever be worth it.

I am now off all of my pain medications and haven’t had a back spasm in over a year (since I started seeing Dar). I am able to bounce out of bed in the morning after seven hours of pain-free sleep! My anxiety and constipation are gone and my memory is much better. On top of everything, I lost 30 pounds! I wasn’t aiming to lose any weight, but it’s been a nice side effect of the new eating plan. I feel like a new, younger person. It feels wonderful to not hurt anymore!

Create Your Own Success Story with Nutrition Education

Madeline was able to put a stop to years of debilitating back pain with the power of nutrition education and personal support. Sign up for nutrition counseling today and be on your way to improved health.

Find more information and advice about pain and inflammation in these additional articles and podcasts and be on your way to better health for good!

Nutrition Changed My Back Pain
Chronic Back Pain: A Nutritional Connection
Nutritional Solutions for Back Pain
Oh My Achy Body