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Comment
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Nancy
Apr 13, 08 - 2:31 PM |
Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
The purpose of this story is to simply share my little miracle with anyone out there who might be desperately looking for pain relief. While it worked fantastically for me, it may not for you. But if you're desperate, you'll read it.
I want to add that an inspirational person who himself has experienced much more chronic pain and for a longer time than I had, is Dave Hutchieson. He contributes regularly to this site. IT IS DAVE WHO HELPED GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK. He told me about Al Meilus and his muscular therapy. He is incredibly knowledgeable about backs, muscles, nerves, bones and chronic pain. He knows what he's talking about. I encourage you to read his tutorials so you can be equipped to speak to your doctor about yourself.
Here goes a story which just might help you:
In February '06 my complaint to my experienced, well-known and well-respected orthopedic surgeon had been a worsening of lower back and leg pain to the point of not being able to walk more than a few yards without debilitating pain where I could not continue. This pain was causing me to become less and less functional in day-to-day activities. Scoliosis, a twisted vertebra, a bone spur and arthritis at the point of impingement of the sciatic nerve were all involved.
I followed every recommendation of my doctor's office without experiencing any significant or lasting relief. (Physical therapy, cortisone shots).
I also tried a "Lose the Back Pain" approach. Unfortunately I did not respond to the exercises.
By August 2007, my doctor indicated the only next step available for me was to have a myelogram performed in order to determine the complexity of the back surgery required to address the source of my pain. He indicated the surgery would probably be quite complex and the results were not guaranteed.
At that time I indicated to my husband that I would go "kicking and screaming" into surgery. In other words, I was determined to exhaust every viable option I could find before even seriously considering surgery.
So, after careful further research, I made a decision to undergo muscular physical therapy using a new, FDA-approved method not available in my city. According to the founder, Al Meilus, this method might allow me some relief of my pain at the very least, and at the very most, a more substantial “cure” where follow-up visits might be needed, but in-between these visits an almost 100%
return to my normal activities would be possible. The clinic, and the founder of the new method, is located in Pinellas Park, Florida.
You should know I traveled to Florida with very low expectations. Al indicated that if muscles were involved in my source of pain, he could most definitely help me. My understanding from my doctor was that muscles were definitely not involved in my case, and "this person" in Florida was no doubt a charlatan and we were wasting our money. As a result, I was quite skeptical of my chances of finding lasting relief and a return to some kind of a normal life.
On Tuesday, August 21, 2007 I underwent treatment at the clinic. On Wednesday, August 22, I returned to the clinic for another (and final) day of treatment. After about one hour on the 22nd, my husband and I walked out of the clinic to “test” my progress so far. I walked, and jogged (!) for about 50 minutes non-stop with no pain!! I had not been able to do that for one and one-half years! Needless to say, I was extremely happy, however now skeptical as to how long lasting this would be.
RESULTS 8 MONTHS LATER
It is now April 13. I walked again, yesterday, non-stop and pain-free. I have been able to do this, every day, since my 2-day treatment almost 8 months ago. I am finding that if I skip a day or so without swimming or walking for about a half-hour, I might become a little "tight" where I used to have excruciating pain. The good news is that with understanding how chronic pain often works, I have learned to stretch the right muscles, and can easily return to feeling flexible. I certainly can say I am entirely pain-free. I have my life back again! As a matter of fact, I was elated to spend this past February in Florida with my husband where we walked several times a day along the beach, for as long as we wished, whenever we wished, and with absolutely no hint of tightness, soreness or pain.
This is without question a far much better outcome than major surgery might have wrought.
AL MEILUS MUSCULAR THERAPY
Very basically, Al's method of treatment uses a robotic arm to lengthen muscles by working out adhesions in muscles, which make them so tight they foster pain. In order to obtain FDA-approval for this new method of muscular therapy, Al had to prove that the robotic arm is able to change muscle tissue beyond that possible by human hands.
Anyone interested in reading about Al, his own journey to better health, and the conditions he claims to be able to help, check out: meilus.com
In my mind and my husband's mind, my experience was nothing short of a miracle. Before we left Al's clinic, I asked him why he wasn't shouting this from the tops of the highest trees. He simply stated "no one would believe me". And he is right. Folks are naturally skeptical of such seemingly simple solutions. Why aren't the doctors aware of this? If it is so great, why don't they have a robotic arm and clinic in all major cities? Great questions. After I shared my story with a chiropractor acquaintance of mine, he indicated he would contact Al to see if he could get one of the robotic arms into his office. Thank goodness for medical folks who keep their minds open to new ideas.
Feel free to share or not to share with others as you see fit.
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PAUL
Apr 13th, 2008 - 3:42 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Great Story and Dave is an awesome contributor!!
Anytime someone gets out of pain it is time for celebration
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Dr Greg Thomas
Apr 13th, 2008 - 10:38 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
I love to hear of people searching for viable physical alternatives to treatment! This is just another instance that illustrates that there is a natural answer to a physical problem.
Dr Greg Thomas
www.chiropracticlouisville.com
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Paul D
Apr 13th, 2008 - 11:08 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
It is truly inspiring, I wish I lived in America.
I would pack up and go to Florida tonight.
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dave hutchieson
Apr 14th, 2008 - 4:51 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Nancy
I am so glad you are feeling better.
Thank you for your kind words.
How I came upon Al was a minor miracle.
After six months of laying in bed with the most horrific pain in my leg and groin [ hydrocodone and morphine which helped during my disk herniation were of no help here ], I decided to get my leg amputated as I could no longer continue with the pain.
It was very difficult trying to find a surgeon who would do this in the States, so I decided to go overseas to get it done.
I decided to call one last doctor in the States. He then told me about an electrical device which could be implanted in the spine and could block nerve pain signals.
I was in such a bad way mentally that I looked up the wrong device on the Internet. I looked up a device called a TENS unit. This unit is just mainly designed to help with muscle pain, and works on the outside of the body.
I called up the maufacturers and asked if they had any doctors I could talk to about it.
They sent me a list of 50 doctors.
I closed my eyes and picked one at random. His name was Dr. John Young of Largo, Florida, an emergency room physician.
He listened to my story and told me that before I did anything else, I should call Al Meilus. Al was one of the world's leading robotics experts and worked for General Electric.
One day he woke up and found that he couldn't get his balance. Every time he sat up, he was physically sick.
Al got a team together of a doctor, dentist and some therapists.
Over a period of many months, they found that two of his muscles [ the sternocleidomastoid muscles ] in his jaw were tight. One more than the other. This uneven force was putting pressure on the inner ear [ where our balance organs are ]. This then affected his balance.
After they released the tight muscles, Al regained his balance.
Amazed that a muscle could put a hold on his entire life, Al gave up a very senior poistion at G.E. and became a muscular therapist.
Ten years later he developed a hernia from pushing on people.
Undeterred, he used his engineering experience to develop a robot whcih would take the place of his hands. Using a grant from NASA, Lockheed Martin and the Department of Energy, Al built his robot.
I was told that by various physical therapists that it would be four years before I would be able to move normally again after getting out of bed and having my hip put back in place.
Using Al's machines, I was 50% "sorted out" in three months. I'm now about 90% "fixed".
Over the last two years, I have been told that I would never walk again, that my leg was dying and that I would be in a wheelchair. That my two degenerated disks were so bad that they would have to fuse my back.
That my Plantar Fasciitis was so bad they would need to perform major surgery on my feet.
Thanks to Al Meilus, The Pettibon System and the Lose The Back Pain System, I have proven them all wrong.
Not one bit of surgery was necessary. [ I am not "knocking" surgery, as sometimes it is needed, but these days doctors are way too quick to recommend it without looking at alternatives].
I hope that this e-mail gives hope to everyone out there.
People had given up on me as a "hopeless case", yet now I'm almost completely "fixed".
I am not a deeply religious person, but I know that God's hand was there in guiding me down the path to my healing, especially in finding Al.
WHEN I FIRST SPOKE TO YOU NANCY, I SAID THAT THE ONLY THING I ASK IS THAT IF YOU ARE HEALED, THAT YOU FIND SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO IS SUFFERING FROM BACK PAIN AND THAT YOU TRY TO HELP THEM. WHETHER IT IS ON THIS WEBSITE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, PLEASE TRY TO FIND SOME POOR SOUL WHO NEEDS A HELPING HAND. THEY CALL IT "PAYING IT FORWARD " IN THE STATES AND IT JUST MEANS THAT WHEN SOMEONE IS HELPED THAT THEY IN TRUN HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
WE LIVE IN A VERY CYNICAL WORLD, AND SOME PEOPLE WILL LAUGH AT THIS, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF EVERYONE WHO IS HEALED FROM THIS WEBSITE IN TURN HELPS SOMEONE ELSE [ EVEN IF IT IS ONLY WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT ] THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AGAIN, NANCY, I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE BETTER.
Dave
Dave
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Weight Training Paul
Apr 14th, 2008 - 5:13 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Fantastic and inspiring for sure
Big thanks to Dave from me as well
He told me about the LSI - got their expert opinion on my condition
The Pettibon System, VAX - D and of course Al Meilus
Al told me what was wrong after I sent him my MRI on CD
My condition is improving all the time now
If can't quite finish off my condition, I will see Al before this year is out, even if that means flying from England
Paul
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PAUL
Apr 14th, 2008 - 6:14 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Great letter Dave!!!
Keep up the good work....
Funny thing is I have been healed for 4-5 months (meaning a 1-3 pain level)....
Today i had my first ZERO pain level!!!! forgot how it felt. I lifted....i ran.....i did the elliptical...
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Lak
Apr 15th, 2008 - 6:58 AM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Weight Training Paul,
Please could you explain how you converted MRI xray films to CD? I would like to make a backup in case the xray films get damaged.
Thanks,
Lak
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Dan Monahan
Apr 15th, 2008 - 11:15 AM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Fantastic story Nancy, very motivating and inspiring...Trigger points, Muscle Imbalance therapy, positive thinking, and determination to never give up is what is needed to get relief, it's very much a mental game as well as a physical, you've got to have the patients and realise it won't take over night to become fixed again, it will take alot of work on our part (the patient) as well as a great Therapist or the LTBP system.
Too many people give up and blame the exercises, but we have to take responsibility too!
Dave that is a great point about helping others too, it's too easy to get healed and then go on and forget about it, not worry about others, but the people who get out of pain are the ones who will stick around and help others...
Wishing everyone complete relief, and determination to succeed
Dan 
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Weight Training Paul
Apr 15th, 2008 - 1:03 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Lak
I just gave the hospital a call and asked for a my copy on disc, it cost £10
Definitely a good idea to get it on CD then you can sent them to people all over world
Paul
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Lak
Apr 16th, 2008 - 10:02 AM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Thanks mate,
I will do that. Where about in UK you based, I am a Birmingham lad.
Ta,
Lak
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Weight Training Paul
Apr 16th, 2008 - 1:00 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
No problem mate
I'm in Chesterfield, I often see Chesterfield FC physio's to work on my tight muscles, he's a top man
Have fun
Paul
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Nancy
Jun 4th, 2008 - 10:15 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
I'm just surfacing my story once again, as I have been away from this forum for awhile, and in returning see so many suffering from sciatica pain.
Please read my little "miracle" story, please read comments a very knowledgeable guy named Dave Hutchieson is leaving for others indicating chronic sciatica pain, and please do NOT even seriously consider surgery until you have fully investigated Al Meilus's approach at meilus.com, for your particular situation and until you have checked out many of Dave Hutchieson's suggestions.
You owe it to yourself to at least investigate other options before doing something as invasive as surgery!
Good luck.
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kathryn
Jun 10th, 2008 - 4:14 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Is there anywhere in the Cheshire area of UK where I can go for muscular therapy treatment. As much as I would love to go to Florida, its not an option at the moment (couldn't sit that long on a plane)
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dave hutchieson
Jun 11th, 2008 - 8:41 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Hi Kathryn
I spoke to Al today.
There are quite a few private individuals in the UK who own portable robots [ the man who used to run the Wimbledon tennis matches owns one for example ] but there are no clinics operating them yet.
There are a couple of other alternatives:
1. Try the Lose The Back Pain System. It's a good start.
2. Look up "CHEK" practioners and "EGOSCUE" practioners in the UK in Google. They can be quite helpful.
3. Call these guys;
London
Golder Hill Health Centre
Hillside 151 N. End Road
London NW 117HX
United Kingdom
Dr. Harry Block
Dr. Peter Brockman
4. Call these guys:
http://www.solihullbackpainclinic.co.uk
You can the phone numbers from directory enquiries for the London clinic.
I'll drop you a private e-mail with more information.
Good Luck
Dave Hutchieson
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Edward
Jun 23rd, 2008 - 5:48 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
I just wanted to thank you Nancy for allowing us to hear your testimony. the moment I read it I called Al Meilus and he spoke with me for about 20 minutes. Next Monday I am flying to Florida to spend two days at his clinic. He actually told me to bring my golf clubs so I can go to the range after the first day. If this works it will be amazing since I have not been able to play for a long time (I actually was in a pro am and had to walk off the course because I was in so much pain). It is nice to have a little hope that I will get better and I can't thank you enough for giving your testimony. when I return I hope to have a similar story to tell. Thank you and God Bless.
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Dave Hutchieson
Jun 24th, 2008 - 1:44 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Hi Ed
I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.
I owe everything to Al, and I mean everything.
Two years ago, I was in such pain from a chiropractor having crippled me [ he trapped a bunch of nerves leading down my leg in between two pieces of bone ] that I decided to have my right leg amputated as I could no longer live with the pain.
I contacted several surgeons and was told that I needed to have a number of doctors "sign off" on it first.
One of them told me to try a spinal implant first [ an electrical device ]which helps block pain.
I was in so much pain that I looked up the wrong device on the Internet. It was a TENS unit which really only helps with muscle issues for the most part.
I called the manufacturer and he sent me a list of doctors who use it.
I chose one at random and called him.
After five minutes of talking to him, he told me that I needed to see Al Meilus.
I am not a particularly religious person, but I know that God was with me that week, because just before I called Al, I figured out via medical books what that chiropractor had done to me.
Al agreed totally with me [ the first person to do so ].
I had my leg put back in place soon thereafter. However, due to the fact that I had spent six months curled up in a little ball in a foetal position, my whole body was rock solid. My spinal muscles were "like concrete" according to one of Al's colleagues.
Every part of my body was in pain, literally from my head to my toes. Arms, legs, feet, stomach back, buttocks, everywhere. My forward bending ability was only one and a half inches.
All the physical therapists I saw basically said nothing could be done. That some of my muscles had started to calcify.
Two said that it would be five to six years of continuous therpay before I'd be able to walk normally again.
One of Al's colleagues, Mike Ryan had me walking normally within three months.
I have gone from having over thirty six pain areas in my body to just three, and those are getting better all the time.
Al is a national treasure, and why he and his robots are not known by everyone in this country is beyond me.
Dave Hutchieson
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Nancy
Oct 5th, 2008 - 6:47 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Surfacing my story from last spring as I see recent questions about Al Meilus and his robot. Hope it gives others hope. I am SO impressed that LTBP will be presenting Al and spreading his muscular therapy approach to all back sufferers who frequent this discussion forum.
As an update, it is now over a year since I was treated by Al and his robot. Since Jan '08 (5 months after my treatment) through today I have been functioning with NO PAIN and full walking capabilites whenever I want and for as long as I want. I rarely think about the excruciating pain I was once enduring. It is a life-changer, this robot!
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fred wade
Oct 5th, 2008 - 8:11 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Nancy, did you buy the home robot?
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Nancy
Oct 5th, 2008 - 8:25 PM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
Hi Fred ~ No, I did not buy the robot but my husband wanted to. At the time I hoped to be able to move on without the investment of the robot. I have moved on just fine....however now I wish someone in my city had one, as my husband could sure use it for the muscle imbalances I am sure he has.
I think several robots in every city in America would be put to great use as every human being develops muscle imbalances just by living. I truly believe there are millions suffering from chronic pain (not just back pain) which have their source in muscle imbalance. And to think of the relief they could all experience in such a short time if they could be helped by Al's robotic arms.
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Rory in Korea
Oct 6th, 2008 - 12:10 AM |
Re: Hopeful Option for chronic pain sufferers
I would just like to thank the Steve and Jesse for their hard work and effort and the LTBP system which is helping me, I think also that without this discussion forum I would also be lost in a world of complex back pain, but today I am finding solutions and answers and knowledge(truth) about my back pain, so thanks to everyone who is involved. God bless
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