A "Friendly" story by David Friend

by David Friend
(Mooloolaba, Qld, Australia)

From my childhood to 30's, I played a lot of sport. Rugby League footbal for 25 years, cricket for 10, basketball for 5 & boxing for 5.
My point being that I knocked myself around and probably did suffer long lasting injuries.

In November 2008, during a chiropractic manipulation which went wrong, I suffered a ruptured disc at the base of my spine. I was in constant pain, whether I was sitting, standing,walking or sleeping, it was there all the time and made life rather uncomfortable.

After a series of X-rays and scans, my doctor recommended I have laser guided injections into the spine to try to reduce the pain. This lasted for one week. I was then referred to an orthopedic specialist. More x-rays and scans. The specialist then gave me the news.
He said that there was nothing he could do surgically to help me, but that if stemcell research was to progress in the future, that might change. He also recommended that I should look for an exercise programme that dealt with the core muscles and by strengthing those muscles, I might improve.

In July 2009 I started Pilates, one day a week. After 3 months, I realised that it was doing me a lot of good, and therefore started a second session each week.
I now do two x one hour sessions each week. I have recommended pilates to all my friends.

My level of pain now is approximately 5% of what it was previously, and that is usually if I have overdone it working around the yard. I cannot speak too highly of the benefits of a well planned exercise programme, and Pilates gives me that. I do recommend that you
work hard each session, as you will only get out of it what you put in.
Cheers ,
David Friend.

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