Caring Medical
& Rehabilitation Services
715 Lake Street, Suite 600
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708.848.7789 Phone
708.848.7763 Fax

Patient Case History: Margaret

Margaret, a 29 year old woman, came to our office with a chief complaint of severe back pain radiating down her left leg, with tingling in the toes of her left foot, lasting four months. She tried chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage with no resolution of her MRI diagnosed herniated disc. Margaret did not know how she herniated her disc, which is not unusual, it is very characteristic of a person with a systemic connective tissue problem. (A defect in connective tissue healing). Margaret was unable to perform any activity, let alone exercise. Even walking, standing, or sitting in the same place for a long period of time caused an increase in her pain. Naproxen, prescribed by her primary physician, was the only thing that gave her some relief. Remember now, Margaret was only 29 years old and was taking Naproxen, Advil, and Tylenol every day. To try and relieve the pain when it was really bad, her doctor also gave her glucocorticosteroids. These medications, including prednisone, are known stimulators of connective tissue breakdown. Margaret needed pain relief on that first visit. She received a complete Prolotherapy treatment to the involved ligaments in her lower back. All anti-inflammatories were discontinued, including the Advil and Naproxen, which have a significant detrimental effect on connective tissue. She was given Ultram, which is a good pain reliever with no anti-inflammatory or anti-healing effects. She was given nutritional supplements to enhance connective tissue growth and help relieve the pain.