Name of condition: Tennis elbow
Symptoms: Pain in elbows
Location of pain: Elbows
Duration: Since January, 2002, after a busy weekend of skiing and playing shinny hockey, which I had never played before.
Severity: Increasing in severity over the following three weeks to the point where I could hardly lift my coffee cup, let alone do any of the chores around the house or any strength training during my aerobics classes.
Describe previous treatment and results: Physiotherapy, massage, and chiropractic at a different clinic.
Indicate which drugs and/or medication you were taking, if any:
What led to your decision to try chiropractic? After about a month and a half with no reprieve (massage therapy offered about 24 hours of relief), a friend recommended I see Dr. Rodwin.
Had you been to a doctor of chiropractic previously? Yes.
Did you have any doubts that chiropractic would help you?
What were your first impressions of chiropractic, this office and doctor? Dr. Rodwin was very thorough in her assessment of my injury and suggested ART. Though I had heard of ART before, I didn’t really know much about it. She discussed the treatment with me and provided literature to inform me about what to expect. She encouraged me to continue seeing my chiropractor and to keep him informed about the treatments I was receiving from her.
What recommendations were made by Dr. Rodwin? ART.
Describe your results, including your time involved with the treatments: Initially, I found the treatments somewhat uncomfortable, and I did experience some tenderness afterward, but Dr. Rodwin was always careful not to give me more than I could tolerate. But, the good news was that within weeks of beginning the treatments, my elbow pain started to go away. Before I knew it, my coffee cup was not a painful lift, household chores were not a problem, and I began to resume strength training in my fitness classes.
This new freedom of movement in my arms and shoulders was really impressive, so I asked Dr. Rodwin to treat my lower body as well. For several years, though I am quite physically active, I have suffered from muscle pain and muscle spasms that were actually extraordinary for a person at my fitness level. I had complained to my doctors many times about it, but to no avail. My potassium levels were normal and no one could figure it out. It was becoming impossible to stretch many of my muscles because of tightness and/or cramping. Not being able to stretch made the muscles even tighter, which was causing more pain in my back and other joints as well. I would experience unusual stiffness and soreness after even light workouts. I was afraid that I had some serious illness.
The ART treatments in the lower body were also somewhat uncomfortable in the beginning, and this time I experienced some bruising, which Dr. Rodwin had mentioned was a possibility. She was always accommodating when the bruises were too sore for a treatment. But the pay-off was huge!
As I gradually resumed my activities, I began to feel as though I had been given a new body! I had not had a good run in five years because my left leg had ached with every step, to the point of my foot dropping and causing me to trip. The pain and foot drop have disappeared! I actually look forward to my runs now, where I was about to give running up completely. I can get out of bed in the morning almost pain free! I can do a fitness class without pain, cramps, or stiffness in my muscles. I can stretch, ride my bike, power walk, and play tennis without the incredible and frustrating fatigue in my muscles. I had almost given up some of these activities because they weren’t fun anymore. Now, I’m back and feeling great! Dr. Rodwin has encouraged me to return to these activities at a sensible pace, and gave me ideas about how to reintegrate myself back into them safely and easily.
