INJURY HISTORY:
M.R.I. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IMPRESSIONS:
1. L5/S1 - Mild bilateral neural foraminal exit zone compromise without spinal stenosis.
2. L4/5 - Mild bilateral neural foraminal exit zone compromise and borderline spinal stenosis secondary to a mild midline disc protrusion.
In layman terms, I have been diagnosed with bulging discs at L4/L5 and L5/S1 accompanied by nerve canal impingement.

In 1988, I was disabled from an injury sustained at work as a union boilermaker. The injury occurred about 60 feet off the ground while atop a scaffold which did not have a kick plate in place to prevent objects from falling. I was pulling welding cable across the scaffold when the cable fell over the edge jerking my upper body down to the left side and twisting me backward.

I immediately felt pain in my lower back at the time however; I thought it was just a pulled muscle. After many misdiagnoses and suffering in extreme pain for months, a CAT scan and MRI revealed the bulging discs and nerve impingement. By that time the pain was so severe my friends had to literally carry me from my car into the house.

In response to this diagnosis, surgeons recommended spinal fusion, plastic or Teflon disc replacement, disc shaving, steroids, pain killers, and even 6 months in full traction. It was about this point when I joined a gym with a pool. I initiated my own aqua therapy with simple exercises. I spent about 2 months in the pool before incorporating self-rehabilitation exercises. While seeking a full recovery, I was treated by many surgeons, doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and massage therapists. Some of these treatments increased my existing pain. Even the appointments that were somewhat helpful only relieved my pain for a short time after treatments. Through my self-rehabilitation combined with my extensive personal training career experience,

I now know why all of these medical treatments fall short of curing my low back pain. All of the medical professional’s treatments are missing one or more of my four factors to complete recovery; muscular strengthening, muscular stretching, skeletal manipulation, or sustained blood volume.

Through the years of disability, I continued to exercise. That was the treatment that kept me pain free for the longest. My unique techniques and isolations intrigued many gym members who approached me and asked questions regarding my training. This was the start of my personal training career.

So, ironically, my injury was a blessing in disguise, because it spawned the only career I have ever loved. I have the absolute pleasure of changing people’s lives. One of my clients was a young woman who had such severe back trouble that just having her three year old daughter hug her leg would put her in the hospital with severe back pain. Imagine a young lady not able to have her three-year-old daughter hug her mom. She had to stop her daughter from running to greet her because the jolt caused her back to go out.

After my program, this woman can not only allow her daughter to greet her with a running leg hug but can pick up her daughter for a hug -something she wouldn’t have dreamed of doing before. She was thrilled to “get her life back.” She is just one of many grateful clients who thanked me for doing what doctors had not done for them. I have many other amazing success stories, which enforce my belief that Health is Wealth.