Last year, Nancy was in so much pain she could barely get around her house. “The pain started in my spine, then left my back and went to my shoulders, hands, hips, and knees. I had to go up and down the stairs one step at a time.” Nancy’s pain was keeping her from her day-to-day tasks, and she knew she had to do something about it.
“I originally started seeing a chiropractor in hopes it would help since a lot of the pain was in my back,” explains Nancy, “but it just wasn’t getting any better, so I decided to go to my general practitioner. Knowing my health history (this wasn’t my first time dealing with back pain), she recommended I see a rheumatologist, expecting it was something autoimmune. After running some tests, the rheumatologist told me it was inflammatory arthritis.”
When Nancy asked what caused it, her doctor replied, “We don’t really know.” With no known cause, her doctor’s recommendation was to go on an immunosuppressant called Methotrexate.
“When I was talking to my doctor about Methotrexate, she told me I’d need to get bloodwork done monthly to check the health of my liver. I really didn’t want to do that! I didn’t want to be taking something that would be so hard on my body,” says Nancy. “I asked if she thought diet and exercise could help … but she just said that there is no medical proof that it would.”
Nancy, who is strong in perseverance (which she admits can turn to “stubbornness” at times), took this as a challenge. “That made me determined to do it!” she said. And she set out to find a more natural way to approach her pain.
Finding a Better Way to Relieve Pain
Luckily, Nancy had several friends who had been to Valeo and encouraged her to check it out. “Even though most of my friends who had been to Valeo had been seen for digestive issues, I still decided I should give it a try. I went in to see Dr. Rob, and he gave me hope! He told me that he thought that the pain would improve with some modifications to diet, some supplements, and some FCT protocols.” (FCT is short for field control therapy, one of the care procedures we use in functional medicine.)
Although Nancy was hopeful, she wasn’t without skepticism.
“Dr. Rob’s approach was so different than what I was used to with the muscle testing. To me, it felt weird. But, while he was muscle testing me, he would find and say things that made complete sense! And I had been to another chiropractor who talked about how we were electric beings, so I did understand that there is an energy component to us. But … it still was so weird to me,” admits Nancy. “Then again, I was in so much pain I knew I just needed to trust it.”
Nancy’s first FCT protocol with Dr. Rob was toward the end of September 2020. “It took a little while (2+ months) of an anti-inflammatory diet, supplements, and remedies before I started seeing improvement … but I persevered and then something changed!” exclaims Nancy. “I started to improve. It was actually my daughter who first noticed how quickly I started improving. She said to me, ‘Mom! You’re keeping up with me!’”
Integrating Care for Continued Healing
We’d love to say that Nancy’s healing journey was that quick and she was completely better in just two months! But, as it is for most cases, Nancy’s progress continued over several more months.
“My back pain and arthritis had caused other issues that I had to address. Because I had been so immobilized from pain, I had developed adhesions in my muscles,” Nancy shares. “So, I started doing massage with Michelle in addition to my care with Dr. Rob.”
Michelle has been on the Valeo team for many years, but in the last few years has added several techniques to her massages.
“If I were to describe my experience with Michelle, I’d say it was ‘different.’ I was used to typical massages (where there is massage oil, soothing music, everything is very relaxing, etc). But it turns out, if you really want to break up adhesions, that’s not the massage approach that does it!”
Nancy experienced several techniques with Michelle and saw amazing progress, often within a single visit. Nancy shares, “The very first time I saw her, before the session I had to rock back and forth in my chair to get from sitting to standing and after that session, I was able to stand up right away!”
One of the techniques that Nancy really enjoyed was the use of the Bongers Massage Tool. Yes, the name is a little silly, but they can provide some seriously good benefits!
“The Bonger has helped a lot with mobility,” says Nancy. “We did some range of motion testing before and after using it to see what kind of difference it made. Before, I tried crossing my ankle over my other leg to see how far I could get it above my knee. I couldn’t! But by the end of the appointment, I could go about six inches above my knee!”
Nancy said that the Bonger provides a pleasant sensation, too. “It’s gentle, yet effective. I liked it! One time she did my whole back side from my shoulders to my feet, and it was great.”
Valeo Provides a Healing Atmosphere
“The biggest thing about Valeo,” she shares, “is that, sometimes I walk in feeling discouraged, but I always leave feeling hopeful! I leave recognizing that I have come so far. The attitude and prayers from practitioners and the staff … the encouragement … it’s been huge! Everyone is super friendly and calm, and it just rubs off on you,” she adds.
Like many other patients, Nancy knew that Valeo is a Christ-centered clinic. “Just knowing the faith aspect was huge for me,” she says. “Even though I started out a little skeptical, my husband and I talked and knew that this was an investment we had to make in my health. I was so curious to see if this could work … and I’m so glad it has! Knowing where I was when I started versus where I am now … it keeps me going!”
It has now been about six months since Nancy started care at Valeo. “I’m not pain free, but I’m pretty close,” she exclaims, adding, “I am back to doing things I couldn’t do before, like crossing my legs, carrying the laundry, and even getting to play and take care of my four granddaughters. Both my energy and my mobility have improved so I can engage with them. They are my motivation to keep going.”
Nancy is continuing her care with Dr. Rob and Michelle, and we can’t wait to see where her perseverance and care leads her!
