Greg saw 10 doctors and had spinal fusion, but his pain persisted. The real cause was never touched—until he found ARM.
It is terrifying to see 10 different doctors and therapists, undergo a major surgery like an L3-S1 spinal fusion, and still have the same chronic pain.
Reference: This story was originally shared by our colleagues at Barefoot Rehab. View the original case study on Instagram.
This was Greg's reality. He was losing hope. Working on pools in Dallas, he couldn't walk for more than a few minutes without his foot going numb. Like so many patients I see here in Boise, he was terrified he'd have to go on disability.
The "It's All in Your Head" Diagnosis
After his fusion surgery didn't fix the numbness, his orthopedic surgeon took another MRI and said, "Your spine is fine. It's all in your head."
His physical therapist then diagnosed him with SI joint pain. But there was a major problem with that diagnosis: It is anatomically impossible for an SI joint problem to cause foot tingling.
Greg's intuition told him something was missing. He found videos about nerve entrapment and adhesion online, and he knew: "This is what I need."
The Real Cause: Peripheral Nerve Adhesion
At his exam with our colleagues at Barefoot Rehab, they didn't just look at his spine. They found severe adhesions (glue-like scar tissue) trapping his sciatic, tibial, peroneal, and plantar nerves.
Why Surgery Didn't Work
Greg's surgery fused his spine, but it didn't address the peripheral nerves running down his leg.
Imagine a garden hose (the nerve) that is kinked in three different places. Surgery un-kinked the hose at the faucet (the spine), but left the kinks at the hip, knee, and ankle. The water (nerve signal) still couldn't flow.
Furthermore, because his L3-S1 segments were fused, his L2-L3 segment was taking a beating—a common side effect called "adjacent segment disease."
The Results: 80% Relief in 3 Weeks
Once the real problem—nerve adhesion—was identified, the treatment was straightforward. By removing the adhesion from the peripheral nerves:
- 2nd Visit: 30% relief already felt.
- 3 Weeks Later:
- 70% relief in his left foot
- 80% relief in his right foot
- 100% relief in both glutes
"Adhesion is the most common cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain in 30-60 year olds, yet most doctors don't even know it exists."
Are You Like Greg?
If you have had back surgery but still have leg pain, or if you've been told your pain is "in your head" because your MRI looks "fine," you likely have peripheral nerve adhesions.
You don't have to fly to New Jersey like Greg did. We offer this exact same specialized Adhesion Release Method (ARM) right here in Boise.