Case Studies | Sciatic Pain
We asked The Pain People clients to tell their story and explain how registering with our network changed their lives. We're delighted how much of a difference we've made by providing an easy to use service that connects them with the perfect specialist via their own private dashboard.
Chris Apps | "Two months after the final session, I am still pain free..."
I am a self employed bathroom fitter/builder living in Slinfold near Horsham. In 2011 I hurt my back doing a menial task at work and the pain developed to the extent that I was bed ridden for a long period and off work for 4 weeks. The pain was extreme in the lower right back and I also had pain in my right buttock and also shooting pains down my right leg. I saw my physio and did various exercises and had manipulations but whilst there was some very short term pain relief, the pain actually worsened in time. I also saw my GP and there was a discussion that I have back surgery. Both my GP and myself were against this and he recommended that I just try and rest it. The pain was at a very high level and I was made aware of Keith Atkinson and the Stimpod treatment. He talked me through the treatment and after the first session I felt an immediate improvement although the pain was still evident and particularly in the mornings when I got up. My second session was a week later and whilst I had an immediate improvement in pain and flexibility, that night the pain returned again. However the following morning the relief was complete. I had no pain whatsoever! That lasted throughout the week and by the time I had my final session my pain level was at a very low level and I had just had some stiffness. After the third session, the sciatic pain had completely gone and I had full mobility. Throughout these 3 weeks and the 3 sessions, I had been able to get back to work, enjoy my golf and enjoy life which had been impossible before. Now, 2 months after the final session, I am still pain free. I still get the occasional bad day when some pain and stiffness returns, but I think this is natural for the type of work I do and soon wears off. I am truly grateful for what Keith and the Stimpod treatment did for me.
Phil Gardener | "To be relieved of sciatic pain has changed my life..."
I am 65 years old and started suffering from sciatica just over 8 months ago with searing pain into my buttock and going down my leg and ending up around the ankle. In my youth I used to race motorcycles and have had numerous scrapes and broken bones but in terms of pain, this was far worse than anything I have experienced before. The pain was very severe and debilitating resulting in me not being able to do simple things like getting up from the floor or walking down stairs. I was not able to drive for any length of distance and it got to the stage where I thought I would have to give up my job and try something else. I had been to chiropractors and other rehab specialists but without joy. Previously I had had great success with a chiropractor for my shoulder but we couldn’t seem to shift this pain. I read the article in AAH about Keith Atkinson and his treatment. I was somewhat sceptical but with the pain levels as they were, was prepared to try anything. Keith explained the treatment to me and where he would work on the nerve pathways. I found his manner straightforward and honest. The stimpod treatment results in a pulsing current going down the leg and whilst it is a highly unusual feeling, I can’t say it was particularly painful, just very strange. After the first treatment the effect was fantastic. The pain had gone completely! Keith reminded me that the pain might return after a period of time and booked me in for a second appointment. I have now had 2 treatments in 2 weeks and I can honestly say the difference is like night and day. From being in a situation where pain was ruling my life I’m now back at work and have the confidence of allowing my back to take some strain. To be relieved of sciatic pain has changed my life and I can recommend Keith’s treatment unreservedly.
Phil had classic sciatic pain. Pain running down the leg from the one buttock, into the hamstring and down below the knee to the ankle. The treatment involved using the stimpod to break the pain cycle at points down the sciatic and common peroneal nerve pathways. Phil was also given a couple of very simple decompression stretches to try and widen the spinal channel. I’m very pleased to see Phil pain free after just 2 treatments.
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Karen Tether | "The difference is night and day..."
I am so pleased to say that in only five treatments, five years of chronic sciatic pain and muscular problems have dramatically improved to the point that my day to day life is almost back to normal. Keith is the only person to really get to the root of my somewhat complex problems; recognising that my ITB (illiotibial band) was almost seized and rigid to the extent it was putting real stress on my hip. This had become extremely painful and inhibited walking even fairly short distances. I’m not totally out of the woods, but the difference is night and day! I have also had relief from TMJ problems after only one treatment. I have had jaw pain since a tooth extraction a year ago, and it is now it is very much better. I wholeheartedly recommend Keith not only for this excellent treatment but also for his calm reassuring manner and extensive knowledge.
Karen had a combination of factors affecting her. Her buttock pain was felt initially to be exclusively a sciatic nerve but clearly her hip was also causing trouble with pain down her femoral and lateral cutaneous nerves in the thigh. Her illiotibial band muscle running down the side of her leg had also become unusually tight. This neuromuscular scenario required both stimulation using the stimpod as well as massage to relax the ITB. In combination, Karen quickly enjoyed rapid relief and was able to walk normally again without the severe pain levels of the past. Her TMJ pain in the jaw required just one treatment with the stimpod in the pain area for the long standing pain cycle in the area to subside.
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Judy Whittaker | "My pain was eradicated in just 2 sessions..."
I started having pain in my hip in July 2015, being 74 I thought perhaps I might eventually have to hip replacement. In August whilst on holiday in Cornwall I was woken with excruciating pain down my leg from the hip to the ankle. My ankle felt like it had a vice around it and painkillers did nothing to help. Fortunately I was able to see a local GP who after examination confirmed that I had a trapped sciatic nerve and prescribed Naproxen and Co-codamol. After my holiday still experiencing agonizing pain at night and not sleeping I saw my own GP. He prescribed Amitriptyline and Co-codamol and suggested I see a Physiotherapist but there was a wait for an appointment. A friend then recommended her Chiropractor who x-rayed my back, thankfully confirmed there was nothing sinister and agreed with the trapped nerve diagnosis. However, after 12 sessions working on my back I still had no relief from the leg pain at night and couldn’t sleep. I returned to my GP in desperation and he told me to stop the Chiropractic treatment and referred me to a pain clinic but there was a long waiting list! While waiting for this appointment to come through my daughter read an article in the AAH magazine about a young woman who had experienced exactly the same pain as I was having and had been taking the same drugs. She had been recommended to see Keith Atkinson at Horsham Nerve Clinic. After the first treatment she felt less pain and after 2 more treatments she was able to lead a pain free life. On reading this article myself I immediately made an appointment to see Keith. Within a few hours of my first appointment my pain was reduced and two days later I was pain free although my back still felt a little stiff and sore. During my second appointment with Keith he concentrated on my back and the relief was noticeable almost immediately. 2 days after my second appointment I felt normal again. After 11 weeks of awful pain and horrible strong drugs Keith had put me right and eradicated my pain in just 2 sessions. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
The big advantage to external neuromodulation is that the treatment can give a very immediate effect and treatment programs on average are about 3 sessions. On occasions there can be more but often, as in the case of Judy a client can be pain free even after just 2 sessions. Whilst Judy initially thought she may have a hip problem, the symptoms were very clearly a typical sciatic issue with pain travelling down the nerve from the buttock to the ankle. It was pleasing to see how the treatment removed her pain and settled everything into place very quickly. In the case of Judy, she remains pain free 6 years after treatment. If the nerve sits happily within the spinal space without been entrapped or inflamed then the person will remain pain free.
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Gina Maidment | "Now I’m completely pain free..."
I had been in terrible leg pain both down the hamstring and also in the groin and the front thigh for 8 months and was simply going nowhere. Working with my GP I was given strong medication like naproxen and tramadol but nothing was able to shift it. Going through the NHS system I was eventually able to get an MRI scan which confirmed I had a prolapsed disc which was the cause of the awful nerve pain. However to find a solution was not easy. I was dead against an operation as I was told that the risks were high and if it went wrong I could end up in a wheelchair. I was just not prepared to take that chance. I work as support worker in a care home and one day a colleague came in and told me how she had visited Keith Atkinson at his clinic and had achieved amazing results for her sciatic pain. We sat down together over our tea break and she told me about it in more detail and I explored it further on the clinic website. I was struck by the fact that some leading hospitals were doing the treatment and it was safe and non-invasive. I felt I had nothing to lose so booked an appointment with Keith. He explained the treatment and the nerve systems that were giving me the pain. I was amazed through all the treatments I had that no-one had mentioned these nerves before. I liked his calm manner and honest approach. He didn’t promise the world but gave me confidence that at last we might be on the right track. After the first treatment it felt a lot better but the pain returned and I needed a follow up appointment after about 4 days. After this treatment the relief was dramatic. All the terrible shooting pains down the leg and in the groin were gone. I still had some back pain but in follow up sessions these all disappeared as well. I look back at that time when I was in so much pain and still don’t understand how I managed to keep going at work. Now I’m completely pain free and don’t take any medications and am thoroughly enjoying life again. I can’t recommend Keith’s clinic highly enough for anyone with this sort of nerve pain.
Gina’s prolapse disc is certainly the likely cause of the pain down the sciatic nerve as well as her pain in the groin which would be due to the entrapment of the femoral and lateral cutaneous nerves. All these nerves feed into the spine from L2 to L5 and were the likely cause of the debilitating pain. Using external neuromodulation I sent pulsing current onto all 3 nerve pathways and that resulted in reduced nerve inflammation. In addition Gina followed a small set of exercises to widen the nerve channel in the spine and to strengthen her core. After just a few treatments the pain was eliminated completely.
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Fran Chamberlain | "I've been given my life back..."
I started suffering from sciatic pain in February 2022 with searing pain going down my leg and ending up around the ankle. I was struggling to sleep at night often pacing the living room or bent over rocking myself to try and ease the pain. The pain was indescribable, worse than giving birth to my two children! It was debilitating resulting in me not being able to do simple things like getting in and out of bed, standing for long periods, driving the car and playing with my young grandchildren. I dreaded the morning and evenings as this was when the pain was at its worse. I was having to use a walking stick to help me get around the house. I became housebound. I went to see my doctor to try and alleviate the pain and was prescribed a cocktail of drugs including Tramadol, Naproxen, paracetamol, and Pregabalin. I was originally only taking 1 tablet a day for my thyroid complaint to then taking 12/18 pills a day. In March 2022 I ended up in hospital due to the amount of drugs I was taking and the pain was so severe. I underwent MRI & CT scans, and X-rays and it was discovered I had a trapped nerve due to a bulging disc in my lower back. I was told the bulging disc did not warrant an operation and pain management was the only option and was sent home with a bag of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). I was so concerned about the number of drugs I was taking I researched into the long-term side effects of taking all these drugs. These ranged from confusion, headache, ringing in the ears, changes in vision, tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation and loss of strength or weakness. My concern was I was still in pain and becoming addicted to them. I was desperate for help and in excruciating pain, I researched into alternative medicine and contacted Meadows Wellbeing and met a therapist who treated me with Acupuncture. After three treatments she recommended me to Keith Atkinson as she had other patients who had gained success. She said it was a more in-depth nerve treatment called external neuromodulation. It is a form of electrotherapy that provides relief from chronic neuropathic pain. The treatment involves a pulsing current, it’s a bizarre feeling but not particularly painful, and a lot of leg and foot twitching! Keith’s manner is honest and open. My pain was starting to rule my life and after two treatments I was no longer using a walking stick and by the third treatment I was driving again. With Keith’s treatment, he has given me my life back. To be relieved of sciatic pain has transformed my life. I highly recommend Keith’s treatment unreservedly. I am only taking only my thyroid tablets now and even my local pharmacy commented on my transformation and I have provided Keith’s details which they have passed on to some of their customers. I cannot recommend Keith enough not only for this exceptional treatment but also for his relaxed and reassuring manner and extensive knowledge.
I can still remember the first time I met Fran as she was in a terrible state. She couldn’t sit or stand and was pacing around the practice room in severe pain. The symptoms were classic sciatic pain and I had the benefit of her MRI scan which showed a nerve impingement due to a bulging disc at L4/5. This pain referred all the way down the left buttock to her toes which is the most severe form of sciatica. In addition, the L4/5 disc was pinching the femoral nerve causing pain in her left groin. Using external neuromodulation (pulsed radio frequency) I treated both the sciatic and femoral nerve pathways and was so pleased that her condition immediately improved and she was essentially pain free after 3 treatments. I was also impressed that she was able to wean herself off the range of painkiller medications so effectively.
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