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30 May 2002
Dear Kass, I have just hurt my back!
While standing on unlevel ground, with one leg substantially
lower than the other and while using an electric hedge
clipper, I over-stretched in an effort to reach a small
area of hedge that I had missed while working my way
down-hill along my front fence.
One might reasonably wonder why someone with a chronic
back condition would attempt to clip a hedge while standing
on unlevel ground. I have done it before on several
occasions, and have even hurt myself on a previous occasion,
but have regarded the event as just another result of
the risks one must take if the yard is to be kept tidy
and one is not to become a complete convalescent.
On this occasion however, I had no premonition of the
event nor even considered the risk. Why not? I have
been pain free for over a week. Literally pain free!
Freedom from pain is novel for me.
I was first injured when a Chimbu, a native from the
New Guinea Highlands, drove a fully laden city-bus into
the back of my stationary vehicle in Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea, in February 1973.
I suffered severe whiplash injuries, the force of the
collision being sufficient to break the back of my seat
and deposit me on the back seat of my car. Ever since
then I have struggled to strengthen my back and spent
a fortune on treatment to control the condition and
reduce the chronic pain.
I have been one who long ago decided that I had to
take responsibility for the condition of my back and
have exercised daily for half an hour and walked between
40 and 60 minutes a day to maintain a level of fitness
that controls the pain and allows me to function with
the aid of pain-killers and massage and the occasional
series of visits to the chiropractor.
My exercises have been specifically designed for maintenance
and control of back injuries and pain.
I am sure that they have helped but they have never
eliminated the pain. Nothing has.
I have tried everything from drugs, to physiotherapy,
to chiropractic, to acupuncture, to massage and late
last year was finally contemplating surgery given the
delicate state of my back condition.
I always maintained that I would only countenance surgery
if the alternative was to be confinement to a wheel
chair. However, my condition seemed so bad and I figured
that modern surgical techniques must have improved greatly
since the 1970's that perhaps surgery would be worth
the risk.
I felt that to do nothing would actually put my career
as a pilot at risk. I spend a lot of time sitting down
when I am at work.
However, in April I purchased your "Better Back Program"
and since then I haven't looked back, (no pun intended
but I'll leave it there now that it is written.)
Within three days I commented that I felt it was making
a difference.
At the end of the first week I was convinced that there
was a marked improvement.
Within a fortnight I found that only two areas of chronic
pain remained, compared to the half dozen or so identifiable
areas that had previously existed. I hadn't read the
"Analysis" by Claire Young that you included with the
Program, and said that while I couldn't understand why
the Program worked I was finding that it did.
I was amazed and pleased beyond expression, but never
expected the Program to eradicate pain from my lower
back.
I believed that the Program's arm exercises couldn't
possibly influence the muscle in my left buttock that
had been in constant spasm for over 14 months. None
of the treatments that I have had has eased that pain,
despite the time and expense incurred. It was principally
because of that pain that I was recently contemplating
surgery.
At the end of 3 or 4 weeks on your program the
pain in my left hip, lower back, upper thigh and the
bottom of my foot were all gone!
Only if I missed a session of your exercise could I
sense the onset of pain. I can attest that I have had
to use pain killers only once or twice in the past week
and then only if I awaken in pain in the middle of the
night. Looking back I may have taken them more out of
habit than because of the level of actual pain.
The only complaint that I have about the program is
that I felt so good and so fit that I undertook hedge
clipping without considering the possible consequences!
Don't get me wrong. I am not blaming your Program in
any way. I just undertook a task for which I wasn't
physically ready, despite my otherwise good level of
fitness. The two days of convalescence have enabled
me to spend some time reading and I read the "Analysis"
by Claire Young.
I now have an understanding of how and why the Program
works, even on areas quite remote from the middle of
the back where the exercises seem to be centred. In
future I will perform a session of the program's exercises
before undertaking unusual physical activities that
might cause acute injury. I am grateful and frankly
astounded that the exercises are so effective so please
regard this as it is intended, a letter of thanks and
not one of complaint.
Regards in appreciation,
James Gundrum
Brisbane QLD
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