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Herniated Lumbar Discs
Running and the Road to Recovery
Eric Hinkle runs a marathon after a back injuryBy Ellie White-Stevens
 Recovering from two herniated lumbar discs and a bulging disc, Eric Hinkle and his wife Angie with their two little girls and both grandmas just got back from a vacation at Walt Disney World. While they were there, Eric and Angie both ran the Disney Marathon. Angie ran it in 3 hours, 30 minutes, Eric in 4 hours, 43 minutes. This fell just a little short of Eric's goal of 4 hours 30 minutes. But it was still a triumph.
Several months ago, Eric could barely stand up straight, nonetheless run due to the herniated lumbar discs and a bulging disc.
Last Fall, Eric Hinkle was running 23-24 miles each week, preparing for the February Marathon and several other earlier distance runs.
Raised in Fayette County, Eric lives in Tyrone. So it wasn't unusual to play golf at Flat Creek with his father-in-law, a sport Eric has enjoyed since age 13. "I played four holes, bent over to pick up my golf ball, and felt a sharp pain in my back. " This was September 25.
"I could hardly move, could hardly stand up. With the help of my father-in-law I got back in my car and drove home. I iced my back the rest of the day and wound up with frostbite. It was purple and black and the skin pealed off. "
Eric Hinkle knew who to call that afternoon. He had met Dr. John N. Thomas, D.C. through a local school race event and through a men's church Bible study that they both attend. Dr. Thomas met with Eric the very next day and sent him for an immediate MRI.
Frostbite was the least of his problems. When he got his results at Dr. Thomas office, he found out he had two herniated lumbar discs and another bulging disc. "When she heard the bad news, my wife cried a bit. With her being a physical therapist, she knew what I was facing, " said Eric. And they had already booked a trip to the Disney Marathon.
Dr. Thomas told Eric not to get off the couch--but Eric had lots of obligations. He and Angie were slotted to run in a charity race for Promise Place that evening. Eric not only didn't run, he had trouble standing to watch his wife.
As a CPA who runs his own company, EAH CPA, October 15 and a quarterly tax deadline was fast approaching. So he had a lot of work to do.
What else did he miss out on? "I had to give up my college football tickets. " Additionally, his toddler didn't understand why he couldn't pick her up. "My two and a half year old was used to me holding her all the time. I couldn't pick her up or hold her with the herniated lumbar discs. She kept telling me she was going to put a beautiful bandaid on my back to make it feel better. "
What actually did make it feel better was a series of IDD Therapy® treatments at Dr. Thomas' Allied Healthcare office. While Dr. Thomas is known as The Running Doctor, and works with a lot of athletes and runners like Eric on sports injuries, his office, Allied Healthcare, is also known for its effective, nonsurgical treatment of herniated, bulging and degenerated discs, sciatica, and low back pain with IDD. This noninvasive medical procedure has a proven 86% success rate.
Within two days of the injury, Dr. Thomas made special appointments for Eric on Saturday and Sunday in order to kickstart his recovery.
At Allied Healthcare, Dr. Thomas' comprehensive method includes hot packs, ultrasound therapy, electrical stimulus, physical therapy exercises, and the Accu-SPINA™ with IDD Therapy® followed by icing.
Eric remembers that he had some trepidation in getting on the IDD machine. Although he didn't have to try and lie down on it, since you stand to get on, even that was uncomfortable for him. The treatment itself was not painful for him.
Getting off his couch was another matter. "It hurt to stand up or sit down. I had to roll off the couch on to my knees before I could stand up. It was a slow roll, " said Eric.
"By the end of the first week, I started having pain relief and it wasn't nearly as difficult to get on and off the machine. At the end of two weeks I was going Monday through Friday, " said Eric.
According to Dr. Thomas, not everyone has such an aggressive treatment schedule with herniated lumbar discs, but Eric had shared his goal of running the marathon. Dr. Thomas was determined to help. "We accelerated his treatments. We tailor-made his protocol to fit his need to be able to compete on the in the marathon in the short time we had, " said Dr. Thomas.
As a marathon runner, himself, Dr. Thomas knew that Eric needed to be able to train in advance of the race, as well.
Why would someone as relatively healthy as Eric even have a problem like this? While we can't know for sure, Dr. Thomas said it was likely an accumulation of effects. "Eric just bent down and picked up a little golf ball. He sits all day as an accountant. Faulty ergonomic settings make the body weaker, breaking it down. Repetitive stress takes its toll. It can cause degenerative disc disease. It can cause annular tears and bulging discs. When Eric came into the office he needed assistance walking. "
According to Dr. Thomas, IDD is a proven medically advanced, non-surgical solution for lower back pain. "This is one of the most sophisticated approaches I have found to safely, comfortably and nonsurgically treat the cause of back pain due to conditions like bulging and herniated discs, sciatica, post-surgical failures and degenerative arthritis. " said Dr. Thomas. "The reported results are impressive and show that 86% of this group of people may be given relief of their pain; requiring less medication (and therefore less side effects), and permitting them to enjoy normal life activities again. "
After treating the first herniated disc, Eric immediately started on the second. "After the fifth time on this new level, I had little, if any, pain, " said Eric. Turning over in his sleep was also easier.
For six weeks Eric had done no running. Dr. Thomas suggested that he get back on the elliptical. Then he suggested that Eric jog a mile. "The following week I ran 3 miles, then 7 miles. " Twelve days after he started running again, he ran 12 miles. A few days later Eric ran a half marathon on Thanksgiving, a few minutes shy of his usual time.
"Dr. Thomas was very attentive to treatment and adjusting my visits to do more core muscle work after my long runs. The physical therapists he had were excellent. "
"He was very able to help me with the muscle stripping. I experienced tightness and cramping in my calves, quads and left shin. After the muscle stripping I was able to run without pain or injury later, " said Eric.
With no pain from the herniated lumbar discs, Eric and his family went to Disney World. No frostbite there. Other than finishing his first marathon, he was able to carry his two year old around the park.
Click to see the article Running and the Road to Recovery in the Citizen Newspaper
- Ellie White-Stevens is the Sales and Marketing Director for Allied Healthcare Clinics.
Learn more about the treatment options for herniated lumbar discs with IDD Therapy®
Read the studies and reports at IDD Therapy® Research
Clinic Location
770-460-1911
170 Bastille Way, Suite A, Fayetteville, GA 30214
Areas We Serve for Dr. John Thomas' Allied Healthcare Clinics Back Pain Relief: Fayette County, GA: Fayetteville 30214 30215 30232 Inman 30232 Peachtree City 30269 Tyrone 30290 Woolsey 30214 Brooks 30205.
Clayton County, GA: Church Street 30296 Conley 30288 Ellenwood 30294 Forest Park 30297 30298 Fort Gillem 30297 Jonesboro 30236 30237 30238 Lake City 30260 Lovejoy 30250 Morrow 30260 30287 Rex 30273 Riverdale 30274 30296.
Henry County, GA: Hampton 30228 Locust Grove 30248 McDonough 30252 30253 Stockbridge 30281.
Coweta County, GA: Grantville 30220 Haralson 30229 Moreland 30259 Newnan 30263 30264 30265 30271 Raymond 30263 Sargent 30275 Senoia 30276 Sharpsburg 30277 Shenandoah 30265 Turin 30289.
Fulton County, GA
Dr Thomas of Allied Healthcare Clinics in Fayetteville, GA provides back pain relief, Accu Spina IDD Therapy / Spinal Decompression, Chiropractic Care, Sports Massage and Muscle Stripping, Full Body Detoxification Program, School Physicals and Scoliosis Screenings, Foot Exams and Custom Orthotics, and Physical Therapy, Car Accident, whiplash, and collision. |
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Dr. John Thomas, D.C. has helped thousands of patients get fast and effective relief from sports and personal injuries without the use of drugs or surgery. His clinic specializes in IDD Therapy® and sports injury.
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