Robert, a 47-year-old executive, presented to my office complaining of pain in the foot and an inability to run/jog. An examination by his medical doctor, aided by an MRI, revealed a torn ligament in his foot and ankle. Or did it? After consulting with Robert, I learned that the MRI didn’t actually reveal a torn ligament. Rather, the doctor concluded that despite no evidence of a tear, he must have one due to his pain and inability to run. On the advice of a friend (and a patient of mine), Robert came to see me for a second opinion and treatment. Examination revealed no evidence of a tear, but did reveal significant joint stiffness throughout his ankle and foot joints. Laser Therapy to heal any sprains/strains combined with manual joint mobilization and manipulation of his ankle and foot seems to have done the trick. Robert managed to walk the golf course that week without pain, and has begun running again.
Did You Know?
Not all diagnoses can be made with an x-ray or an MRI. Images, such as these, are snapshots of the body. When there is something to see, these images will often see it. But, many of our aches and pains are invisible to an image. This is because so many of our injuries are mechanical dysfunctions; Nothing is torn or broken; It just isn’t moving the way it should. Manual therapy (chiropractic, osteopathy, massage therapy, physiotherapy) is here for these problems. Try it! You never know how much better you can be until you feel how much better you can actually be!