(uneven footsteps)
- So about three years ago, I was running for the bus.
Yeah, it's approximately three years ago now.
I was running for the bus, and I felt a pop in my leg,
almost like a (imitates popping sound),
a little pop in my leg.
I felt a burning sensation in my thigh,
on the right side, my right thigh.
A burning sensation and a tingling.
And the tingling actually went up through my lower back,
into my upper back, all on the right side.
Later on that night, I specifically remember,
when I went home, that it was still burning and tingling,
and it was like that for maybe about a week, two weeks.
And then it subsided, I didn't really go get it checked out,
I just thought I can heal naturally.
The burning went away, but the tingling actually stayed.
It lingered for quite a while,
maybe a month or so, like that.
That kinda went away,
and then I noticed my leg was weak, and heavy,
and my knee kinda buckled under me,
and then I developed a foot drop,
when my foot would bang against the pavement.
I still have that to the day.
Now, the tingling kinda went away,
but then it has come back with a vengeance,
and I find that I have a crick in my neck now,
and it spasms, and then I feel it tingling as well.
- Okay, so, here's the deal with your case.
This is what normal's supposed to look like,
and we see that is straight.
And I think you and I can both agree,
that's not exactly straight.
This is the right side,
so, in essence, what your spine is doing,
curving this way, curving that way,
curving this way, curving that way.
So, I wouldn't be surprised if it helps explain
why you feel all that tingling coming from that,
starting from the fourth lumbar, all straight up.
So, what's it all doing with that in the first place?
Well, there's a structural abnormality I detected,
right here, at this fourth lumbar over here.
Now, on this one over here, it's slightly fractured.
It's what we call a spondylolisthesis.
Or more correctly put, Grade I spondylolisthesis,
meaning, very minor.
It moved, shifted forward, very, very slight.
On this MRI over here,
this one confirms what our suspicion is.
This is the fourth lumbar over here.
It shifted forward.
It's very, very slight.
But it is a Grade I spondylolisthesis,
because it's slightly fractured.
There is a strategy to help you with this.
Now, I can't fix the fracture itself.
That ship has sailed.
What we can do instead, is this.
It's not too different from this situation over here.
If we say, this is the fourth lumbar, it shifted forward.
But I'm gonna show you
what more severe instability looks like.
If it's really heavily unstable, it's gonna be like this.
If I didn't support it, like your back muscles,
it it wasn't there, it would just simply
(sharp thud) fall off the table.
In essence, to prevent it from falling off,
that's why it's a two-part strategy.
Number one, you are gonna be doing core exercises,
so the muscles will hold this in place,
and even though your body moves around,
rotates, leaning forward, bend over, pulling back,
this fellow is staying put.
Of course, it's within limits, of course.
Now, because it's like a slight Grade I,
it's sorta like this, but it's still not 100% stable.
I'd rather prefer this fellow
completely and firmly upon the foundation itself.
We don't have that, it's just slightly out.
But apparently this is enough to cause some instability.
This angle's only considering going up and down.
We are not concerned with rotation.
In your aspect, what I think is,
we have a rotational component.
Strengthening your muscles will help somewhat,
but not completely.
So, what we do, is this.
I'm gonna take a closer look at this fifth lumbar,
and your foundation, see, one of these,
but most likely that fifth lumbar,
see if we could correct that fellow.
In essence, what we're doing is,
since we can't move this bone itself, we're gonna,
it's like pulling a table, moving it forward,
to fill up this gap.
I can't move it completely, 'cause again, it's fractured,
but even a couple of millimeters, or even half an inch,
can do quite a bit of wonders
of stability for a spine there.
So that's gonna be the strategy to help you out,
to help answer why you have all this tingling going upwards,
the tingling and the pain you got in your right thigh,
and also that foot drop you've been experiencing
on your right foot.
See how chronic and old this fellow is?
It's a very small little reading, right there.
See, this is what we are looking for.
You see all that swelling right here?
It's not that swelling on the left side,
but look at this bulge.
So, look at the swelling right over here,
it's chronic, and it's old.
We got also a lot of muscle spasm and tightness
on the right side, versus the left,
so we're gonna take a much more closer look,
see what's going on in that area.
Tender right there?
- [Patient] Yeah.
- [Chiropractor] This one, not too bad?
- [Patient] Not too bad.
- [Chiropractor] Yeah, that's your fourth lumbar.
This is your fifth.
Tender right there? - Yeah.
- [Chiropractor] So, I'm gonna move this one over here,
that fifth lumbar.
Got it, all right.
Relax just right there.
That's it, relax just a little more.
A bit more.
Left shoulder, relax the shoulder, right?
(examination table creeks)
There we go.
- [Patient] I feel like I have more control over my foot.
- [Chiropractor] Yeah, I'm not hearing that foot drop.
I don't hear your foot slapping the floor.
- [Patient] No, not as much, no.
It doesn't feel like I'm dragging any,
like, I can pick it up.
- So, fill me in, what's different?
- I feel like I have more control over my foot.
It's not flapping and hitting the ground as much.
And I also don't feel the tingling up and down,
like I was feeling before.
- Nice.
(patient laughs)
What about your, you were mentioning something about here,
that tingling?
- Yeah,
from my lower back up, I don't really feel it.
I don't feel it.
It's like I have better, more control over my foot, wow!
- [Chiropractor] Ain't that something?
(patient laughs)
How do you like that, huh?
Look at you!
- [Patient] I couldn't even get on my toes before.
(chiropractor laughs)
What, you couldn't even go on your toes?
- No! - Couldn't even tippy-toe?
Well, you didn't tell me that before.
- Oh, I should've mentioned that then.
- [Chiropractor] Well, that was a nifty little
tip right there.
Oh, look at you.
You'll start doing ballet now?
(patient laughs) And do that en pointe?
- [Patient] Slow and easy, slow and easy.
Slow and easy, wow!
Still a little, I guess I'm getting used to it.
- Well, it's been that way for a couple of years,
so it's gonna take some time.
There, I can still see right now,
your right side of your muscles
are still not fully engaged, your postural muscles.
So, give it some time.
Get that rejuvenating again.
In terms of what we mentioned about the core exercises,
yes, you gotta do that, okay?
So, even though your spondylolisthesis is not that severe,
it's still bad enough to introduce
a corking spiral twist towards your spine.
That's what you're feeling,
all that tingly sensation going upwards.
So, do some core exercises here.
This is your wake-up call, get on the ball.
- Yeah, you can-- - Exactly!
Hey, you know, I'm trying myself, too.
- [Patient] I'm a little flabby.
- Yup, so do some core exercises, structure it up.
And I hope, even more, to stabilize your structure.
Got it? - Yes, sir.
- All right, we're all set.
- [Patient] Thank you.
- Aw, you're very welcome.
- [Patient] Thank you.