When Surgery is
Not an Option
Part 1
By Nicholas Liatsos, PT, CSCS, CN
Owner of HealthPro Physical Therapy
www.HealthProPT.net
To all my fellow lower back pain sufferers who have subjected themselves to
needless surgeries, cortisone shots, and therapies that flat out dont work, here is
my non-surgical solution.
In January 12, 2004, I was warming up to squat in the weight room
of my physical therapy clinic in Boston. My lower back was sore from
my squat workout six days before. As I lifted the 135-pound bar, a
severe pain shot down my lower back and legs. I was barely able to
rack the bar before falling to the floor. My colleagues heard my
scream from the next room and thought I was joking around. They
quickly realized my situation was no laughing matter and helped me
to a treatment table.
Having already had 11 surgeries (six of them botched) on my ankles
and left knee, I was no stranger to pain. Little did I know that this
injury would serve as a great teacher. I would soon discover that the
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) Unit I had been trained in
the previous year by Dr. McMakin and her staff would help me avoid
any type of surgery.
While lying on the table, I immediately took action. I took some
proteolytic enzymes to reduce inflammation then had my assistant
set me up on the FSM using the new back injury protocol. I
scheduled an appointment for the next day with Ernie Hackett D.C,
PT, a well-respected practitioner. I had an evaluation from a
neurologist who wrote out a script for an MRI two days later. When I
saw Dr. Hackett, he told me that most of my symptoms were
Sacroiliac (SI) joint related. The neurologist said that it was a lumbar
spine disc injury. It turned out that both doctors were correct and
the MRI came back to me on January 15th with some startling news:
T11-12: Tiny left paracentral disc protrusion.
T12-L1: Annular tear with mild left paracentral disc
protrusion.
L1-2: Tiny left-sided disc protrusion and spur.
L2-3: Moderately prominent posterior disc
protrusion/herniation with moderately severe central
spinal stenosis and minimal neural foraminal stenosis.
L3-4: Mild disc bulge and mild left neural foraminal
stenosis.
L4-5: Moderately large, predominately left L5 neural
impingement and mild bilateral neural foraminal stenosis.
L5-S1: Mild disc protrusion in the central and left
paracentral region.
When Dr. Hackett interpreted my MRI results, he said that it looked
like my back was blasted by a shotgun. He was still optimistic,
though. He reassured me that with proper therapeutic exercises and
a reduction in weightlifting and basketball activities, I could manage
it. The neurologist was not as optimistic and recommended that I
see a neurosurgeon immediately. He also prescribed painkillers,
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and COX-2
inhibitors. However, I felt that the medications would ultimately
impede the healing process and cause cartilage and joint
12
destruction. , I was also aware that approximately 107,000 patients
are hospitalized annually for NSAID related gastrointestinal (GI)
complications and at least 16,500 arthritis patients alone die each
3
year from their use. I decided to forego the medication and relied
on my new best friendthe FSM Unit. I used it every day for four
days, utilizing the protocols for first 48 hours - injury to Back, Neck,
Spine, as well as the full concussion protocol.
Two days after the injury, I started weight training my upper-body,
utilizing short rest intervals to help increase growth hormone
release which promotes the healing of soft tissue. I did another
upper-body workout two days later, utilizing different exercises but
the same work/rest intervals for GH release. Later that day (four
days after the injury), I flew to Colorado for a wedding. I dreaded
flying on an airplane for five hours, sitting was the most painful
position for me.
To my surprise, I had minimal discomfort from the flight and
continued to perform my remedial myofascial stretches, ELDOA
exercises, and other therapeutic exercises. These exercises were
taught to me by noted osteopath, Dr. Guy Voyer. They are extremely
beneficial during the rehab process of any spinal condition. I also
1
Articular cartilage pharmacology: I. In vitro studies on glucosamine and non
steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Pharmacol Res Commun. 1978, Jun; 10
(6): 557-69
2
3
Lancet. 1985, Jul 6; 2(8445): 11-4.
American Journal of Medicine. 1998 July 27; 105 (1B): 31S-38S.
took a couple of long walks in the mountains to try and relax. I was
without the FSM and my progress stalled; however, I did not regress.
My nutritional supplementation was an integral part of the
rehabilitation process.
I flew home Sunday night (one week after my injury), and I
performed another upper-body workout followed by the same FSM
protocols the following day. On Tuesday, I felt good enough to try
my first lower-body workout, which consisted of single leg exercises,
leg curls, 45-degree back raises and sled dragging. On Thursday, I
continued the FSM and then did an individual basketball workout,
consisting of shooting and lay up drills. I had signed up my clinic to
sponsor a basketball team before my back injury, and I was
determined to play the first game the next week. I accomplished this
goal the following week, exactly 16 days after my lower back injury.
Yes, I played full contact, full court basketball with minimal
discomfort. I played the entire season and by the end of it I was
close to being pain-free with only morning stiffness as my major
complaint. Dr. Hackett was surprised at how well I progressed and
the neurologist said it was a miracle.
I dont think it was a miracle; it was the combination of treatments
and therapies that allowed me to play basketball and weight train
again. The FSM had decreased the inflammation from day one, and
it helped me recover faster than anything I have ever experienced as
a therapist and patient. Every time, I stood up after applying the
FSM protocol, I had improved range of motion, strength, and
decreased pain. I wish I owned a FSM unit 10 years ago!
Dr. Hackett adjusted my SI joint twice a week for two weeks then
dropped down to once a week for two weeks, eventually going
down to once a month for six months. I received ART from a
separate practitioner once a week for six weeks and then once every
two weeks.
kidney which affected my lumbosacral mechanics. Thankfully, I used
the FSM for this injury as well, and nine days later I was playing
competitive basketball again. I refused painkillers and NSAIDS again,
knowing the harmful effects that these drugs can have on the
kidneys. No, thanks!
I am writing this story not to impress anyone but to highlight the fact
that the body has an amazing capacity to heal itself. I was fortunate
to own a FSM unit and have the necessary training in integrative
4
methods that facilitate recovery of spinal conditions. I hope this
testimonial can increase awareness so that people can become their
own health care advocate and explore the potential benefits of FSM,
proper therapeutic exercise, manual therapy techniques, and
nutritional support to improve their outcome. The synergy of all four
types of treatments can address the various pathways in overcoming
injury and insult. In my opinion, surgery and cortisone injections
should be used as a last resort after patients have exhausted all their
options.
After treating countless patients with some of the most difficult
injuries to rehabilitate, the FSM unit has proved its effectiveness
consistently. The beauty of FSM is that it actually supports healing
by ramping up ATP production, the bodys own chemical energy, by
up to 500 percent. It also increases protein synthesis and waste
5
product removal, which further aids the healing process. Most
modalities treat the symptom rather than the actual cause of the
problem. FSM appears to work on the cellular level, where the
inflammation begins, thus we are altering the initial metabolic
6
process of the entire inflammatory cascade. I believe that when you
combine FSM with manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercise
and nutritional support, the results can be quite spectacular.
It has been over two years since the initial injury and the only
setback was in May 2004. I was undercut by an opposing player
while playing basketball, I fell to the floor, directly on my abdominal
wall. I bruised my kidney and had severe tenderness over my right
Qutab A. Mastering the Art and Science of Inflammation and Pain. Seminar
Series. Biomedical Institute of Complimentary Healthcare. 2005.
5
Cheng N 1982. The effect of electrical currents on ATP generation. Ptotein
synthesis and membrane transport in rat skin. Clin Ortho 171: 264 272.
6
McMakin CR, Grgory WM, Philips TM 2005. Cytokine changes with
microcurrent. Treatment of fibromyalgia associated with cervical spine
trauma. Journal Bodywork Move Ther. 9 : 169 -176.
