Success Stories

Dear Dr. Nusbaum,

I am writing to thank you for giving me hope again. It has been a long time.

Ten years ago, I was on the ice playing my favourite sport, curling, I still to this day don't know what happened, but by the time I got off the ice, I knew I was in trouble. My back hurt like crazy and it was as if my legs were going numb, but in the most painful way, like when they are waking up from falling asleep. I barely got home and so began an agonizing month of constant trips to the doctor for drugs and the chiropractor for adjustments. I couldn't even drive the half hour to the chiropractor, I had to get out and try to walk around. I got through that, but so began a long horrible time of doctoring, and trying to cope with work, raising a family, etc.

I have a bit of scoliosis that of course shows on x-rays and that's what everyone saw and thought was the problem. Six years ago, I was sent to a Neurosurgeon in Regina, and was told that I was not a candidate for surgery. He gave me a long list of things NOT to do and sent me home. He told me to come back when I was worse and needed surgery. I, of course was in denial and angry so I did as I pleased and suffered more and more.

Finally, I started to realise that this was not going away and my hope left me. In spite of going to the chiropractor regularly (thank goodness he kept me moving), things got progressively worse and worse. I cut way back on work, quit doing things I enjoyed and even things that make a person feel useful, like vacuuming (haha). My main mission was trying to keep from being depressed for my family’s sake.

Twenty months ago, my first grandson was born; I was so excited but soon found out that I could not enjoy him the way that I wanted to. Lifting, holding and caring for him was painful. I cried a lot of tears, not just because of the pain, but the fear and sadness and sense of loss. Around this time, my bowels started giving me trouble, frequency and urgency sometimes keeping me prisoner.

My son,(the father of the grandson) saw an ad for spinal decompression, and he and the rest of the family, encouraged and enabled me to come and give it a try. My husband kept saying, " Honey, what good is money, if you don't have your health". I contacted Dr. Nusbaum at his clinic in Richmond Hill and his assistant Rebecca set me up with appt. right away as soon as I could get to Ontario from Saskatchewan. Dr. Nusbaum told me that he believed I had a herniated disc. The news was wonderful, sick as that sounds, because now I knew I wasn't going crazy.  The morning after the first treatment, I noticed a change in my bowels, I didn't believe it, I thought it must be placebo affect, but it wasn't, because I just got better and better. My back is 100 percent better, after about the 4th treatment, I could stick my head under the tap to rinse my hair, PAIN FREE, I haven't been able to do that for years. I have my life back, I have hope back. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and God Bless.

p.s. : I would be a liar if I told you I wasn't afraid, 10 years is a long time to build up a lot of fears, but now I know the answer. There is hope and this is a new beginning. I know where you are when I need you. I can't wait to see my little grandson and play with him for the first time with no pain.

Truly, thankfully, greatfully,

Christina Galay
Box 127
Norquay, Saskatchewan
S0A 2V0

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Dr. Ron

I can’t thank you enough for your help in getting my life, and ability to lead it, back on track.  When I came to you, mere weeks ago, I had recently been laid up “permanently” by the bulging of two discs in my lower back.  Playing with my three small kids, sleeping, playing golf were all things that were in serious peril if I did not find something that worked and fast.

Coming to Dr. Ron was the best thing I ever did.  After some months of masking the problem with drugs from my family doctor and being given a less than hopeful prognosis from surgeons…Ron basically told me, “let’s be positive about the future, I believe your’s is a condition we can help, and promise to do as I ask during the treatment and beyond, and we will fix this.”

Two months later, following his plan to the letter…I am playing with the kids, sleeping, working…and enjoying my walks on the golf course again!!!  If you are someone who “can” be helped by Ron’s treatment, take the opportunity and get your life back.

Yours in health,

Steve Dickinson

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After weeks of severe pain caused from a herniated disc and no success thru the medical system to give me any relief, I contacted this clinic and was evaluated by Dr. Ron who assured me he was confident the spinal decompression treatments he offered would not only give me relief but over time would give my back the lifestyle I’m accustomed to.  I must admit the pain was so severe that I was willing to give anything a try in order to get some kind of relief.  Even though my treatments were interrupted for a two-week period due to again another stay in the hospital, Dr. Ron was still confident he could help.  It took 12 treatments before the pain subsided, however in all fairness I expect the two week interruption played a large part in the time period it took for the spinal decompression to do it’s job.  Once the treatments took affect it was continual progress.  From requiring morphine to help me make the trip to and from the clinic (in a horizontal position I might add sitting up was almost impossible), to my final trips for treatment being totally pain free, seemed unbelievable.  I can truthfully say that I was not only sceptical but found it difficult to believe the treatments would work when the medical system could not offer anything but the continual consumption of narcotics for pain relief.  If only this type of treatment could be offered to more people who are living a life of pain.

My first visit to the clinic was mid-June and it’s now mid-September—what a difference three months have made.  I no longer eat my meals in a horizontal position (I was unable to raise my head off a pillow), nor do I require a walker to walk.  I realize it will take a while to build up my stamina to where it was prior to my back problems but each day I continue to make amazing progress.  I have regained my independence, and am back driving again.  It’s even difficult to find time in my busy schedule to find time for follow up appointments with Dr. Ron!!!

Did I really believe the treatments would work—I admit I had serious doubts. Would I recommend spinal decompression under the care of Dr. Ron—most definitely!

Again, my sincerest appreciation to Dr. Ron and to Becky at the front desk who was so good to fit me in after having to cancel on more than one occasion. Where would I be without you both!  Keep up the good work, and my very best wishes for continued success!

Thanks!

Lynda Miller—Orillia, Ontario

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My pain tolerance is extremely high, but this past year was almost unbearable.  I would work for 3 weeks and take a week off.  I couldn’t feel my feet; sit in a car for long periods of time, but worst of all I couldn’t pick up my baby boy.

My wife had enough and did some research...  Upon meeting Dr. Ron he was amazed that I was working, he told me that he would make me better and he did.

Dr. Ron has given me back the life I once had…A PAIN FREE LIFE! I do things now that I have not done since I was 19 years old!

Dr. Ron, you are an absolutely amazing man, you are my friend and the man I will always owe my new life to!  Thank you!

Yianni

P.S. My wife and son thank you too!! 

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Dear Dr. Ron,

I’m writing this letter with thanks and gratitude.

I’ve been suffering from back pain for over 20 years, visiting doctors, ER’s and staying home in bed.  Back pain was not the only problem.  Over the years my legs became numb on and off.  I tried lots of different treatments, but no lasting results.  I count my blessings finding your clinic and this unique treatment.  I was not very optimistic or patient, but thank God I listened to you.  You said to give it time and you were so right! I can move, wear my high heels, the numbness is gone.  For the first time in a long time I feel relief.

A physiotherapist at work asked about the treatment after I got back to work.  He couldn’t believe his eyes (he saw me before the treatment) and recommended it to his other client. So would I.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yours truly,

Alex O

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Dear Dr. Ron Nusbaum,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the very effective treatment I received while under your care.  As you may recall, when I first approached you for treatment it as very difficult for me to walk properly.  My right hand was weak, clumsy, and numb; my whole body was weak, tingling and sickly; and I was unable to work.  My neurosurgeon had diagnosed me with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy resulting from some of my cervical intervertebral discs pressing on my spinal cord.  I was told that this is a progressive disease that only gets worse.  The only conventional treatments available are very risky surgeries to remove the discs and fuse the vertebra.  This would prevent further progression of my condition and limit my neck movement yet not guarantee any improvement in my symptoms.   In fact, complications and further deterioration of adjacent discs as a result of the fusion is quite common.  This prognosis effectively put my life on hold and made me very miserable and depressed.
Desperate for an alternative to the risky surgery, I had researched this no surgical treatment online.  Being a sceptical individual, I had serious doubts about whether these treatments would really work so I still scheduled an appointment with another surgeon for a second opinion regarding surgery.  To my surprise the treatments were indeed very effective and I began to see some improvements after about 5 visits.  Close to the end of the treatments my condition had improved so much that I decided to verify the results with a second MRI after the treatments concluded so that I could take it in for the second opinion.  The second surgeon upon reviewing the second MRI announced that the large disc hernia that had probably precipitated my symptoms had now been almost completely reabsorbed.   He suggested that in view of both the clinical and obvious physical improvements, surgery should not be performed at this time.  This was great news coming from the neurosurgeon!
Now my life is back and so is hope for the future.  I am returning to work and planning what I need to do next in my life.  Your obvious professionalism caused me to choose your clinic over another I had seen and your warm and jovial attitude made my treatments an experience to look forward to.  The staff was also great and always helpful. 
Thanks so much again!

Sincerely,

Carlos Rodrigues
Mechanical Engineering Technologist

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Dr. Ron Nusbaum:

You have saved my life.
You have given me back my life.
You have given my 2 babies a mother and my husband, a wife.

I am 34 years old. I began experiencing back pain at the age of 14. I was 22 years old when I developed a bout of bronchitis and coughed out my first disk.  Subsequent disks bulged from pregnancies that would follow in the years to come.  I had surgery in 2000 after 4 years of agonizing disk pain and radiating sciatic pain down my leg.  I was left limping for over a year.

From the time I herniated the first disk I saw doctors, surgeons, chiropractors, physiotherapists, acupuncturists, herbalists, massage therapists, naturopaths, and osteopaths.  I use the plural because I saw more than one of each practitioner.   Each told me that I’d never be perfect, but they’d certainly try to help me.  It would, of course, be on an on-going (and expensive) basis. And the surgeons just wanted to operate.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I experienced such excruciating back pain that one night, while my husband was out of town, I tried to get off the couch and ended up falling down the stairs.  I could not move and wound up having to sleep on the couch, because I could not even get to the phone to call my family for help.

I saw my G.P., who told me that I needed a surgeon.  My surgeon told me that he could only cut, and since I was pregnant, he could not help me.  He told me to see my obstetrician.  My obstetrician told me that back pain was normal, and that he could not help me.  I even went to a sports doctor, who ended up giving me cortisol injections that shot my blood sugar up, and I ended up becoming gestational diabetic during my second pregnancy.

My dream in life is to have a large family.  Recently I started thinking that I want to become pregnant again, but because pregnancy was so difficult on me, I was scared of even entertaining the thought.  I was devastated by the realization that I would not, in all likelihood, be able to give my children more siblings, as had always been my dream.

When I came to Dr. Ron, I was scared, disbelieving and certainly sceptical.  I was also in horrible pain.

Dr. Ron was sympathetic to my pain and to the exasperating journey that had brought me to him.  He was 100% honest – which freaked me right out.

The hardest part of this process was believing what he knew.  That after 20 years of debilitation, he would be able to help me.

But the proviso was that I would have to believe in him, in the process and in my healthy future.

And that was the hardest part of the jouney: changing an attitude that had evolved over 20 years of living in pain.

I made the decision to listen to Dr. Ron and do exactly what he told me to do.  I forced myself to “unlearn” my acceptance of pain and focused on the fact that I was going to be fantastic.

And I am fantastic.

Dr. Ron, I thank you.

My two children thank you.

You are a wise, kind and caring man and healer.

Thank you.

Anita Lichtblau

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Dear Dr. Nusbaum and staff,

If I were just to say thank you, it wouldn’t be enough.  I don’t think this letter would be sufficient either.  However, anyone suffering from low back pain at any severity must come to see Dr. Nusbaum and begin treatment.

For 6 years, I have suffered extreme pain from three herniated discs.  I was at a point where simple tasks could not be performed without tears, yelling, or even cursing.  Putting on my socks in morning (or getting dressed), washing my face, sleeping at night, or even reaching for something in my closet became an extreme challenge.  Everyday tasks that we normally take for granted, I was not able to do.  The worst was being irritated all the time, where I felt it was taking a toll on my married life and children’s life.  Saying “I can’t” to my children and my wife was destroying who I was.  Basically, I wanted to restore my health, so I could restore my life to the fullest.  I tried Celebrex, acupuncture, massages, and many other forms of physiotherapy, but they only masked the pain for a while.  My sister had this treatment completed 8 years ago, and hasn’t complained since.  So, I figured, why not give this a try, since I spend money on everything else, I can spend money on my own body. Thank God I did.

From the beginning, it was a positive time in my life with Dr. Nusbaum.  I learned that you must be disciplined with the program he puts you on, be positive, enjoy the short time you have in his office, because I already miss him and his staff.  Being in pain was not the way I wanted to live the rest of my life.  I felt that this was an actual cure!  He targets the problem area, not the symptom.

If your child can’t read, do you read for them? If your child can’t write, do you write for them? Obviously not, you would supply the correct strategies and resources, so they can develop the necessary skills.  Dr. Nusbaum supplies the strategies and resource for you to improve your health.  You must take action and do it.  Follow through, be positive, and realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

If anyone needs to hear from me, I do not mind testifying my story to you personally.

Don’t wait any longer, do it.

Thank you Dr. Nusbaum and Liz for bringing my life back to normal.

Frank “Cheech” D.

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Dr. Nusbaum:

What can you say to someone who has given you back a quality of life I thought was gone but, many, many thanks and God Bless You.

Right from my first visit in August 2008, when off work, I could barely walk and on painkillers, you and your staff were friendly and supportive.

You were knowledgeable and always ready to answer any questions I had.  Thank you for your positive attitude cheering me on.

Now, I’m off painkillers and back to work.  Everyone, my family and co-workers have commented on the change in me, both physically and emotionally.

God Bless You as you continue to change people’s lives.

Lea M.