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Dear Alisa:
A protrusion off of two vertebrae. Two bulging discs. Spinal stenosis. Severe arthritis in my back as well as in my right hip. That was the diagnosis I received the week before I landed on your door step that Saturday afternoon in July. There was pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; it was just a matter of degree. I couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep. I couldn’t walk any distance at all. I had to quit playing golf and riding my bicycle. My wife had to put my sock and shoe on my right foot every morning because my back hurt to bad for me to do it.
The options weren’t all that great. Option one was physical therapy, yoga, chiropractor, massage therapy, etc. Option
two was injections into my spine. The third and final option was surgery. I knew I didn’t want anybody coming near my spine with a needle. I also knew that, after hearing what the surgery entailed, I would do anything in my power to try and prevent that. The problem was that, according to my doctor, options one and two probably weren’t going to work. I had almost waited too long to do anything about my situation.
I asked my doctor to write me a prescription for physical therapy although I wasn’t exactly sure that was the way to go. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that physical therapy was for me. I had heard of Pilates but had no idea what it entailed. That afternoon when my wife and I walked into Axis of Movement and spoke with you, and saw the Pilates apparatus, I thought “I can see how this might help.” After my first lesson with you I told myself “I know how this can help!”
You tailored a program specifically for me and after working with you for almost four months now, I can’t believe the difference. The pain in my back is almost entirely gone. I still have some setbacks but when I do, the pain is not as severe and I recover a lot faster than in my pre-Pilates days. I rarely have to take any pain medication, muscle relaxers, or anti-inflammatory pills. When there is pain, it’s because I didn’t listen to you. You have worked with me to build my core strength and increase my flexibility. You have also shown me how to walk, how to sit, how to stand, and how to breathe; all the things that I had been doing wrong for the past eight years trying to compensate for a bad back. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy doing the “homework” that you have given me.
I know we’re not finished yet. I realize my back still needs more work and then there is the problem with my hip, but I’m confident that too will be better in time. You have literally worked wonders with my back so I have the ultimate trust that you will also take the same caring approach to my hip and resolve those issues as well.
I so look forward to our class on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I have discovered during the past 4 months that Pilates is not only good for me physically, it also a great stress reliever. No matter how stressful my day has been, I completely forget about it 5 minutes after I’m there.
In short, thank you for everything you have done and everything you will continue to do for me. The last four months have been quite the journey. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip will bring. Pilates has become a big part of my life now and I intend on being your student for years to come!
Sincerely,
Gregg I. McMullen
 Heather Downey-CMT, Gregg McMullen, Alisa Schillinger-CPI
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