It was difficult to do everyday tasks. Picking up items from the floor, tying my shoes, looking over my shoulder to back out the car, all had become nearly impossible. The lack of flexibility and muscle stiffness made me look like I was 95 as I struggled to bend or stretch. If I could actually perform the task, I typically got a muscle cramp so severe that I had to cease all activity for several minutes. This prevented me from exercising and doing everyday activities with my family.

So I resigned myself to this fate, “it must be the inevitable effects of aging”. But in my mind I thought that I deserved and caused these conditions, right? Years of competitive athletics and over a decade of heavy weight lifting caused injuries and daily aches and pains.

Twenty-seven years ago I herniated a cervical vertebrae.
Ten years later a shoulder was torn apart.
Eight years ago I blew out two more cervical vertebrae.

I never liked to stretch and was always very tight and stiff and my activities were limited by constant neck and shoulder pain. From lack of activity and sleep issues, I consistently gained weight and that compounded the aches and pains, especially in the knees and ankles. From where I sat, it looked as though I would have to live the rest of my life in pain and as a sedentary old man.

Physical therapy was a regular part of my life for many years, until it began to produce only limited relief from pain and very short periods of additional range of movement.

When I tried acupuncture, I got pain relief, but only for short periods after each treatment. But it did nothing to help the lack of flexibility and stiffness in my muscles and joints.

Then I was introduced to Somatics. I heard the claims. But after being in business for over thirty years and hearing hundreds of sales pitches, I was a skeptic. Everyone had some miracle cure to sell you but in actuality none of them really worked. But Peggy was persistent in her encouragement for me to try Somatics and even guaranteed that she could help me. At my wife’s encouragement, I reluctantly scheduled an appointment.

After two hours on the somatic table I was exhausted. But when I got up and walked around, everything was different. My ankles and knees didn’t snap, crackle and pop. They also didn’t hurt. I could flex my neck without pain for the first time in recent memory. And I could turn to either side and look over my shoulder without cramping.

Since that day somatics has helped me move toward a full recovery. My range of motion has continued to improve. I seldom have a cramp even when stretching or exercising. Pain is very infrequent and when it occurs I perform a somatic routine that gives me immediate relief.

Peggy has taught me how to perform self maintenance routines that keep me moving and living once again.