John’s Story: The Power of Focusing on Our Passions (A Conversation with Our New Chiropractor)

By Dr. Nate Lorenc, Chiropractor, Natural Health Center

As a chiropractor, I have the opportunity to interact with many different people, each with their own unique conditions and goals. I would like to share a very powerful experience I had with a patient just last week: 

“John” is a 60-year-old computer program manager that has been on two months of disability due to excruciating low back pain and radiating symptoms down his leg. Four years ago, he was lifting a heavy chair and felt immediate sharp pain in his low back. The next day, he had shooting pain down the front and inside of his thigh. He had an MRI taken, which showed disc extrusions at the L3-4 and L5-S1 levels (an “extrusion” is considered a further progression of a disc “herniation” or disc “bulge”). 

John told me that a few months after his initial injury occurred four years ago, he had become more stable from a combination of physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. His pain had been up and down, but manageable – until two months ago, when he experienced a dramatic increase in his pain. He was unsure as to why; he hadn’t lifted anything heavy or done anything dramatically different that could offer a clear reason for the recent increase in his symptoms.

John told me he had a very stressful job, not atypical in my hometown-turned-tech capital of the world. He described himself as “an old man in a young man’s game,” and felt constantly pressured to both work faster and make fewer mistakes. John not only limped into our clinic 

due to the pain shooting down his right leg, but he had the posture of someone who had been through a lot: his shoulders slumped forward, he looked down at the floor unless spoken to, and spoke in a very solemn, melancholic fashion. 

After three visits with John, we had begun to make some improvement, but he still would come in limping and with a dejected appearance. He was still in pain, but acknowledged from previous experience that healing from this kind of condition takes some time, and I agreed with him. We still had a lot of work to do. 

A Shift in the Right Direction

The past few weeks, I have had the difficult task of telling my patients that I would soon be leaving for Alaska. My news has been met with a combination of sadness, encouragement, and sometimes fear about the future of their care. On our fourth visit, I had to break the news to John. We had only had a few visits together thus far, but I really empathized with what John was going through, as I have been there myself (it is why I got into this career in the first place). 

While I was doing the deep tissue work that is part of our usual treatments, we got to talking about our families and the necessary sacrifices and priorities that come with being a father. John began talking about his two daughters, who were 17 and 19, one in college and the other soon to be. The most precious thing in his life, he told me, was watching them laugh together. He was so proud of the strong, independent young women they were becoming. He began giving me advice about what the most important things in life were and, as I listened intently, his demeanor began to change. 

I didn’t interrupt; I knew healthy behavior when I saw it. The tone of John’s voice, which had been soft and passive, became firm and passionate. His eyes that would fall to the floor after maintaining one second of eye contact were now wide and alive. I secretly knew that when John got up from the treatment table, he would be feeling better. When he stood up, his shoulders were back and he was upright and standing confidently. When our conversation ended, I asked him about the pain down his leg and he told me it was still present, but about half of what it was when he came in. He had not been miraculously healed, but something very powerful had happened. 

Measuring Pain: 2 Things to Consider

I tell patients quite often that there are two main things to consider when measuring pain:

1.     The first is the intensity/quality; what number out of 10 you would rate yourself, the characteristics of that pain (sharp/dull), etc.

2.     The second is what that pain keeps you from doing or what it has taken away from you.

These two things undeniably overlap. The intensity of the pain will impact what you are able to do, but often overlooked is that what you are able to do can impact the intensity of your pain. 

What John had been experiencing the past four years (and particularly the last two months) had dominated his energy, dominated his focus, and dominated his life. The already demanding job he struggled to keep up with had become impossible. The pain that he had hoped was on its way out had returned with a vengeance (often the recurrence of pain is that much more frustrating). As pain persists, one will inevitably begin to feel that no one will understand, and even worse, that no one will care. I could tell that his family loves him tremendously and would do anything to get him out of that pain, but he had undoubtedly been feeling more isolated from them.

The Power of Focusing on Passions

I pointed out to John the changes I saw in him, and advised him to keep that focus and passion as alive as possible (easier said than done when you are in pain). He told me he gets the most joy out of helping others, so I told him to treat himself like that, too. I told him to designate time each night to talk to his wife and his daughters in addition to the exercises and stretches we had gone over. I know John will have a lot more work to do, as life cannot always be a long stream of deep massage and engaging conversation, but I am confident he will make a lasting recovery and I am grateful I will have two more visits with him before I leave.

A New Perspective on Approaching Pain

I appreciate you reading this story and I hope it helps add some perspective to perhaps some issues you have been experiencing. There are many ways to approach pain; sometimes a recently sprained ankle does not need this kind of lengthy discussion and the path to recovery may be more straightforward. But I come across quite a few patients who have felt dismissed by more standard models of care. Despite the amazing advances in medicine and technology we have made, we can still fail to address the individual needs of the people in front of us. One thing I have found to be true is the longer pain persists, the more far reaching its effect on aspects of our lives we hold most dear. If we can find ways to maintain or get back to those important things, even when it is difficult, it may be the catalyst we need to propel our recovery. 

About Dr. Nate Lorenc, Chiropractor

Dr. Nate Lorenc is the newest chiropractor to join the Natural Health Center family. He received his bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in kinesiology and went on to get his doctorate in chiropractic from Palmer West College of Chiropractic. He has certifications in Active Release Technique, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, and Graston Technique. He is particularly interested in the complexity of pain and attends yearly seminars to deepen his understanding. He, along with his wife and three children, recently relocated to Alaska.

Learn more about Dr. Lorenc or contact us to schedule an appointment.