The Courage to Say NO

A woman recently came to see me and, within moments of meeting, told me that I was her last hope. I both love and hate these moments. I love them because it tells me that I likely have someone in front of me committed to do what it takes to make some great improvements. I hate it because, while I'm confident in my abilities, I know that I am not always the person that can provide the solutions for everyone in every situation. In this situation, it seems, I could help.

After our first one-hour session, I had guided her to more range than she had ever thought possible. Two simple NKT corrections, and this woman was shocked at how differently she was able to move.

After receiving her homework, and putting in the work, two weeks later she was out of pain.

Just before our second session, this woman saw her doctor. After reviewing an MRI and ultrasound, she was told that she had damage to a joint surface and her symptoms would not get better. She was told that whatever therapies or interventions she was doing were not going to change the fact that she would need surgery. She sent me an email to tell my of this "bad news". I was infuriated. I was angry, not because of the findings, but because of the tendency of medicine to throw around absolutes. This woman had seen amazing improvements in both her mobility and pain, that no one else (including her doctor) was able to give her in the years she had been pursuing help. Despite this success, she was torn down by these comments by a poorly informed and irresponsible (in my opinion) healthcare professional.


Why do healthcare professionals ignore the research? The research that tells us that imaging tells us nothing about the experience of pain and does not determine how a person functions.

Why do they use words that induce fear?

Why do healthcare professionals think it is okay to casually say things like "Wow! Your back is a mess"?


When she delivered this news to me, she followed it by telling me that she didn't "buy it" and she wasn't going to accept that fate. She asked questions of her doctor based on research she had done. Her doctor was, to say the least, not receptive. She didn't let that bring her down. I couldn't have been more proud of her in that moment. The work she put in to gain movement, to improve strength and to decrease her pain was nothing in comparison to the courage it took for her to say "No. I will not accept that diagnosis"

If you receive a diagnosis, based on imaging alone, don't buy it. There are ways to achieve better function and less pain that do not involve scalpels, pins and plates.

Do not be made fearful by a healthcare practitioner, some of us believe that it is our job to instill hope not fear. Find one that will uplift you and guide you to finding yourself out of pain.

Do not be afraid to say NO.

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