Carl thought that having ankle surgery meant that everything would get better. Turns out, he was wrong.
In January this year, local resident Carl had his ankle fused due to general wear and tear on his ankle. He had a steel plate and 10 screws put in. He was in plaster for 8 weeks, and then spent a further 8 weeks in a walking boot.
After the surgery, he began experiencing horrific pain and even more problems than before. In fact, he began experiencing neuropathy, meaning he couldn’t feel from his feet to his calves.
“The ball of my foot and all my toes were numb”, Carl explained. “In addition, I had a huge amount of pain in my leg.”
Carl struggled to walk, let alone ride his beloved Suzuki motorbike. He decided to visit Cluzic Clinic in Buderim to see what they could do.
“It was a huge change for the better. Huge!” says Carl. “It completely changed everything. I have started to get feeling back into my foot and my leg pain reduces with every treatment.”
“Neuropathy is not something that should be taken lightly. It is important to be thoroughly assessed by someone who understands the condition” explains Clinical Director and trained nurse, Claire Dunkley.
“Neuropathy is numbness, weakness and pain, usually in the feet or hands” says Claire. “It could be caused by a number of things including blood flow issues, nerve damage or lymphatics. It is common after back surgery, spinal cord stenosis and chemotherapy.”
“Neuropathy can be scary for patients, so it’s important that we really take the time to understand what is going on for them and reduce their anxiety,” Claire believes.
Carl said that Claire really made him feel welcome and heard when he visited the clinic.
“She explained everything so well, and had a great computer program that visually showed me what nerves in the body she was working on. I really feel like I knew what was involved” Carl says.
Claire treated his lower back and sciatic nerve and after just 3 treatments, Carl regained feeling in his foot, is walking better and is already planning getting on his bike again. The discs that were placed on his foot have also made a huge difference in reducing the pain in his ankle.
If you are experiencing any numbness, tingling or odd sensations, visit cluzie.com or phone 5329 7905.
