We’re always delighted to hear stories about how people have made their lives better with some help from our technology. We recently spoke to retired pharmacist and former rugby player Steven Williams, whose back pain had limited what he could do in recent years but is now back to long walks with his dogs and has reduced his reliance on painkillers thanks to electrotherapy.
Read our conversation with Steven below.
Can you tell us about your situation?
So basically I’ve had some issues from about 15 years of training rugby. I’ve had two MRIs in the last three years and they’ve shown some problems with the discs in my spine, including some wear. I’ve done quite a lot of physiotherapy and exercises for it, and it'd be great for a few days, but then the pain would sort of reappear, so I went for another MRI at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately, the discs had worsened a little bit more.
After my second MRI, when I saw the doctor, it was quite disheartening and frustrating. They said there’s not much that can be done, it’s either surgery or take the painkillers. It’s not what you want to hear really. I’ve got a friend who had back surgery and he doesn’t seem to be much better off so I didn’t really want to go down that route.
Steven's dogs having a well deserved rest
What prompted you to try NuroKor Lifetech?
I was talking to Mark [Hopkins, a pharmacist who runs a pain clinic where people can try NuroKor Lifetech] and he mentioned it. As I said, I wasn’t having too much luck with the physiotherapy so I thought I’d give it a go. I was paying about £70 for an hour, hour and a half, of physiotherapy, so the device worked out to be about five or six sessions’ worth in cost. I do about an hour per day with the device, more some days, and at the moment I’m pain free.
That’s fantastic, how do you use it?
I literally do it first thing in the morning and then mid-evening, I would say about six o'clock as well if I feel a bit of a need. I usually start with the Pain or Pain+ Programme, depending on how I’m feeling, then I use the MC [microcurrent] setting later, as well as the massage setting on my lower back.
I also use a mixture of the pads and the belt [NuroKor Lifetech KorBand], because that makes it really easy to do the back and abdominal area as well if necessary. One of the other great things about it is that you can just put it on and your hands are free, which is quite a big benefit for me; I can keep moving and doing things around the house.
Actually, a funny story is that I was out having coffee with a mutual friend of mine and Mark’s, and we started talking about NuroKor and he told me that he actually had his on right then!
Have you been able to do more since you started using our technology?
Well, I couldn't really do many of the more vigorous activities. I've got a treadmill and now I can go for a good run on it without being in pain. It’s only jogging, but it’s obviously a million times better than it was before. I’ve also been able to go for long walks again. We have two dogs - a bulldog and a cocker spaniel. The bulldog doesn’t walk much, he just likes to watch TV! But the cocker spaniel has very high energy so needs to walk about two or three miles per day, which my wife was doing before but now I can help out with that.
I also find it helps after exercise. I’ve got the shoes as well [NuroKor Lifetech KorShoe] and if I go for a long walk then I can put them on and quickly recover, it’s quite incredible really.
How would you say that your pain has changed?
So before, as I say, I had quite severe back pain but I also got shooting pains down my leg, like sciatica, so I was taking some quite powerful painkillers, I was taking co-codamol, 30mg/500mg, and tried several others, anything I could really. I started using NuroKor Lifetech about a month ago, and it took a few days for the treatment to kick in but now I’m pain free and take fewer painkillers, which is better for me, of course.
I used to keep waking up in the night in pain when I rolled over, the pain was so bad that it woke me up, but now that doesn’t happen anymore. It’s sort of a cliche, but it’s given me my life back.
How long have you been using fewer painkillers?
I don’t think I’ve had any painkillers for about two weeks.
You mentioned your wife, what does she think about things?
She’s used it herself, actually. She’s a teacher for early years and they’re on very low seats so she has some problems with her legs and back, as well as her neck from bending over the children all the time, you know?
Would you recommend NuroKor Lifetech for other people in your situation?
Absolutely, I think it’s great. As I said, the cost of the device compared to similar expenses like physiotherapy sessions makes it so worthwhile and I’ve really found it makes a difference.
Our thanks to Steven for taking the time to talk to us (and for the pictures of his adorable dogs!). If you’d like to know more about how our technology can help with chronic pain, then visit our pain management page.
If you’d like to share your experience of NuroKor Lifetech with us, why not get in touch? We’d love to hear from you.
