Case history: numbness and tingling
Rose, 76, from Florida, is a retiree whose physician had diagnosed her with lumbar radiculitis (inflammation of a lumbar nerve root). For two months, she’d had lower back pain as well as numbness and tingling in the right leg and foot. Her symptoms came and went but were most often provoked by sitting. Her pain interrupted her sleep.
Extension in Lying (Back Exercise 3) reduced Rose’s symptoms in the right leg and foot.
Five days later she had less numbness and tingling in the foot but more of each in the thigh. Using a lumbar roll while sitting had reduced the symptoms in the foot. Per the McKenzie Method, she was sleeping on her stomach, and this further reduced the foot problems.
Two days later Rose was able to sit for longer periods and was sleeping much better, and her leg symptoms had declined dramatically. Back Exercise 3 remained the key one for her.
Four days later, she was sleeping through the night and her foot symptoms were better still. She used the “slouch-overcorrect” posture exercise without difficulty and it helped to improve her posture.
Two days later Rose could easily tolerate Flex-ion in Lying (Back Exercise 5). Five days after that, she was symptom-free. She progressed to Flexion in Standing (Back Exercise 7).
She remained free of pain and had full range of motion.
