I am 86 and get around just fine, but for the last twenty years I have been be-deviled by sciatica and degenerative bone disease in the second lumbar vertebra of my back. I have tried various pills to manage the pain, which comes on after I am inactive for two hours and especially at night. But such medications only mask the problem and leave me feeling sedated. I have had much greater success with massage therapy. I see Lindsay Eisensmith, a licensed therapist, every other week for one hour, during which she works on my back from my neck to my toes, with special attention to the sacro-iliac area. She brings to her treatment sessions a thorough knowledge of how the nerves and muscles work and a pair of strong, thorough hands that can be as probing or as gentle as needed. I leave each treatment with all discomfort gone, and she restores my circulation to a point where I feel ten years younger. I move about the house doing chores, work in the garden, feeling like my old self, and I sleep better at night. Gradually my demons come creeping back again, but we are holding them at bay without medication. Most important of all, with Lindsay’s help I am maintaining my quality of life successfully.
