I am a 68 year old, formerly active, female. My diagnosis is spinal stenosis with a pinched sciatic nerve at L4L5/L5S1 coupled with mild arthritis in the lumbar region. In retrospect there might have been a nagging discomfort for some time, but the catalyst for the big pain was incident-related…lifting while gardening. It came on with enormous disability and pain from waist to baby toe. I started with physio but there was no relief… then came the osteopath, acupuncture and decompression at a small local office…still no results. I tried every gadget on the market…nothing helped. When I came to Back Clinics of Canada I was not eating or sleeping. I limped and had no walking stamina. I was unable to sit down and had not sat for months. I was emotionally spent and in a dark place. Doctors offered drugs, which I eventually did take, and said it would be a long time before I would get better, maybe years. They said I was not a candidate for surgery and I should continue to try to keep active, but there was not much more they could do. But I was no longer able to be active and all I did all day was manage pain. We live about 3 hours away from Toronto. I researched to try to find help. Decompression still made logical sense to me, given my x-rays and MRI, but I wanted the best technology available. My research led me to call Back Clinics of Canada and they booked me in right away. It is an unassuming location, but walk in the door and the staff and environs are professional, housing some of the best equipment available. I met with Dr. Nusbaum, found him to be genuine, caring and empathetic and wanted to start immediately. Each time you come you are seen by the doctor to ensure you are on the right track. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable and warm. I was strapped into the Spine Med machine. I tried the other machines a few times, but I preferred this one. It is a personal preference. I felt secure for some reason, like my pull hit just the right spot. We drove 3 hours through every kind of weather because it was working. I was getting better. Slowly I could sit, not having done so in about six months. This treatment has now helped me to the point that I think I can take over, with exercise and rest, to build endurance and a wider range of activities on my own. I owe my sanity to this treatment and my husband, who drove all those kilometres, is grateful for that. Thanks Dr. Nusbaum and staff. I am not sure what I would have done without you.