LORAINE'S STORY

There is an enduring debate over whether or not you should trust your mechanic. The basic argument, of course, is that while your mechanic may be competent enough to fix your car, he may also be unscrupulous enough to make sure you have to keep coming back, by fixing one thing, but breaking another. 

I was plagued by a not dissimilar problem a couple years ago, but it was not about something as trifling as my car, it was about my spine. 

I’d had a spinal fusion in 2011. When I started to get pains again, I went to a physiotherapist, who asked about my exercise habits. I told her I was working out at the public pool. Wrong, she said, go to Paradise and see Starr.

Now, I don’t want you to get the idea that the staff at the public pool were trying to harm me, in order to keep me coming back and refilling their coffers. Perish the thought. Fine people, all of them. 

No, mine is not a story about unscrupulous individuals. It is, rather, a story about some purported professionals being less competent than others. The nice folk at the public pool simply lack the expertise of Starr and her staff at Paraidise. My physiotherapist understood this, and so did I just a few weeks after taking out a membership. 

It was the difference between night and day. The staff at the public pool were well intentioned, but what do they say the road to Hell is paved with? Hell is the opposite of Paradise, right? 

Spinal fusion surgery is a last resort for those of us who suffer debilitating back pain. If you have never experienced painful problems with your back, thank your lucky stars, because it is a truly horrendous plight to have to suffer through. 
As I say, the surgery is the last resort. So, if you are starting to experience back pain, if you are not yet enduring protracted and substantial discomfort, you should start taking counter measures pronto. 

By all means, consult your doctor, but I am confident he or she will tell you to start a regimen of physiotherapy that includes water based exercise. 

If you want to save a couple bucks by trying the public pool, go right ahead. But remember, you get what you pay for. 

At Paradise, what you’re paying for is relief from pain. What you’re paying for is better health. What you’re paying for is expert care and maintenance. 

Starr knows what works for whatever problems you are having. And she knows what doesn’t work for those problems, too. I have been working out in the pool, thinking I was doing something right, only to have Starr come over and say, “Do this Loraine.” 

If I miss a few consecutive sessions at Paradise, I can feel it. And every time I start to feel it, I know that my options are clear – get back in the pool, or go back to the operating room. It’s a simple decision to make, and I advise you to think about what your next move is.