A woman presented with one complaint—both of her feet have hurt for five years. She has been to six doctors, the best of the best in Philadelphia, who have all diagnosed her with neuropathy.
“The doctors told me there was no hope to prevent deterioration. Because I am a diabetic, they all said this was due to the diabetes. Pain medication with over thirty-two side effects was the only option. Some of the side effects were worse than the symptoms.
My refusal to comply with their recommendations annoyed them. As if the numbness, tingling, burning, pain, and loss of balance were not enough in life, the possibility of amputation was always on my mind.”
I respect the connection between diabetes and foot neuropathy, but I am not going to jump to that conclusion until I have examined the patient in the context of the craniosacral fascial system. Since there was severe fascial strain in both feet, maybe the root of the problem was related to fascia.
I asked her about lifetime foot injuries and nothing stood out. But she did mention that she wore high heels at work every day for over thirty years and wore them on weekends, too.
The strain pattern that I was feeling went into the exact high-heel position. I postulated that, over time, her foot fascial compensation became her new normal. When she went back to flats after retirement, the fascia could not make the seamless transition and pain set in.
"After the first therapy visit, I was able to feel my toes and the shoe fabric. After the second visit, I could walk with minimal pain and numbness. I am so grateful and believe I will recover fully.”
Gillespie Approach Training can unlock the healing door for patients.
