February 2008

When I came to Fitness Prescription I was in pain all day every day and had been for months. The pain was sciatica and it was not the result of an accident or incident, but had just slowly accrued over time. In addition, I had to be very careful with my lower back to avoid a sudden searing pain in my sacro-iliac. All this meant that at the ripe age of 41, I had trouble simply getting out of bed, putting on my shoes, carrying the laundry basket, getting in and out of the car and the list went on.

Previous experience with physical therapy for back trouble, had made me a believer in exercise and strengthening as the road to overcoming the pain. The problem was that the “old” exercises were not helping and every time I went to the gym, no matter how careful I was, I needed several days to recover and could not get ahead.

My doctor verified that there was no significant medical reason for the pain. So I started looking for a fitness trainer with a solid medical background to help me---an article about Fitness Prescription in the MetroWest Daily News outlined exactly what I was looking for.

I had two goals when I first met Meryl: to relieve the sciatica pain and to feel stronger so I could move through my day without worry. Meryl was confident that she could develop a program for me within whatever limitations I had at the time, and that over time these limitations would change and we could change the program accordingly. She was very tuned in to the fear I had developed over moving in certain ways and assured me I could get stronger, much stronger, without having to move in ways that scared me.

I began working with Meryl twice a week with a focus on strengthening my core. Within a few months the pain had lessened considerably. Now, after about six months, I am pain free and moving with confidence through normal functional tasks that make up a day. I know that I am stronger, that I can get even stronger, and that Fitness Prescription will continue to provide me a challenging, but safe path to my fitness goals.

Dani N., Natick