A Life Changed by Chronic Pain

At a time when Trent Dunn felt he should be “in the peak of my life,” he was battling chronic back pain. In his late 30s with two young daughters, a degenerative disc disease required Trent to undergo spinal fusion surgery at his L5-S1 joint. “That disc had just disintegrated,” Trent explains. After surgery, he faced a long and difficult recovery, grappling with pain and limited mobility that made work and family life nearly impossible.

Struggles at Work and Home

Trent could only stand for about 20 minutes at a time, and although his workplace tried to accommodate him with specialized benches and chairs, he could work only limited hours. At one point, he began preparing for disability benefits. “Things weren’t improving, and I was hearing nothing but negative things about where I was headed,” Trent recalls, “It was a bit too young for all that to happen, really.” Adding to the hardship, his restricted movement impacted his role as a father. Lifting his daughters became impossible, and no amount of painkillers or visits to practitioners seemed to help.

A New Perspective on Pain Management

Determined to find a different solution, Trent saw Dr. Louis Adams, a rheumatologist in Port Macquarie. Dr. Adams recommended the getback program, a chronic pain management initiative. With an initial consultation, Trent transitioned into the program under the guidance of Wauchope Physiotherapy’s Director Mitch Olsen and Exercise Physiologist Alison Wilson. Their support gave him the confidence to start exercise therapy without fear of worsening his condition. “You go into protection mode,” Trent explains. “But Mitch and Alison’s guidance helped me push weights and move my body in ways I wouldn’t have tried alone.”

The Power of the Exercise Therapy Devices

Trent immediately admired the design of the getback therapy devices, thanks to his mechanical mindset. Unlike typical gym equipment, these devices isolate specific muscles, which was a revelation for Trent. His trust grew as he learned about the data-capturing capability of the devices, which provided an evidence-based approach to his treatment. “It was a bit overwhelming at first,” he admits, “but seeing where I was at, the goals, and the kilos I was progressing by—it all built my trust.”

A Transformation in Progress

While most patients reach their getback targets after 18 sessions, Trent hit his milestones early. “Mitch kept saying he was happy with my progress,” Trent says. After 14 sessions, the team reassessed him and gave him high praise for his results. Now, he maintains his progress with weekly sessions, has returned to the gym, and jogs on a treadmill. “People who know what I’ve gone through are always asking, ‘Where and how?’” he shares. Free from painkillers, Trent is enjoying the mental clarity that comes with a life free from chronic pain.

The Joy of Simple Pleasures

For Trent, the biggest reward is in the everyday moments he can now share with his family. “Now when my girls are falling asleep at night, I can piggyback them to their room,” he says. This newfound mobility has given him back a sense of normality he feared he’d lost forever. “I’m not completely fixed, and I never will be, but it’s given me back my mobility and normality that was fading away,” he reflects. Finally, after years of pain and uncertainty, Trent has found a solution that’s brought him closer to the life he wants.

Disclaimer:

This blog is originally from our distributor in Australia, getback. The original blog can be found here.