My Comeback Story: Steve D.

For more than 30 years, I lived with chronic lower back pain that began during my weightlifting and sports days in the 1990s. Like many people, I learned to live around the pain. For over 15 years, I saw a chiropractor regularly just to manage it and stay functional. Everything changed in 2019 after what should have been a routine day doing yard work around my house. I suffered a significant back injury that made an already difficult situation much worse. The pain became constant, radiating down my left leg and often leaving it numb. I eventually received a cortisone injection, but it only provided about three months of limited relief before the symptoms returned. What I didn’t realize was just how much nerve damage had occurred. I had completely lost feeling in my left foot because of compressed nerves, and even my right foot had begun to lose sensation. I had unknowingly adapted my posture, balance, and the way I walked by relying on muscles that were compensating for years of weakness and nerve compression. 

Meeting Dr. Hotchkiss changed everything. From our first appointment, I knew I was in the hands of someone who genuinely cared. Dr. Hotchkiss and his entire team guided me through every step of the process, fought for me when needed, and gave me complete confidence that surgery was the right decision. Today, I can honestly say they gave me my life back. The pain that had been with me for decades is gone. The radiating pain down my left leg has completely disappeared. I have feeling back in my left foot and significantly improved sensation in my right foot. For the first time in years, I can comfortably sit, stand, and walk without the constant pain that had become part of my daily life. 

Recovery is still a journey. After years of compensating for nerve damage, I’m retraining my body to use the muscles it was designed to use. My leg strength has returned, and now my focus is rebuilding balance, posture, and strength from my knees down to my feet. Every week brings measurable progress and reminds me how far I’ve come. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Hotchkiss and his incredible team. They didn’t just perform a successful surgery—they stood beside me throughout the entire journey, fought for me, and helped me reclaim a quality of life I wasn’t sure I’d ever have again. 

If you’re living with chronic back pain and wondering whether things can get better, my experience is proof that they can. I’m incredibly thankful for the care I received and would recommend Dr. Hotchkiss without hesitation.