I cannot thank and praise Mr Ishaque enough for his expertise, his kindness and reassurance

Having suffered with mild back pain for many years, nothing compared to the sudden episode of leg pain which I experienced around 6 months ago – leg pain which I subsequently discovered was attributable to my spine. Whilst I was told by my GP that the pain would subside in time, it worsened – in fact the pain level couldn’t get much higher. The pain I suffered in my lower leg was constant and so painful that it was almost indescribable – I just wanted to scream and beg for some relief from it. I knew I couldn’t live with this pain and so I made an appointment to see Mr Ishaque. After the initial consultation and a subsequent MRI, it was revealed that I had a severe disc herniation coupled with some degenerative disc disease. Within two weeks, and guided by Mr Ishaque, I was admitted to the Priory for disc herniation surgery. 

I am now 14 weeks post-op; my back feels flexible and strong and whilst I do still experience a little leg pain which is purely attributable to the nerve settling down, I am on no medication at all which is remarkable considering the concoction of pain relief pills I was taking before the op just to get through each day and night.  In short, Mr Ishaque has given me life back – and whilst that may sound a little over-dramatic, believe me it isn’t when you have been relieved of such persistent, excruciating pain.

Regarding the recovery process, I would point out to anyone in the same situation that we have to re-educate ourselves somewhat.  We adopt bad habits over the years i.e. slouching, not bending properly and generally not taking care of our backs. To prevent any further recurrences I would recommend that they adopt the basic principles of Pilates (which has been totally new to me since my surgery) in that it is so important to strengthen the core muscles and exercise breathing techniques. I would also echo a comment on Mr Ishaque’s website which states ‘no pain, no gain does not apply to backs’.This is so true. I have been guilty of slightly overdoing the exercises whilst recovering thinking that if I pushed through the pain it would be beneficial to me. Wrong!  It’s the worst thing you can do. Listen to your body and if it hurts don’t do it.

I cannot thank and praise Mr Ishaque enough for his expertise, his kindness and reassurance. I would recommend anyone with a spine condition to seek guidance from Mr Ishaque. Life is too short to be in pain!  A BIG THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!