Therapeutic Massage - by Annie Garic
Testimonials
Living Proof
I am living proof NOT to undergo carpal tunnel surgery my story follows:
I first began having trouble with my left hand last year, not my wrist, but my thumb and index finger..it got so bad when in PA visiting our daughter, I went to an orthopedic ER, where they diagnosed carpal tunnel, gave me oral cortisone, took xrays and fitted me for a wrist brace.
No relief at the end of the cortisone.so I waited until we came home and went to see our family doctor, who sent me to a hand specialist..here the saga begins.
My first appointment was two weeks away and I didn't think I was going to make it that long with the pain I had. But I did.
I waited 45 minutes in this Dr’s office. Finally a nurse (?)/medical assistant took me into a room and asked the required questions, I gave her my xrays from York and she told me to wait..then 30 minutes later, the PA came in and asked the required questions about my hand.He left and 30 minutes the Dr. came in.
He examined my hand, explained that the pain could be “trigger finger” and gave me two brochures. He was bending my hand and fingers back and said simultaneously as he poked an injection in the palm of my hand and pushed the medication in."this is cortisone", he says and got up and walked out of the room....I was in excruciating pain, almost passed out, my hand was numb, my fingers felt like they would explode, but I managed to make it to the checkout and found out I was supposed to return in two weeks.
My hand hurt so badly for four days, I was incapacitated, took Advil with almost no relief. I was scheduled to go to hand therapy on Monday and when I went, I told them about the pain..they said I needed to call the Dr., but he was only in on Wednesday and Friday. Well, I waited the two weeks, was taken back to and my hand was x-rayed SIX times, then waited to see the Dr. another 45 minutes. When he came in, he said he had scheduled me for some nerve tests in my left hand and arm, and walked out. The checkout lady gave me an appointment for the test and said her Dr. wanted to see me after the tests and scheduled me an appointment on Friday at 11:48. "What a strange time", I said and she told me "Dr. sees patients every SIX minutes". "Six Minutes?" says I. She said "yes". After we got to the car, we figured that he made $11,000.00 an hour, and that was just in the office.
The next week, I had the nerve test. Long, thin acupuncture needles were placed in my arm from shoulder to fingertip, then electrodes attached and one by one they received an electrical charge. Well, you can imagine how that felt. That was on Wednesday. On Friday, I was there at the hand Dr. at 11:48, I was taken back at 12:15. Guess the six minutes doesn't work for everyone.
I was taken back and waited in the room another 30 minutes. The Dr. breezes in holds out his right hand and says "Hi, I'm Dr. ............", how can I help you today?"
I says "I'm here as scheduled". "Let me look at your chart", he says...then "I recommended some nerve tests for you. Did you have those done"? "Yes", I says "on Wednesday”. "Well, the report isn't in here" he says. I says "I can't help that, but I had them done". "Let me see what I can find out", he say, and leaves the room. THIRTY MINUTES LATER: He opens the door, breezes in, puts out his right hand and says "HI, I'M DR......, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY"? He had no idea who I was…a complete stranger to him. I say “I am the same person that you saw 30 minutes ago”.
“Oh, yes”, he says “we’re gonna have to do surgery on that hand. I’ll go ahead and have someone schedule that for you.” He gave me absolutely no information concerning the procedure, the results of the nerve test, or any other information.
He left the room. I proceeded to check out and told the girl I’d have to get back in touch with her. I went home and did a bit of research on “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”. I then decided I was NOT going to subject myself to that kind of invasive surgery.
The odds were too great that it would not improve my hand and arm pain; the surgery required the cutting of a stable tendon in my wrist with the hope that it would give more room for the other tendons, etc., to enter my hand. The perforation would NOT heal itself, but supposedly would form scar tissue on the two perforated ends and stabilize the tendons entering the hand. I decided I would live with the pain other than undergo this invasion. I had been a patient of Annie for many years. She had performed wonders on my back muscles. That condition was work related and I could not have worked as long as I did without her help. I knew she could help me with my arm pain.
The first appointment I had with Annie, gave me tremendous relief in my arm and hand. The fleshy part of my hand beneath my thumb was pain free after the very first visit. After the second visit, I was PAIN FREE, arm, wrist and fingers!! I have had two appointments since then and there is absolutely NO recurrence of the problems in my hand and arm.
I am so thankful for Annie. I shudder to think what would have happened had I subjected myself to this irresponsible, greedy and non caring physician to cut on my body.
I would like to offer this testimonial about Annie and massage therapy. I would like to share my experience with everyone and to tell the world what she has done for me. She saved my hand and arm and for that I cannot express my gratitude enough.
Judy Ricker
I first began having trouble with my left hand last year, not my wrist, but my thumb and index finger..it got so bad when in PA visiting our daughter, I went to an orthopedic ER, where they diagnosed carpal tunnel, gave me oral cortisone, took xrays and fitted me for a wrist brace.
No relief at the end of the cortisone.so I waited until we came home and went to see our family doctor, who sent me to a hand specialist..here the saga begins.
My first appointment was two weeks away and I didn't think I was going to make it that long with the pain I had. But I did.
I waited 45 minutes in this Dr’s office. Finally a nurse (?)/medical assistant took me into a room and asked the required questions, I gave her my xrays from York and she told me to wait..then 30 minutes later, the PA came in and asked the required questions about my hand.He left and 30 minutes the Dr. came in.
He examined my hand, explained that the pain could be “trigger finger” and gave me two brochures. He was bending my hand and fingers back and said simultaneously as he poked an injection in the palm of my hand and pushed the medication in."this is cortisone", he says and got up and walked out of the room....I was in excruciating pain, almost passed out, my hand was numb, my fingers felt like they would explode, but I managed to make it to the checkout and found out I was supposed to return in two weeks.
My hand hurt so badly for four days, I was incapacitated, took Advil with almost no relief. I was scheduled to go to hand therapy on Monday and when I went, I told them about the pain..they said I needed to call the Dr., but he was only in on Wednesday and Friday. Well, I waited the two weeks, was taken back to and my hand was x-rayed SIX times, then waited to see the Dr. another 45 minutes. When he came in, he said he had scheduled me for some nerve tests in my left hand and arm, and walked out. The checkout lady gave me an appointment for the test and said her Dr. wanted to see me after the tests and scheduled me an appointment on Friday at 11:48. "What a strange time", I said and she told me "Dr. sees patients every SIX minutes". "Six Minutes?" says I. She said "yes". After we got to the car, we figured that he made $11,000.00 an hour, and that was just in the office.
The next week, I had the nerve test. Long, thin acupuncture needles were placed in my arm from shoulder to fingertip, then electrodes attached and one by one they received an electrical charge. Well, you can imagine how that felt. That was on Wednesday. On Friday, I was there at the hand Dr. at 11:48, I was taken back at 12:15. Guess the six minutes doesn't work for everyone.
I was taken back and waited in the room another 30 minutes. The Dr. breezes in holds out his right hand and says "Hi, I'm Dr. ............", how can I help you today?"
I says "I'm here as scheduled". "Let me look at your chart", he says...then "I recommended some nerve tests for you. Did you have those done"? "Yes", I says "on Wednesday”. "Well, the report isn't in here" he says. I says "I can't help that, but I had them done". "Let me see what I can find out", he say, and leaves the room. THIRTY MINUTES LATER: He opens the door, breezes in, puts out his right hand and says "HI, I'M DR......, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY"? He had no idea who I was…a complete stranger to him. I say “I am the same person that you saw 30 minutes ago”.
“Oh, yes”, he says “we’re gonna have to do surgery on that hand. I’ll go ahead and have someone schedule that for you.” He gave me absolutely no information concerning the procedure, the results of the nerve test, or any other information.
He left the room. I proceeded to check out and told the girl I’d have to get back in touch with her. I went home and did a bit of research on “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”. I then decided I was NOT going to subject myself to that kind of invasive surgery.
The odds were too great that it would not improve my hand and arm pain; the surgery required the cutting of a stable tendon in my wrist with the hope that it would give more room for the other tendons, etc., to enter my hand. The perforation would NOT heal itself, but supposedly would form scar tissue on the two perforated ends and stabilize the tendons entering the hand. I decided I would live with the pain other than undergo this invasion. I had been a patient of Annie for many years. She had performed wonders on my back muscles. That condition was work related and I could not have worked as long as I did without her help. I knew she could help me with my arm pain.
The first appointment I had with Annie, gave me tremendous relief in my arm and hand. The fleshy part of my hand beneath my thumb was pain free after the very first visit. After the second visit, I was PAIN FREE, arm, wrist and fingers!! I have had two appointments since then and there is absolutely NO recurrence of the problems in my hand and arm.
I am so thankful for Annie. I shudder to think what would have happened had I subjected myself to this irresponsible, greedy and non caring physician to cut on my body.
I would like to offer this testimonial about Annie and massage therapy. I would like to share my experience with everyone and to tell the world what she has done for me. She saved my hand and arm and for that I cannot express my gratitude enough.
Judy Ricker
Victory At Last
Following a motor vehicle accident in 1990, despite chest injuries with accompanying pain and muscle spasms, I was extremely fortunate. My doctor, knowing there was nothing he could do medically to promote healing, wrote an order for massage therapy--daily if possible. Annie Garic provided massage therapy several times weekly throughout the long healing process, creating results surpassing grim projections of functional capacity evaluators. Her extensive training in multiple healing modalities, her detailed knowledge of anatomy and physiology, her compassionate touch around injured areas--as well as her powerful encouragement--made it possible to fully resume activities physical therapists deemed impossible.
When, in 2001, I sustained deep muscle injuries from an out-of-control delivery truck, I immediately sought more therapy. The stakes were high. I'd just begun school. Annie's expertise and coaching produced recovery while other providers were suggesting giving up! Thanks to Annie, I finished schooI and am living my lifelong dreams as a practicing RN.
Love & Gratitude,
Helen Renee
When, in 2001, I sustained deep muscle injuries from an out-of-control delivery truck, I immediately sought more therapy. The stakes were high. I'd just begun school. Annie's expertise and coaching produced recovery while other providers were suggesting giving up! Thanks to Annie, I finished schooI and am living my lifelong dreams as a practicing RN.
Love & Gratitude,
Helen Renee