Dr. Craig French Durham, NC

Are you ready to change your life?

This is a very important question if you are a patient in the office of Dr. French. Whether you are ready to change your life or not, it is going to change and for the better.

I have been a patient of chiropractic for as long as I can remember. My father was close friends with an area chiropractor, and I remember being adjusted from time to time as a child. In college, I fell 7 feet and landed on my tailbone. I remember that as being a defining turning point in the strength of my back and overall pain level. I would see the family chiropractic during periods of severe pain, but he never recommended treating me for more than symptom relief.

This cycle feeling 'Ok" (not great mind you, just ok) and being in pain continued from 1983 to the fall of 1990. Throughout these years, the time between flair-ups became shorter and shorter, and the intensity of the pain increased. I had moved to another part of the state, and was seeing a different chiropractor, but he was still only treating me when I was in severe pain.

In the fall of 1990, I started to experience burning and pain in my legs and feet. I constantly felt as if I was getting a Charlie horse in my calves, I too had a constant pain in my glute muscles. I became increasingly twisted in my posture and the pain was becoming unbearable. By Christmas of that year, the intensity of the pain had become unbearable. I could barley drive. I often could not sense the need to use the bathroom, and my legs would quiver when I in the shower from the hot water. Over the New Years holiday, the pain was so severe that I made a trip to the ER-only to be told that I was just seeking drugs and there was nothing wrong with me.

My chiropractor then sent me for an MRI, just to rule out a serious problem. I had the test on Monday and Tuesday was ordered home and to bed because I had a severe disk herniation. On February 11, 1991 I underwent disk surgery to remove 75% of the disk between L5 and S1.

The Surgery solved the immediate problem and I felt better (still not great). I never returned to my pervious energy level, flexibility or range of motion, and I would still experience periods of severe pain. Then in 1999, I met Dr. French and began a business relationship. As I went in and out of their office, I started to notice a different approach to chiropractic. They were not just interested in eliminating pain; their goal was to make people well. Eventually, I decided that I would try this different approach to chiropractic care.

In addition to my back pains, I was taking 2-3 Prilosec per day just to be able to function and sleep through the night, and I would consume more than a bottle of Tylenol per month to keep the headaches under control. I also had constant colds, and suffered from pneumonia four times in a two year period. I never strayed too far from my inhaler.

As Dr. French would talk to me about the 6 facets of health, I began to think about the things he taught, but about the spiritual and holistic aspects of my life that could be affected by my overall health, and vise versa. I wanted to have energy and the ability to concentrate, I wanted to be free from pain and have the ability to enjoy life.

At Dr. French's office, I found the key too many things I wanted in my life. I found fellowship and friendship in an environment that allowed me to nurture the person, I want to be. I found the opportunities through different programs to learn about new ways to improve my health through yoga, regular exercise, and improved nutrition. I learned about incredible life benefits of a simple thing called water, all of this delivered in a environment full of positive energy and genuine concern for the people and the quality if their lives.

Do I still get sick sometimes? Yes, but I have noticed that the length of my illness is significantly decreased and I have not had any of the serious respitory problems I had previously experienced. I have not used Prilosec or an inhalator in more the 3 years. I don't have so much as a bottle of Tylenol in my house. One day I went into the office with a stuffed head and cold, I was tired, listless and could not put together a coherent thought; 30 minutes after my adjustment, I suddenly realized that I had and incredible amount of energy was thinking clearly, and I felt significantly better. Now try to get that out of a bottle of Nyquil.

I remember holding Dr. French's son when he was 3-4 months old, and wondering what he would think of his father. Would he as a teenager understand the positive life force his father delivers to people, and would he respect his father's ability to help people change their lives?

I cannot provide the answers to that question today. But I can tell this much, if you want to improve the quality of your life, the office of Dr. French can provide a catalyst for you. Dr. French can't do it for you; you have to do it for yourself. But I can tell you that the environment in their office will facilitate, foster and empower your journey. There is a life force within those walls that is infectious in the most positive of ways. I hope that you believe in yourself enough to take the walk inside, and be open to the power that can be unleashed within you.

From a patient of Dr. Craig French Durham, NC