MANY of us will experience back problems at some time in our life and this month’s customer prize winner, Brit Mark Wright (pictured below), is no different.
After eight years of suffering serious issues with his back and hip, he eventually underwent major surgery last September. Then, when his weekly post-surgery physiotherapy sessions ground to a halt with the COVID-19 lockdown, he turned to CurraNZ.
He hasn’t looked back – and shares his story about how he is now cycling up to 15 miles a day – pain-free – which just four weeks before, would have been ‘impossible’.
Mark, a Facilities and Project Manager from Thames Ditton in Surrey, says: “I’ve had a lot treatment over the years including many steroid and radio frequency injections, but nothing really solved my back and hip pain. As time went on my movements became restricted and this also affected my mental health.”
“In 2014 I had a hip arthroscopy, but it didn’t really change anything and the pain eventually spread across my hip and back.
“By February 2019 I developed severe leg pain and after seeing many different consultants, I was finally referred to an orthopedic and spinal surgeon at London Bridge Hospital. After tests, he identified a cyst on my spine that was causing pressure on a nerve in my back. In order to reach it they had to remove a healthy disc and replace it with a titanium one.
“I had two operations last September, the first to remove the cyst and the second, four days later, to remove my healthy disc and replace it with a titanium one which was then fused into place.
“I didn’t realise how serious the surgery was going to be until afterwards, and it was five months before I was able to return to work.”
After surgery, he had weekly physiotherapy and was urged to take up cycling and/or swimming.
“The physio slightly helped, but the progress was really slow. Then COVID arrived and my physio just stopped. The cycling started to help but it seemed to transfer the pain to the other side of my body. Stretching helped, but still, my progress was really slow and I was still having a fair bit of pain.”
Without access to physio, his wife suggested trying CurraNZ, having heard of its natural anti-inflammatory properties. He noticed something was working very quickly after starting on our blackcurrant supplement.
“Since I’ve been taking CurraNZ and riding my bike, the pain has disappeared.
“I kept wondering, was it the placebo effect? It just disappeared at such a fast rate that I couldn’t believe it. This was a huge turning point for me physically and mentally. I am finally on the road to recovery.
“I can pinpoint the exact stage when things started to improve and I can measure it on the distance and pace I have managed to keep as well as the reduced pain. The only thing I can put it down to is CurraNZ.
“Now I don’t get any pain at all – and I’m able to sit for longer periods without aching. Previously, I could only sit for an hour before I would start to ache and now I have no problems at all.”
Mark’s fitness is coming on in leaps and bounds, too.
“I am now cycling five or six times a week. I started with three-four miles a day and am up to 15 miles now. My fitness is improving, and I’ve noticed that with CurraNZ, I can knock two-three minutes off my times, it’s very noticeable.
“I’ve tested my limits with one capsule and know at what point I get tired, I have then tried taking two capsules and I can go longer and beat my time. CurraNZ helps me push on through.”
Mark is relieved that the surgery has been a success and will be seeing the consultant in a few weeks’ time.
“The biggest surprise for me is that I am not experiencing any of the restrictions I was told to expect with a spinal fusion, I have full mobility which is brilliant. Now I can get on with my life and not worry about my back problems anymore."