I was an active child. I enjoyed playing hockey, volleyball, and snowboarding. I regularly rode my bike and was rarely found in the house. Like most children, I enjoyed being outdoors. Unfortunately, by the time I was 14, I stopped playing outdoors and started playing video games daily, sometimes a few hours at a time. I started gaining weight and I no longer felt fit. I continued playing hockey in a league and often felt sore after games. My inactive lifestyle resulted in me having a weak core and little body strength.
In September 2017, at the age of 16, when I was putting on my equipment for an afternoon game, I felt a pain in my back followed by a burning sensation. I continued getting dressed and went on the ice to play but lasted 5 minutes. I couldn’t walk on my leg because of the excruciating pain. This lasted 4 months. I received no relief from Physiotherapy and took various pain medication to cope. After multiple trips to the ER and an MRI, I was diagnosed with a herniated disc on my L4-L5 that was pressing on my sciatic nerve. The recommendation was surgery since I could no longer feel parts of my leg and there was fear of permanent nerve damage.
On December 19th, 2017, I underwent surgery for a discectomy at the age of 16. I was terrified and couldn’t believe that I would undergo a surgery mainly performed on middle aged individuals. I was not only discouraged prior to the surgery due to the pain, but I struggled with feelings of hopelessness after the surgery. I was a year behind my peers in school, I felt broken. I couldn’t lift anything heavy, I was scared to bend down or do any form of exercise for fear I would rebulge the disc.
After many months of physiotherapy, I was cleared to return to play hockey but did so cautiously and didn’t play to my full potential. My back remained weak because I feared working out and I started gaining weight. In August 2019, while visiting friends in Halifax, I had a flare-up after a long day at the beach. I was terrified. I was certain that I had damaged my back resulting in a reherniation. After returning to Ottawa, I returned to see the surgeon and he gave me strict instructions. I was told to lean down, resume Physiotherapy, and to strengthen my core through weight training.
I immediately went to the Physiotherapist who told me that I had a buildup of scar tissue and needed to break it up through multiple visits. I was then instructed to go see a Personal Trainer so that I could be closely monitored while strengthen my core and increasing my mobility and agility. I called various gyms, the popular ones in the Ottawa area, and not one returned my call for Personal Training once I mentioned my back surgery. One gym assured me someone would call, registered me for a year membership only to have my calls ignored and be stuck with a one year contract I couldn’t use to the fullest potential.
After a few months of feeling frustrated with seeing no results at the big gym, mostly due to working out ineffectively because my Physiotherapist was adamant about not lifting weights without a personal trainer, I went to Plyomax to see Simon in May 2019. I had heard good things about Plyomax but most importantly, I read that they helped individuals build strength after surgery.
After meeting Simon for the assessment, I knew this would be the place that would not only help me see results, but that would give me my life back. After my first session, I could see they knew what they were doing and this made me feel confident and reassured. Within a few sessions, my back felt strong and I felt no more pain. I often had a dull pain in my lower back, especially after hockey, but within a few sessions, the pain was gone. I felt strong and better than ever. Not only did my hockey techniques improve, but I was also told by my teammates that I was playing better than ever. Within 3 months I lost 40 pounds. I continue to build muscle and strengthen my core and make attending Plyomax part of my daily routine.
Had I not walked into Plyomax, I would most likely still be struggling with discouragement due to constant pain and fear of reinjuring. But now, I am confident in my future and don’t think about my ordeal anymore because my back pain no longer stops me from living my life to the fullest. I can honestly say, Plyomax gave me my life back!