My symptoms included the inablity to walk upright due to severe leg pain which extended down from my lower back past my right knee, I had to hold on to both of my hips in order to walk by myself.  Most pain relief came in the form of prescription drugs and staying on my back in bed.  My condition did not allow me to walk or even take part in my daughter’s 1st birthday activities.  Paint Creek Chiropractic, Dr. Eric DeRusha, relieved all of my back and leg pain.  After a few days I was comfortably walking upright.  It was worth the drive from Livonia because my quality of life is returning to normal and I feel great!

Kevin O.

My name is Sandy, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis MS in 1994.  My diagnosis was relatively easy as the typical symptoms; lack of balance, numbness in the feet and legs, and extreme fatigue were present on a daily basis.  My MS was confirmed via an MRI and spinal tap and my diagnosis was for relapsing and remitting. 

As MS patients know decisions have to be made by each individual on how they are going to treat the disease.  In my case I chose a very aggressive treatment plan quitting work to focus on maintaining my health, researching treatments and using the latest available drugs to combat the disease such as Avonex, Rebif, Copaxen and now Tysabri. 

Over the course of years my MS progressed and I lost strength in my arms, legs and hips eventually experiencing drop foot.  It became increasing difficult to walk distances limiting my ability get around on my own.  I became increasing reliant on mobility aids for every day activity such as shopping, gardening, walking up stairs, getting in and out of cars and taking the dog for a walk down the street.  The more difficult I found it to be mobile the more my activity level slowed down.  Eventually, just walking around the house was a painful effort.  I felt I was reaching a new level of disability and did not see a recovery coming my way.

Visits with my Primary Care Physician and Neurologist prescribed medications and physical therapy.  While the new medication provided some recovery from feeling of exhaustion, it had no effect on my physical strength, neck, back and hip pain.  The prescribed physical therapy only worsened conditions as the exercises exacerbated the pain in my legs and back.  I was in tears and worried that I had entered another stage of MS that would leave me totally disabled.

A good friend of mine, who must have been my personal angel, told me about her chiropractor, Dr Eric DeRusha, who was having success working with MS patients.  Although I had positive experience with a chiropractor 25 years earlier, I was skeptical as I had never heard of chiropractic treatment for MS.  I have always been aggressive seeking new treatments so I decided to give it a try.  MS patients know there is no cure, but there are options that can improve our symptoms.

My first visit to Dr Eric’s practice was the low point of my life with MS.  My husband wheeled me into the office where I was to have x-rays and a preliminary examination.  I was in so much pain that I was unable to stand for the x-rays during the preliminary examination without the help of Dr Eric’s wonderfully helpful staff. 

Normally Dr Eric’s process is to x-ray the patient, conduct an initial assessment, and then do detailed treatment plans which are communicated to the patient within a day or two.  Dr Eric understood the pain I was in and adjusted his schedule so that he did an initial assessment and my first adjustment later that afternoon.  I was in such pain before the adjustment that I was in tears and unable to climb onto the examining table without assistance.  Dr. Eric adjusted me that day and then 3 more times that week.  By the end of the next week I was walking into his office using my walker.  Within a month I was back to using a cane to get around and now after three months I am walking more often without my cane than with it.  My problem now is remembering where I left my cane.

My recovery was not without effort on my part and required me to follow simple programs designed by Dr Eric.  First let me state that Dr Eric is very enthusiastic and keeps up to date in the latest medical advances.  Dr Eric is a CBP Chiropractor or Biophysics Chiropractor.  This form of chiropractic treatment focuses on retraining the body to maintain proper posture and alignment through traction and exercise.  Dr Eric requires each of his patients to participate in a one hour spinal awareness class that he teaches every Tuesday.  As a CBP Chiropractor, Dr Eric offers two forms of treatment; “patch” and “fix”.  Both forms are valuable and the name describes the type of treatment a patient can choose to receive.  The patch treatment is used to quickly get the patient out of their immediate pain but does not focus on a permanent solution.  The fix treatment, which I chose, focuses on spinal realignment and retraining the body to maintain the realignment through traction and simple exercise. 

The fix treatment requires the patient to commit to a treatment plan where they will attend appointments 3 days a week for up to 30 treatments.  During this time Dr Eric realigns and tracks progress through the use of x-rays to ensure the proper alignment is occurring.  In my case, my x-rays showed dramatic improvement in alignment and my physical ability soared.   I will soon move to a maintenance schedule where I will see Dr Eric a few times a month. 

So where has this treatment left me?  In pretty good shape!  While the pharmaceutical treatments slow the progression of MS, the chiropractic treatments provided by Dr Eric gave me back quality of life.  I am virtually pain free and focused on building strength; walking half a mile each day and exercising regularly.  My legs and hips are stronger then they have been in years.  It is gratifying to have family and friends notice and comment on how well I look and how active I have become.  I can shop on my own, garden, enjoy paddle boat rides and in general lead a normal life. 

When I think of the progress I have made I become overjoyed with emotion.  It truly feels like Dr Eric’s treatments have given me renewed hope for the future and I know I will live a healthier, happier and more active life.

Dear Headache Sufferer,

                Do you know what it is like to get out of bed, almost every day, with a headache that hurts so badly, all you can do is lay in a dark room and try to sleep until it goes away?  Can you imagine this happening to an 11 year old boy and continuing for six years?

                My son (who wishes to remain anonymous) started having headaches when he was in 3^rd and 4^th grade.  By the time he was in the 6^th grade, the headaches were so severe that we had to remove him from school.  Over the course of the next six years we sought medical treatment from 6 neurologists, an ear, nose and throat specialist, an allergist, 4 physical therapists, an osteopathic family doctor who specialized in migraines, and a functional dentist who specialized in migraines.  We had his eyes tested, x-rays, CT scans of his sinuses & neck, MRI’s of his brain and neck, all resulting in no explanation as to the source of his chronic headaches.  My son was prescribed over 30 different medications.  He endured 3 days of intensive IV treatment in an attempt to stop the pain.  We had doctors try to tell us this was all in his head!  We kept his braces on a year after his bite was corrected because a headache specialist diagnosed TMJ and wanted a different bite.  We even considered acupuncture.  He tried two different chiropractors, but did not like the treatment, so we stopped. 

                My son was evaluated by an orthopedic spine specialist and we were told that they did not see any reason why he was suffering from these horrible headaches.  We eventually came to our own conclusion that the headaches were originating from his neck.  We tried occipital nerve blocks, which seemed to work at first, but didn’t work every time.  If the shot did not work, he would have to wait a month in order to receive another one.  That meant another month of pain and falling farther and farther behind in school and in life.  It wasn’t until I started searching for a neurosurgeon that I decided to give chiropractic care another try.  I viewed surgery as an absolute last resort.  Why did we not try chiropractic care sooner? Every medical doctor or physical therapist that I spoke with cautioned us against it.

                I must admit, we were very skeptical on our first visit with Dr. DeRusha.   Even though I could see what he was explaining to me on the x-rays, there was a little voice in the back of my head that doubted this would really make a difference.  Plus, the treatment plan he outlined would require serious commitment of time and resources.  I am no longer a skeptic, but a true believer.  Not only did he thoroughly explain his treatment plan, he explained that we would be able to see results on follow up x-rays.

                Now the only regret I have is that we didn’t visit Paint Creek Chiropractic years ago!  My son has missed out on so much of his teenage years.  He has had to delay getting his driver’s license and takes all of his high school classes online, because he could not meet the attendance requirements to attend public school.  We watched him suffer for years!  My family struggled with watching his pain every day.  We did not make vacation plans, because who can take a vacation while their child lies in a dark room with an ice pack on his head.  We did not go to the movies because the sound was too loud.  We did not go out to eat, or entertain guests in our home.  If our son was having a pain free day or a good day, we would hurry and try to find something fun to do.  The stress of trying to stay current with his studies was always looming.

                As the mother and main caregiver, I always had hope that we would learn what was causing this almost constant pain.  I searched the internet everyday for answers or new treatment ideas, because nothing took his pain away. I was not willing to accept that this was going to be his life and his future.  Unfortunately, the stress of his care also took a toll on me.  I developed an anxiety disorder due to the constant, chronic worry that went along with my knowing he was in such pain and I could not stop it.  If he was having a good day, I had a good day.  If the pain started, I would have an anxiety attack.  We never knew why the headaches started, or what started them, or how long they would last.  Would this headache be 3 days, 8 days, or a month?  That stress and uncertainty greatly affected me.

                To say that Dr. DeRusha’s treatment plan for my son has been successful is such an understatement.  I really consider Dr. DeRusha to be the miracle that my family had been searching for.  I no longer have to hide my tears from my son.  I now have true tears of joy! After just a couple of months of treatments, we started seeing a lessening of his pain.  My son is now pain free.  We saw the changes to his spine and his posture on the post treatment x-rays, visible proof that the treatment plan was accomplishing what Dr. DeRusha said needed to happen to eliminate the chronic headaches.  My son no longer wakes up every day with a migraine.  He no longer wonders if he is going to get one without any warning.  He is almost caught up with his high school class and hopes to return as a senior and graduate next spring.  He has his driver’s license and has taken his college entrance exams.  Dr. DeRusha has changed his life completely.  The pain is gone, but if he does get a headache we know that Dr. DeRusha can successfully make it disappear.

                My whole family is now starting to make plans for the future that we couldn’t even imagine even earlier in this year.  Dr. DeRusha has helped not only my son but everybody who has supported us, prayed for us, and worried about him.

                There is a famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emmerson that defines success:

Success: To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether be a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded!        

                In my eyes, Dr. DeRusha is a very successful person.  He has made an amazing impact on my son’s life, my family’s life, and I see the impact he has on other people in his practice.  His staff is very professional, kind and caring.  Dr. DeRusha is an exceptional doctor that I would recommend to anyone who suffers from headaches of any kind.  Why would you waste one more precious day living with pain, when I have just told you that there may be hope for you.  We never gave up hope.  I am truly grateful every day that we found Dr. DeRusha.   I hope you make the decision to visit him today.

Respectfully,

Cheryl R.

Thank you very much Cheryl for your kind words and for sharing you and your son’s experience at Paint Creek Chiropractic Center.

                Chiropractic allows the nervous system to function better by removing interferences to the nervous system called subluxations.  Abnormal posture and spinal alignment create subluxations.  Improving posture and spinal alignment allows the body to heal itself through improved nervous system function.  Cheryl’s son’s improvement was due to his body and nervous system having a chance to heal itself.  

                We use a method called Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP).  CBP uses “mirror image” posture adjusting, posture correction exercises and traction to restore a person’s posture and spinal structure to normal or as near normal as possible.  We verify the changes with before and after digital posture analysis and spinal x-rays; that way we know when a patient is finished with care.

                If you are a headache sufferer and are interested in having your posture and spine evaluated to see if chiropractic may help you, call Paint Creek Chiropractic Center at (248) 601-4540 to make an appointment.  You have nothing to lose but your headaches.  We are located in downtown Rochester, Michigan.

Prior to getting chiropractic treatment on my back I had tried many other options including physical therapy, acupuncture and acupressure.  Despite over two years of treatment, I was still unable to participate fully in normal daily activities let alone play golf or other sports.  After only two months of chiropractic treatment, I go to high school football games, play golf, ride bikes and enjoy pain free days.  The icing on the cake is that my wife and I are planning our first vacation in over two years.

Larry H. – patient of Paint Creek Chiropractic Center

     Thanks Larry.  Here’s to breaking par soon!

     Dr. DeRusha

Some mornings the pain was just so horrific I wanted to die!  I had constant shooting and throbbing low back pain that traveled into my hip, leg and ankle when sitting or lying down.  I was unable to get out of bed, stand on my leg or even lift my feet to get dressed.  The pain would awaken me around 2 a.m. most mornings.  I would lie there and suffer until my husband would get up and help me get dressed for work.  I couldn’t focus or think properly.  I would stand in my office and at my meetings; and I had to quit my weight training and all active sports.  The medical profession provided temporary relief with medication that I had been taking for two months.  I was crushed when my medical doctor’s final advice was, “Wait until the leg goes numb and you are in a wheelchair before trying surgery.”

Thankfully I went to Dr. Eric DeRusha at Paint Creek Chiropractic in Rochester.  I work in Dearborn and it was a long drive after work to Dr. DeRusha’s office for my appointment…but it was worth the drive.  He did a thorough exam including x-rays.  He asked me about my problem and how much it impacted my life, and then offered me options for care.  Pain relief began in the first weeks and after completing Chiropractic BioPhysics care I am completely pain free.  To me, it’s a miracle!  I don’t need a blow dryer to dry my feet after taking a shower, I can lift my feet to dress, I sleep through the night and I can sit at my desk and for my meetings.  I am amazed to be playing tennis and exercising again.  The care Dr. DeRusha provided me allowed my body to heal to a point where I could really live again.

Barbara S. – patient of Paint Creek Chiropractic Center

     Thank you Barbara for sharing your experience at our office,

     Dr. Eric DeRusha

When first visiting Dr. DeRusha’s office, I was in severe pain.  I had major shoulder and neck pain; shooting pain and numbness down my arm.

The pain I encountered was so intense that I could not sleep more than a couple of hours a night.  I could not find a comfortable laying or sitting position.  Getting in and out of my car was difficult.  I had to refrain from all physical activities.

Today, after completing Chiropractic BioPhysics care, I am virtually pain free.  I can sleep through the night again.  I’m able to resume my physical activities once again and I feel wonderful.  Lots of energy and motivation!

 Thank you Paint Creek Chiropractic Center!

Rob Ozella – patient of Paint Creek Chiropractic Center

     Thanks Rob for sharing your experience,

     Dr. Eric DeRusha

 Six years ago, when I opened my practice at Paint Creek Chiropractic Center,  I immediately began helping patients who had come in for conditions most often associated with treatment through chiropractic care.  Conditions that could be summed up in one word – pain! Back pain, neck pain, arm pain, hip pain, leg pain, jaw pain, joint pain- any type of pain.   Being one of about 300 chiropractors in the world who specializes in Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP), I knew I could help them in a way they weren’t expecting. .  First, we show new patients that their pain has a cause and correction, and is not necessarily a condition they have to live with or temporarily treat on an ongoing basis for the rest of their lives.  This is certainly enough reason for people to pursue this treatment method. But, it gets better!  By restoring the position of the spine and posture to normal or as near normal as possible, CBP essentially allows the body to heal itself in all areas that the misaligned spine and posture had affected.  The result – my patients have been reporting dramatic improvements in their overall health and well- being.  The following is an excerpt from an article that ran recently in Suburban Lifestyles,  a Rochester, MI weekly publication, about a patient and his experience at Paint Creek Chiropractic.   Pain Relief, Snoring Cessation and a Better Golf Game!Paint Creek Chiropractic Patients Discover New Incentives for Chiropractic Care William Schmidt, a Paint Creek Chiropractic Care patient since 2007, credits Dr.
Eric DeRusha with – among many other things – making him a better golfer.  Schmidt had been doctoring his sports injuries through various types of treatment for 40 years before coming to Dr. DeRusha.  “I hadn’t had much luck with chiropractic care for my pain, and had sort of dismissed it as an option,” Schmidt said. “In addition to pain, I was also suffering from breathing problems.  I had been diagnosed with asthma and just thought that was the problem.  “Then, I met Dr. DeRusha at a meeting and decided to attend a seminar he was offering the following week. He got my attention rather quickly when he explained how his method differed from other chiropractic methods. He listed some of the conditions he had successfully treated; one of them was breathing problems.  It made sense to me that it could be possible that the position of my spine was causing my problems. After all, I had spent 10 hours a day, for 25 years, pinching a phone between my ear and left shoulder.  I’m sure that affected more than my neck.    “During my first appointment, Dr. DeRusha showed me my X-rays and explained how the position of my spine and posture was affecting not only my breathing, but also the back pain I had lived with for decades.   I signed on for 30 treatments – and committed to 4 treatments per week, unsure if I was really going to follow through.  “After just a few treatments, I knew Dr. DeRusha was on the right track.  For the first time, I was feeling noticeably better in places that had always hurt.  Just going through a day without carrying the pain around was enough for me to fully commit to the treatment and exercise program I was given.   “I had no idea that there were other benefits in store for me.  I‘m now doing wellness care – my golf swing and my game has improved! I have more energy and the X-rays show how and why I’ve experienced such improvement in the overall way I feel – the treatments and the posture exercises work! Not only do I feel better but I can see my spine’s position improve on the x-rays.   I’m continuing because I’m committed to getting as ideal an alignment as possible – I want to see just how good I can feel!  “After 40 years, I found the right doctor whose treatments are based on a clear understanding of how the spine and muscles work, and how their alignment – or misalignment -   affects a person’s health and well-being.  But, as I mentioned earlier, Dr. DeRusha’s treatment is based on how my spine and posture affects my health and well-being. In other words, the personal approach he takes to providing spinal care is unique, credible and very refreshing – and it works!”