Maureen Fautley

I have always been an active person – keeping up with two very active, sports-loving boys – I was always skiing, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, biking, kayaking – always on the go.  So, over the course of those active years, injuries were, unfortunately, a common occurrence.  I sustained two more serious injuries – one while snowmobiling, where the machine ended up on top of me and I had to push it off, and also while working towards my trail guide’s qualifications for horseback riding, I was tossed off and fractured my collarbone and separated my shoulder.

As time passed, those injuries caught up with me and I ended up with two compressed discs in my lower back – they would become acute on occasion, and chiropractic and physiotherapy were the recommended treatment.

Then after 21 years in the same house in Oakville [Ontario, Canada], we moved into our dream home further north.  The preparation to move was exciting but demanding, and there was a lot to do – sorting, packing, cleaning!  The final two months before moving were intensely busy with those activities, and then, once the move was completed, I had to UNPACK!

After settling in to the new house I noticed the occasional nagging pain in my back had become constant and severe – an MRI indicated that the condition of my discs had worsened and drugs were prescribed – I didn’t want to rely on chemicals, and would only as a last resort.

So I spent many hours on the floor with an icepack to help relieve the symptoms.

I knew I couldn’t continue like this, so I looked on-line for an osteopath – having heard that this could be yet another option.  I selected an osteopath who worked at the same facility run by a sports physiotherapist I had seen before – and I set up an appointment to see her.  After the initial consultation we started a schedule of treatments that over the course of almost a year and a half proved to be extremely effective, and combined with regular exercise, I am now almost pain free!

Over the first year in the new house I gained almost 20lbs due to inactivity. Getting to the point where I was able to challenge myself and get my active life back, I took on an exercise program, which involved walking, and the use of light weights and resistance, all to start to build strength and stamina.

Prior to the acute stage of my back pain I had enjoyed many long walks with my excellent dog Lucy.  At one point I was able to pick up the pace and run a little – an activity that had never appealed to me before.  Unfortunately, Lucy didn’t live long enough to make the move, and so I was without a running buddy – but having access to the golf course next door now allowed for a seasonal training course (winter!) that I took advantage of.  It has lots of variety in the terrain, and I was able to gradually work up to longer distances and bigger hills. So, combined with the workouts which include resistance,(weights) and standard core strengthening exercises (planks, “bird dogs”, crunches) and the running, I feel great! I have managed to lose all of the extra weight, and I am stronger than I have ever been. I “get” the runners’ high people talk about – it’s an addiction, but it’s a good addiction! I feel I am fortunate that I had such positive results. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely! It’s a life long commitment, but I realize I am in control of my health and well being (with a little help from the professionals!)

I look forward to a whole new aspect of life, which is now available to me – including participating in 5 – 10 km running events!

“The dura is a fascial sweater that surrounds the spinal cord, from the bottom of the tailbone at the coccyx to the base of the skull. From there, it enters the skull through a silver dollar-sized hole to surround the brain and all the tissues within it. This includes the sphenoid bone, which houses the pituitary-hypothalamus. Sheaths of the dura also surround and infuse with the pituitary itself.

During the course of therapy, we use a whole body approach, addressing the spinal cord, dura and all of their attachments, from head to tailbone. Any dysfunction in this system, which is responsible for a countless number of activities, can have profound effects on various areas of the body.

We knew that the tissues within the skull (including the pituitary) should react to adhesive pulls similarly to other tissues in the body. We found that when we treated the dura and its attachments all the way into the brain, we saw dramatic improvements in FSH levels and numerous full-term pregnancies in women diagnosed hormonally infertile.”    

Inspirational Quotes