I am a 35 year old female diagnosed since 1998 with Ankylosing Spondylitis. AS is a form of arthritis that affects primarily the sacro-iliac joints, spine, and hips. My joints are not breaking down; they are actually hardening (calcifying) over time. I have been using the biologic medication, Enbrel, for over two years now, which became necessary after a great number of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications failed to bring my disease under control. The inflammation/irritation of the SI joints in particular have caused periodic inflammation and flare-ups in the muscles of my hips and lower back, sometimes so severe that I cannot sit, stand or lie down comfortably. The pain has reached emergency levels about three times per year in the past three years where heavy doses of painkiller and prednisone are the only things that can bring the level 10 pain back to manageable levels. The prednisone treatment in most cases must continue for at least 4 to 6 weeks (on a taper down schedule) and I have learned that physical therapy also helps a great deal. I have also learned how to listen to my body over the past 10 years, and when I feel a flare coming on now, I try to nip it in the bud with prednisone and/or rest before it gets full blown and takes me out of commission entirely. It was after a particularly challenging flare in the Winter of 2007-08 that I considered using chiropractic treatment to recover and maintain full function.
Jason was the “new guy” in town and I felt that he may be more up-to-date on treating my sort of problem than a more seasoned practitioner. Chiropractic care is not a standard way to treat Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Dr. Grimm was very upfront with me about his training in this regard, but I think he wanted to learn from me for better or worse and I am so grateful for his enthusiasm to learn about my condition. I found Jason to be extremely professional and thorough in our first meetings. The most important thing (the thing that made me decide to be his patient) was his compassion. I have had my share of doctors with poor bedside manner, so feeling that my doctor actually cares about me is essential to my decision to continue seeing them. Jason is extremely knowledgeable and has the ability to convey that knowledge in a very direct and understandable way. He always tells me what he is going to do before he begins and why. (Speaking as a fellow scientist, I appreciate the explanations!) I had never received chiropractic treatment before, and I know that the first couple of sessions were nerve-wracking on my part, but Dr. Grimm was extremely careful and gentle, as he still is. He quickly wiped away any skepticism I may have had in greatest part due to his compassion and willingness to listen. I know he worked very hard to understand my condition and that work has paid off for both of us.
I must admit that I don’t set up appointments to see Dr. Grimm year-round. (I am eagerly waiting for the day when he is covered under my insurance plan.) What I need to emphasize more than anything with this testimonial is that I am 100% convinced that Jason eases my pain in the midst of a flare episode and definitely shortens the amount of time it takes for me to recover from a flare. He has helped me through three severe episodes now and thankfully, I haven’t needed to see him for awhile, but next time I feel awful (which will inevitably happen), I am going to call Jason early. I usually see him at least three times a week when it’s bad and then once a week until I feel healthy again, which thanks to him is less than a month now from start to end. I really don’t like to think how much more time at work I would have missed and general pain I would have felt if I had not had his help in the past couple of years. I believe the adjustment of my SI joints in particular serves to stir up the pockets of inflammation deep in the joint; by loosening up the tissue in the joint in repeated regular visits, we are helping my body to recover a normal balance more quickly and with less associated pain. The spinal attachments to my hips and SI joints are critical areas as well. I have learned a lot more about my own body by my interaction with Jason and that is the best we can hope for from a medical professional.
I wholly endorse Dr. Grimm and his practice and wish him the best in the years to come. His positive attitude and willingness to learn from his patients is a joy to be around.
Thank you, Jason from the bottom of my heart. I don’t tell you enough, but I so appreciate how you have helped me both physically and mentally. God bless in the new year with health and happiness to your wife and son.
SC
I had been having low back pain for over a month and it was causing me difficulty in most all of my daily activities. Sleep was difficult, yard work was nearly impossible, and I was uncomfortable all of the time. The only help my family physician offered was pain medication, so at that point I decided to call Dr. Jason.
I had never experienced chiropractic care so I was somewhat nervous. At my first appointment Dr. Jason took the time to get to know me and my medical history and explain chiropractic care. I found his adjustments to be very tolerable and had partial pain relief after the first visit. It did take 2-3 visits after my initial visit to be totally pain free, but after each adjustment I was improving. I also understood my back issues didn’t happen overnight so it was going to be a process to be healthy again.
Dr. Jason also helped me to discover what I was doing in my daily life that was causing my back issues (posture and poor habits at my work space). He also instructed me on exercises to help strengthen my core to help keep my spine in good position.
I am very impressed and grateful for the care and time Dr. Jason has given me. He made himself available when I needed help the most at some very inconvenient times for him I’m sure. I have resumed all the activities that I enjoy and am pain free. I continue to see Dr. Jason on a maintenance basis because I’m now a firm believer that when your spine is in good condition, your whole being feels great!
Cris Walker
I came to Dr. Jason with loss of strength in my right arm, my shoulder blade sticking out when trying to lift my arm, and numbness and pain traveling down both of my arms. This progressed to loss of strength in the whole arm to the point at which I could no longer use it to lift objects. After having gone through 2 months of therapy and being told that I would have to learn to “deal with it” I showed up in Dr. Jason’s office. He was gracious enough to see me on a Saturday. After evaluating my spine to find the exact vertebra causing irritation to the nervous system and taking some x-rays, he adjusted my spine. I was very impressed that within 3 days of the first spinal adjustment the strength reappeared in my arm and my neck began to move much better! After a total of three adjustments the strength in my arm is completely back, my shoulder blade is where it should be and the numbness and pain is absent from my arms. What I do have as a result is the ability to change a car tire, pick up my kids or ride motorcycles again.