When Andrew and Nicole moved from the heat of city life in Arizona to the small town charm of Greenville in the summer of 2021, it wasn’t just the move they had to recover from. Nicole had just given birth to their third child and Andrew was passing a decade of working hunched over a computer.
This couple ended up under the care of Dr. Kevin Lewis and happier and healthier than they had ever been before. But how it happened – and why they are now living their best life – is all part of their pretty incredible journey.
Old Injuries + No Consistency
Both Andrew and Nicole saw a chiropractor when they lived in Arizona but not on a consistent basis. They went when something hurt, got in line to get adjusted and went home. Andrew has been seeing chiropractors since he was in high school and dislocated his knee but neither his wife nor himself were consistent in going to their chiropractor, who never addressed any long term goals or previous injuries.
“I came out [to Greenville] just hurting,” said Nicole. “I woke up every day in pain – my upper back, my lower back, shoulders. I was constantly holding my big baby and it was taking a toll on my body.”
Additionally, Nicole had a series of unaddressed old injuries from her time playing sports and riding horses as a teenager and young adult. None of those injuries were ever addressed and the pain only compounded once she started having children.
Both her and Andrew also had multiple fender benders while living in a big city in Arizona and Andrew had even gotten hit while on his bike. Add in long hours hunched over a computer and both of their bodies and spinal health were suffering.
Finding Dr. Lewis
Soon after the big move to Greenville, Nicole was six months postpartum and not feeling great. Something had to change. She started researching chiropractors and came across a video on social media that a girl made about the Gonstead chiropractic method. She didn’t know there were multiple chiropractic methods and this video piqued her interest in learning more about the Gonstead method, which takes a holistic and methodical approach to addressing spinal health.
She called that particular Gonstead chiropractor that was in this girl’s video to see if he had any recommendations for someone in Greenville as he was located a few hours away. It turns out he did! He recommended Dr. Lewis and Nicole immediately made an appointment for an initial consultation.
Nicole was x-rayed and then saw Dr. Lewis to go over the results of testing. She was shocked at just how much the years of wear and tear on her body had done to her spine. It was eye-opening and after Dr. Lewis went through treatment options, she chose to pursue care under the practice.
It wasn’t until a year later that Andrew got into Greenville Spine for his consultation. The reason? He saw how much Dr. Lewis had helped his wife and he knew he also had some serious issues to address.
“My posture was bad,” said Andrew. “I always slouched over working from home and I knew I could get better. I thought I should just go in and get x-rayed.”
So he did. The results were more than surprising.
“My back was operating at 20%,” he said.
He started treatment with Dr. Lewis in the fall of 2022 and by late winter, his back was operating at 80%. His adjustments were holding really well and he did his exercises that Dr. Lewis recommended and continued to workout.
Looking at the Long-Term Picture
It can certainly be shocking to see the damage done over the years to your body, as Nicole and Andrew saw firsthand. But it can also be overwhelming to learn about the treatment options. Fixing spinal issues cannot happen overnight or with just a few adjustments here and there.
“Dr. Lewis’ model is going to be very different from people who are used to going into a chiropractor when they are feeling uncomfortable,” said Nicole. “When we first saw the protocol, it was overwhelming but we had never addressed old injuries. Other chiropractic experiences have felt like band-aids on immediate concerns. I feel like, with Dr. Lewis, we are actually addressing our spine health and old injuries. There is a lot of peace.”
For Andrew, it was easier to see the long-term picture of taking care of issues now versus later on down the road when they were much, much worse.
“I think sometimes people see sticker shock because they are used to getting a band-aid or just handling issues when it comes up,” said Andrew. “What they don’t realize is that when they get to be older, they have to adjust everything they didn’t adjust earlier. It’s cheaper, easier, and less painful to do it now. Breaking it down to the cost of each adjustment, that number doesn’t look as daunting.”
Nicole has had fantastic results with Dr. Lewis. She says that she feels so much stronger, even now after her third baby than after her first.
“I can say this is the best I’ve ever felt as a mom,” she says.
Due to the success that Andrew and Nicole have had with Dr. Lewis, they’ve brought their three children in for treatment also. Two of them are just on maintenance programs and Dr. Lewis is working with the third child for ankle issues and recurrent ear infections.
Working with the Staff at Greenville Spine
Both Nicole and Andrew said that they love the staff at Greenville Spine and everyone has been so accommodating. As sometimes happens in the lives of busy families, people get unexpectedly hurt.
“Our youngest child one morning woke up with kind of a limp so we got her into Dr. Lewis and he was really great and got her in a couple times and we saw a huge improvement. He’s always been super accommodating,” said Nicole.
And Andrew was helping a friend move when he hurt his back. Even though Dr. Lewis had a packed schedule, he was able to get in twice that week and back to working out in no time.
“Dr. Lewis listens a lot to what you’re saying,” said Andrew. “His method pairs well with what I want my lifestyle to be.”
Ready for your transformation story?
If you’re ready to take that next step in fixing old injuries, healing your immediate aches and pains, or just maintaining your overall health, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Call us at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.