In 2010, at age 20, I was in Vermont during the winter, slipped and took a bad fall on a
set of concrete stairs. I had searing pain in my left lower back for a week after the fall,
but didn’t go to the doctor as I was young and did not have any broken bones. The
back pain never completely resolved, and over the years the pain in my lower back
varied between tingling nerve pain down my spine to a dull, consistent ache.
Shortly after this, while working 10-20 hours a week in a restaurant with hard stone
floors while finishing school, my left foot started aching all the time, even the day after I
had worked. I am a very active person that enjoys running, so this was extremely hard
for me.
A podiatrist eventually identified a small fracture in the sesamoid bone in my
left foot that was causing the pain, which was constant each day and sometimes
throbbing at night. I thought I was to young to be having constant foot pain, but the
only alternatives provided to me by multiple podiatrists were custom orthotics to
alleviate the direct impact and pressure on my sesamoid bone, or surgery to remove
the sesamoid bone. None of the professionals I saw were hopeful that my bone would
heal by itself, because the sesamoid bone is so small and gets so little blood flow (and
resting my foot would require me to stay in bed for up to 8 weeks, which was not an
option). I used orthotics, but they only relieved the pain slightly.
Also following my fall, I started developing UTI’s, typically having at least once a year.
In 2013, while living in a foreign country, I was hospitalized for 3 days for a UTI that
became a kidney infection. While living abroad, my back pain and foot pain continued
to be an inevitable part of my daily life. Additionally, my urinary function had declined
significantly - I had to urinate every hour or so, urgently, regardless of how much fluids I
drank. In some cases, I was unable to hold it!
I moved back to the States 2014 and still couldn’t figure out what was causing my
back and foot pain. I tried to eat healthy and maintain an active lifestyle but was
unable to resolve the pain on my own, and continued to suffer from UTI’s and reduced
bladder function.
In relocating to Florida I looked for a Functional Medicine Practitioner at the
recommendation of a friend and found Dr Sandra Bontemps listed on the Institute of
Functional Medicine website.
I have been seeing Dr Sandra for 10 months now and I am so glad I found her. My
back pain has resolved - no more tingly nerve and inexplicable soreness at the end of
the day. Additionally, my foot pain has improved dramatically - from an 8 or 9 to a 1 or
2 - and I am able to enjoy being active, walking, running, etc. without the constant
pain slowing me down. A huge added benefit of her treatment that I did not anticipate
has been the improvement of my bladder function! I am able to go longer periods of
time without urinating, and have not had an UTI in the past 18 months!She is highly skilled doctor and has a keen ability to intuit pain points and areas of tension in the body and release then with her healing touch.
Dr Sandra is deeply knowledgable and thorough on her approach. She is passionate
about educating her patients on the connections between lifestyle, mind and body and
helping them to achieve a balanced, sustainable state of health. She has not only
treated my chronic pain but helped me improve my diet and wellbeing leading to less
pain, less stress, and better ability to handle what life throws at me. I have
recommended Dr Sandra to my family and friends - she was able to help me where
other professionals could not.
THANK YOU!!
- Emma O., West Palm Beach, FL