Patient Testimonials
“I sought Chiropractic care because I threw my back out for the third time and knew my surgeon couldn’t help me.”
“My only choices were to suffer in pain or try an alternative method. I am very satisfied with the results of my treatment. After having injured myself 23 years ago and ending up with surgery 16 years ago, pain has been a constant companion. Now, I’m off all medications, I have range of motion of my head and can move without a lot of pain. For years I’ve said “never” to Chiropractic because I was afraid to have someone “snap” my neck and whatever other bones I have, but when faced with incapacitation, knowing how it would be to function everyday, I only had one hope and this was it. I’ve been helped more by Dr. Smith in the past six weeks, than other methods in these past 23 years. I thank God of alternative methods and the ease which I live with now. Thanks to Dr. Eric’s expertise.” Cathy M
“I sought Chiropractic care because of severe neck pain. I am very satisfied with the results of my treatment.”
“I am a believer in Chiropractic, I know all things are affected by alignment. My dreams started up again the first day after an adjustment. I hadn’t dreamt for 3 to 4 years. I now dream regularly since my treatment started. I am grateful for the treatment and the positive vibes.” Annie J
“I sought Chiropractic care for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.”
“After I tried braces, cortisone shots, and surgery, I then came here. My Carpel Tunnel Syndrome symptoms are gone. Chiropractic has been beneficial for my body and soul. Dr. Smith is my guru. Everyone in his office is friendly and they always accommodate me, and I love the pictures”. Tura F
“I have tried other chiropractors, but no one has had the mastery of chiropractic techniques as well as the healing manner of Dr. Smith.”
“Under the care of Dr. Eric C. Smith I am no longer subject to frequent attacks of esophagitis, which were painful and disabling to the degree that I was no longer able to do garden work which required my bending over from the waist. I am also free from recurring attacks of hiccupping, also frequent and painful. Both the hiccupping and the esophagitis were long-standing problems for me. My hips were out of alignment, resulting in one leg being shorter than the other. Again, a problem of many years of having no chiropractic treatment.
I first learned the value of chiropractic adjustments when my father suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on one side for the five remaining years of his life. Weekly visits to the chiropractor kept him in good condition, other than the paralysis.
I have tried other chiropractors, but no one has had the mastery of chiropractic techniques as well as the healing manner of Dr. Smith. He is well versed in all the modern methods and equipment. It is a pleasure to share with others my welcome recovery from various ailments, due to the treatments of Dr. Smith.” Elsie O
“The symptoms were a very stiff back making it hard to move. I was in constant pain, plus periods of diarrhea and indigestion. Through Dr. Eric Smith’s unique sensitivity bringing the body back to its proper tone and rhythm; I am now enjoying a normal active life.”
“As to what the problem was I can not tell you. I can only give you the symptoms I experienced. The symptoms were a very stiff back making it hard to move. I was in constant pain, plus periods of diarrhea and indigestion. This made it impossible to do the lightest household activities or enjoy social contacts. Through Dr. Eric Smith’s unique sensitivity bringing the body back to its proper tone and rhythm; I am now enjoying a normal active life.” Amy M
“I am surfing, skateboarding, and golfing every week with little to no pain. I feel that Dr. Smith has given me a second chance.”
“I am a 26 year old male with a history of lower back pain. Since I was 12 years old, I have abused my back participating in extreme sports such as skateboarding, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and weightlifting. Although I am in excellent shape, my back simply could not endure all of the activity.
Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a moderate 2-mm posterior disc bulge. By exercising, I kept the pain to a minimal level. However, sometimes when I was wakeboarding or snowboarding, I would irritate my back and the pain would really bother me.
I never believed in Chiropractors because I always heard stories from other people with bad backs who said that going to a chiropractor was a waste of time and money. Finally, I saw Dr. Smith’s advertisement in the newspaper about the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment. Being a skeptic, I forwarded the information to my sports-medicine doctor and my family physician. Both of them said that I should give it a try. I’m glad that they said this because I feel like a new man today because of the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment.
My back is aligned thanks to Dr. Smith and the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment. Although I have decided to give up wakeboarding (the hardest board sport on the back) I feel that I could still participate in the sport without the pain that I had before the treatment.” .Sincerely, Joey R
“I’m so far and away better than when I walked in your office. Back then I felt hopeless due to the pain. Now, I smile just thinking about it”
“I just got one of your newsletters and it stimulated me to do something I’ve been meaning to do since last year: send you a note of thanks. I never officially thanked you for encouraging me to stick with the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment, despite my early frustrations with it. In the end, it turned out to be a very successful treatment. I’m not 100% but I’m so far and away better than when I walked in your office and felt hopeless that I smile just thinking about it now. I appreciate the generous offer you made that kept me there and in the end, it made all the difference in the world. I got my life back, I am back on track, I can do pretty much anything I want, and the back is a minor nuisance.
I stopped coming for treatments after I felt I’d come as far as I was going to go. Since then, I have taken up restorative yoga and gotten a lot of my flexibility back. I can touch my toes and even palm the floor, again!
So thank you for providing the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment. I wish it were more affordable and available to more people. It’s a great system.
I’d be glad to be a reference for anyone who wants some support around it. I have myself recommended it to a couple of folks, though I doubt they’ve followed up with you. I know it won’t work for everyone, but I am living proof it works for some.
So once again, thank you for your work and thank you for sticking with me. I’m grateful and deeply appreciative.” With Much Thanks, Gary T
“What I thought was incurable Fibromyalgia pain must not have been because I only feel that pain when I am in need of a treatment, and it goes away afterwards.”
“I have put off writing this letter because it involves some painful reflection upon what was the hardest year of my life. But you deserve the praise so here goes….
Over a year ago, I began having painful stabs in the lower right side of my groin that seemed to radiate around the back. I have experienced back pain for years but just “sucked it up”. This pain was different. It wouldn’t be ignored. So I did what any red blooded American would do. I ignored it. I am, of course, being facetious, but I have ignored chronic pain for over 20 years. (I was living with what I had been told was fibormyalgia and TMJ, both incurable.) This time I ignored myself right into some more ominous symptoms. I began to experience changes in my bowel and bladder function and abdominal bloating. I had fevers every day. This led me down several dead ends (pun intended). I had a barium enema and a colonoscopy. The gastroenterologist told by husband he watched the colon in a spasm and gave me medication for irritable bowel syndrome. I did not take it. I knew this was more painful than the irritable bowel I have ignored for 20 years. This was more like axe wielding maniac bowel syndrome. My menstrual cycle was disrupted and extremely painful. I was in the ER at least 4 times with unbearable pain. (This from a person who was taught that John Wayne was a religious icon for stoicism.) Each time I would explain that I had three children naturally without so much as an aspirin for pain. Each time I was sent home without anything but a condescending diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome and a sympathetic glance to my martyr husband saddled to this neurotic, hypochondriac housewife.
I changed doctors and was sent to a gynecologist who said he wanted to open me up and would probably find massive endometriosis. I sought a second opinion. This wonderful man did a laparoscopy fully expecting to remove endometriosis &/or an ovary. I was devastated to find out that I was the picture of gynecological health. That was not a typo. At this point I was so desperate to name and eliminate whatever was doing this to me. I would be told by my doctor that stomach cancer would not be ruled out and then have to wait 6 weeks to get in to check it out. (I could go on and on, this was a crisis for 10 months.) Finally, I got a break. I couldn’t walk anymore. I began to have traveling pain down the back of my leg and would not be alleviated in any position. The drugs I tried (I was on multiple pain killers) did nothing to reduce the pain. The only relief came when I was misinformed about which two painkillers I should take together and I knocked myself out for days. (I still hurt; I just hurt in my sleep.)
With this new symptom, I saw my chiropractor, Robin Alexander, who hit the nail on the head, disc herniation. A back x-ray was suspect; so against his better judgment and at my insistence, the neurologist ordered an MRI saying, “I will order this, but what it is going to say is that you are a middle aged woman. Degeneration is inevitable.” He got back to me right away and sent me to the neurosurgeon. I had a herniation in one disc and a bulge in another. I also had a free fragment indicating that a disk had broken off and was displacing the nerve. (Hence, the bladder and bowel symptoms.) The worst part was that the neurosurgeon told me that the only symptoms he could promise me relief from were the leg symptoms, at the risk of death or paralysis. He said that all the other symptoms were unrelated.
Desperate, I saw a well-respected Physiatrist in the city. He informed me that of all the back surgery cases, a free fragment is the most justifiable. He spent three hours with me and was able to explain the connection of all symptoms but the fevers. He also showed a spot on the x-ray that indicated an injury that occurred over 10 years ago. (That’s the reward you get from ignoring your pain!) Thankfully, he urged me to avoid surgery if at all possible.
And so, still in enormous pain, Dr. Alexander told me about Dr. Smith as a last ditch effort to avoid surgery. I was terrified when I walked into his office with my husband. I must say that I didn’t entirely trust this jovial giant, but I was desperate to believe what he told me. He not only took my pain seriously, but also took the time to explain how all the symptoms were connected and why even the fevers made sense. I balked at the time and financial investment (do you think John Wayne would ever spend this much on himself?) Dr. Smith called me at home and reassured me, without pressuring me into anything.
The first treatment caused some of the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. Not the Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment, but the muscle spasm I got following it. (My muscles had been in a spasm for 10 months.) Dr. Smith spoke calmly and reassuringly to me. He helped me up (that is saying a lot since I had gained 50 pounds over the previous year) and got me to the table for the most excruciating pain I ever felt. (Sorry, Dr. Smith, but it was.) When I got up, I wanted to adjust him a bit, right in the nose. But this is the amazing part, when I arrived home; a pain in my hip that I have lived with for 20 years was gone!!!
It has been a long road with some flare-ups (mostly when I forget that I have a body and do something stupid). I finished my 25 treatments feeling better than I have in years. What I thought was incurable fibrormyalgia pain must not have been because I only feel that pain when I am in need of a treatment, and it goes away afterwards. I have no fevers and my bladder and bowel symptoms are gone. I was thrilled that early on in treatment my stomach stopped bloating as the muscle stopped being in spasm.
I am now working for more stability with Pilates twice a week and Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment every two weeks. I cannot explain why this works, I am not a scientist. I cannot tell you what it is about Dr. Smith that made me trust him. All I can say is it does work and I am glad I did trust him. His sense of humor and big heart made what could have been drudgery, a real life changing experience. (I will stop short of saying a joy.) I have now had the “pleasure” of interacting with many doctors and I can say with some expertise as a professional patient, Dr. Smith is a healer in every sense of the word. I am thankful that he was part of the happy ending God wrote for this story and an important part of the happy beginning to the next chapter – a healthier life for me and my family.” Jill E
“I am now walking more frequently and am able to resume more of the outdoor activities I enjoy so much. Dr. Smith’s treatment is responsible for the improvement in my quality of life.”
“I had suffered debilitating back pain for most of my adult life resulting from various spine wrenching injuries endured over the years. Chiropractic care had kept me from the clutches of the evil spine surgeons. It was both an analgesic and a therapeutic balm to me. Then in 1994 I fell from my roof while investigating a leak and suffered a crushed spine resulting in three surgeries and the fusion of four vertebrae with the inclusion of stabilizing hardware. I also suffered a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis of my bladder and bowel functions and paralysis of much of the muscle functions of my legs and lower back.
Healing was slow and painful. In 1997 I had three car accidents, including being run down in a crosswalk, which re-fractured my spine. My Kaiser doctor offered two courses of treatment. More surgery or I could wait and see if the new fracture would heal in time. Obviously, I chose to wait and see. During the next year I began to get Chiropractic care again. I had been doubtful of gaining any benefit from the care because of the serious nature of the injuries and the resulting fusion of my spine. To my surprise (I suppose I shouldn’t been surprised), I began to experience less pain due to the relief of pressures in the injured area. I still had a great deal of pain and was taking narcotics to alleviate it. I had been taking these drugs now for four years and had been having difficulty performing well on my job.
To my delight, the new fracture healed and became stronger. I underwent more tests with Kaiser that determined I had torn discs above the below the injury area which were the most likely cause of my continuing pain. My Kaiser doctor again offered more surgery, although he wasn’t optimistic that it would do anything more than transfer the problems to the next disc above and below the fusion. To his credit he said the Chiropractic care was helping! He then said he would have no problem with me taking narcotics to treat the symptoms for the rest of my life@! His position was that the discs, once injured, would not heal.
In 1998 I met Dr. Eric C. Smith. After a consultation and evaluation Dr. Smith frankly told me he didn’t know if the treatment would help me because of the serious nature of my injuries but he felt that it wouldn’t hurt. The theory is what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. It took me a couple of months to make up my mind, during which my pain and drug use was increasing. My job performance was also at a low point and I was getting bad reviews. I began Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment in October of 1998 and went through two complete courses of treatment with Dr. Smith. After only six visits I was experiencing less pain and increased mobility. The discs seemed to be healing. I discontinued use of the narcotics around this time, although I continued to take a non-specific general pain reliever.
Now after treating with Dr. Smith for a year and a half I am drug free and can handle pain with over the counter drugs when needed. I had had to discontinue physical therapy after the car accidents because the pain resulting from exercise was too great. I am now walking more frequently and am able to resume more of the outdoor activities I enjoy so much. Dr. Smith’s treatment is responsible for the improvement in my quality of life. Although I will most likely never be pain free, I am able to do the things I need to do and to enjoy my life more now. I do require continuing Chiropractic care and will for the rest of my life. The body is a resilient organism and miraculously will heal itself if given the proper care and assistance. Dr. Smith has helped me immeasurably. The Decompression Reduction Stabilization treatment is unquestionably a remarkable treatment, which I hope will become (as well as Chiropractic) a medically accepted and recognized specific treatment for spine trauma. Thank you for your care and support.” David H