BACK PAIN… a patient testimonial by Jackie Makowski
From jumping out of airplanes with a parachute strapped tight around his body to patrolling the dusty streets of postwar Iraq, Taurus Smith has had a distinguished 20-year career in the United States military. As a high school graduate, Smith had joined the ROTC as a way to pay for college. What he found in the military was a fulfilling career his family could be proud of and a powerful camaraderie of service men and women who shared his ideals. Yet some of the challenging, mandatory training in the military has led to back pain in recent years. When Smith, who is a military member stationed in Huntsville, Alabama, began experiencing excruciating back pain several years ago, he thought the military career he loved was in jeopardy. After seeing several different types of doctors, he eventually found his way to the Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants, who successfully reduced his pain and helped make it possible for him to continue serving the country. TAURUS SMITH’S PATIENT STORY There is a saying in the military that “everyone is a rifleman.” Since every serviceman can be deployed around the world at any time, the military requires every member to stay at high standards of physical fitness. For Smith, there have been challenging 12-mile road marches carrying a 40-lb rucksack on his back and a weapon in his arms. He’s jumped out of a helicopter and accidentally landed in a tree with his feet dangling six feet off the ground. He’s completed four-mile runs followed by 12-mile road marches while training lieutenants. For most of his career, Smith completed the physical fitness tests and exercises with no problems. But then the pain started a few years ago.
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