Lakeside Physical Therapy

Jul 2023

I saw Dr Wright today. He was professional and kind. I would highly recommend him. The woman who took my xrays was very kind and gentle. NM

May 2021

30 PLUS YEARS !!! I know that’s a strange way to start a comment but that point can NOT be understated. A short story on my injury to put things in prospective. August 10, 1990, I was a crewmember onboard an Army helicopter fighting wild fires in Northern California. During that mission the aircraft I was in suffered catastrophic engine failure resulting in an accident where I sustained my back injury. My back injury has been treated by both military and civilian doctors over the past thirty years. My appointments often ended by being told that there is nothing they could do and that I should get use to my new normal. I was prescribed pain pills, other medication and therapy to help mitigate my constant back pain and discomfort. Now, let’s fast forward to earlier 2021, my wife and I have relocated to Lake Havasu City,(LHC) Arizona, and were in the process of establishing ourselves with medical and dental services. Due to my chronic back pain, Dr. McDonald my new LHC doctor gave me a referral to Dr. Heiner, Lakeside Orthopedics, whom subsequently referred me to Dr. Wright in the same office. My initial appointment with Dr. Wright was very thorough and informative. I liked how Dr. Wright didn’t pull any punches and told me due to the amount of time since the accident (30 plus years), my expected prognosis after treatment may be a slight improvement at best. After a few more appointments, Dr. Wright suggested the course of action which included surgery (laminectomy) and again reiterated the possibility of limited improvement due to the age of the injury. Early on the morning of April 13, 2021, Dr. Wright performed the operation (laminectomy). After the procedure and while in the fog of recovery, I noticed the back pain was COMPLETELY gone !! I thought I was experiencing the pain free moment due to the medication and/or perhaps a pain blocker used during the procedure. Later that evening (approx. 8 pm) Dr. Wright stopped by my hospital room and asked how things were going. I told Dr Wight that I was a little sore around the surgery site but other than that the pain blocker was working just fine because I couldn’t feel the constant back pain right then. I was informed that a pain blocker was not used during the procedure and that I should go easy for a while. Approximately three weeks later during a subsequent appointment, I again told Dr. Wright that other than the expected discomfort at incision site, I was pain free for the first time in over thirty years. I am currently dealing with some nerve sensitivity issues in my right leg which are changing daily for the better. Although I am told the recovery time for this type of procedure is six months to a year, I feel that is just a small investment for a pain free future. A profound THANK YOU to Dr. Wright, Susan and the staff of Lakeside Orthopedics, Milo Laguna