3 years of pain resolved after a month of Sentara Therapy Center Chiropractic care

When it comes to home improvement, Janiela Montalvo-Linares and her husband are do-it-yourselfers.

On July 4, 2017, the Woodbridge couple was demolishing the flooring, taking it all the way down to the joints in their son’s second-floor bedroom. While it looked a mess, they were making progress, until Janiela made a horrible misstep.

“I was moving around the room and instead of stepping on flooring supported by a beam, I stepped on drywall and went right through the floor,” said Janiela.

Janiela fell from the second floor to the first. Initially, she couldn’t walk. She was rushed to the hospital where she stayed for three days with a fractured tailbone, severely bruised ribs, joint damage, and a host of other cuts and bruises.

While her injuries healed, she was left with chronic pain.

“The pain was always there. I couldn’t stand or sit for more than 30 minutes without being in agony. Bending, exercising, walking for long periods of time hurt. This went on for years,” she says.

Janiela had gone to other doctors, but their solutions never seemed to work. That’s when her Sentara Primary Care Physician, Dr. Benedict Sales, recommended she visit board-certified Chiropractor Dr. Kenneth May, at the Sentara Therapy Center.

In Spring 2020, Janiela made an appointment, but she worried too much time had passed to fix her chronic condition.

Dr. May was undeterred.

“When dealing with any injury or condition that has been present for a long time, six months or more, it just means the recovery, or response, to care is going to be slower, not impossible,” he said.

From the start, Janiela noticed a change.

“From the beginning Dr. May was different,” says Janiela. “He started adjusting my back and pelvic area. After the first appointment, I felt a lot better.”

Dr. May showed Janiela exercises she could do on her own, outside of her appointments, which would help her muscles get stronger and help decrease her pain.

In no time, Janiela’s life started to change.

“By the fourth week of treatment, I was 100%. I’m able to walk and run for long periods of time now. The pain is gone!” she exclaimed.

In addition to helping her physically, Dr. May also supported her emotionally.

“Dr. May not only helped me with my pain, but he also helped me gain my confidence back. He encouraged me to set goals, and together we achieved them. I will be forever grateful and thankful for the help he gave me,” she says.

For his part, Dr. May is proud to have made such a profound effect on Janiela’s life.

“That’s exactly what I want to hear. It’s not only my duty to help people heal, it’s also my responsibility to help them feel like it’s possible to heal and make it a positive experience,” explains Dr. May.

If you’re like Janiela and have been living in pain, Dr. May says it doesn’t have to be this way.

“The best way to describe my role is “Primary Spine Practitioner” this means you should make me your first choice when seeking care or direction on what to do with your spinal health unless it’s an emergency situation,” explains Dr. May. “But, in my opinion, it’s never too late to say never.”

Janiela agrees.

“Don’t give up. A person shouldn’t live in pain. There are resources and treatments that work, you just have to find the right one.”

To learn if Dr. May can help you, call 703-523-1680 or visit sentara.com/therapy to schedule your appointment today.