Chronic back pain can often leave a person feeling helpless and hopeless. After six years of living in excruciating pain, that’s just how Mary Arnold felt. A young mother, she couldn’t care for and play with her daughter the way she wanted to because of debilitating back pain and agonizing muscle spasms.

Diagnosed with a herniated disk, Mary tried to find solutions to her pain. After visiting multiple doctors and specialists over six years with unsatisfying results, Mary set up an appointment with Dr. Scott Blumenthal at Texas Back Institute. She voiced her concerns about using fusion to treat her herniated disk, which she originally was told by a referring doctor would solve her pain, and Dr. Blumenthal agreed that lumbar disc replacement would be the most effective way to treat Mary’s spinal condition.

Comforted and reassured by Dr. Blumenthal, Mary headed into surgery. Within days, she was feeling great relief, even surpassing the expectations of her physical therapist at Texas Back Institute. Since her surgery, Mary has been able to get her life back, be a mom, take care of her family, and travel – one of her favorite hobbies.

“It has greatly changed my life in just 13 months. For years I prayed to God to heal me because the pain was so intense, and now, I am thankful and grateful to Dr. Blumenthal and Texas Back Institute for their dedication to helping people with a debilitating condition,” Mary says.