For most people, their 20s are all about self-discovery and enjoying themselves as much as possible. But sometimes, life can send us in a spin, where we’re forced to take a hard look at our habits, patterns and behaviours, especially when they’re damaging our bodies. For one 28-year-old, this ‘reckoning’ happened unexpectedly, and he was compelled to overhaul his lifestyle because of chronic pain. 

At first, when Kakulapati Sai Pavan Teja was told that he was suffering from sciatica pain, it didn’t seem like anything too serious. After all, there’s nothing that medication can’t fix right? But for the 28-year-old, Hyderabad-based software engineer, taking pain medication regularly to treat sciatica didn’t seem right. As Pavan looked for more treatment options, his doctor recommended physical therapy and lifestyle changes that could potentially treat and ease pain from sciatica for good. For many, physical therapy is the ideal option when pain and mobility issues make it impossible for them to go about their daily life. After learning that diet changes along with physiotherapy could help with his sciatica pain, Pavan came to UR.Life LMTP to change his lifestyle. Following this, he was assigned a nutritionist and physiotherapist at UR.Life for a 90-day programme. 

 

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Like many 28-year-olds, Pavan liked shopping and watching movies; besides this he didn’t have the energy for many hobbies. While he did like to play cricket and football, his dwindling energy levels over time made it harder for him to play these sports. Since he was living alone, he found it hard to control his eating habits, especially since it was easier to order in fast food. 

At the time of his initial consultation, Pavan weighed around 90 kilos, with a height of 172cm, and constantly felt exhausted, fatigued and unfocused throughout the day. On average, he would eat biryani at least once a day every day, and followed a non-vegetarian diet predominantly. Since most, if not all of his food came from outside, he also didn’t have control over what was being put in his food.  Before beginning physiotherapy, Pavan had little to no exercise in his day-to-day life.  He was working long hours behind the desk with no breaks in between. 

Sciatica pain can vary widely, and the pain can be different from person to person. It can feel like mild tingling, or a burning sensation that won’t go away. In cases like Pavan’s, the pain can make a person unable to move. While Pavan’s pain started last October, it gradually increased to the point where he was unable to sit for more than 10 minutes at a time. 
Sciatica pain can be caused due to an injury, a ruptured disc or because of a narrowed spine (spinal stenosis). It can also be caused due to a condition known as piriformis syndrome, where the piriformis muscle (extending from the buttocks to the edge of the spine) spasms, trapping the sciatic nerve.  

Pavan’s physiotherapy sessions would usually begin with basic stretches. These stretches included the seated glute stretch, sitting spinal stretch, basic seated stretch and standing hamstring stretch. These stretches relieved his pain, and over time, helped lessen muscle spasms that could potentially trap his sciatic nerve, which was the cause of his pain. 

 

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Over time, Pavan’s eating habits and diet began to change. While he still ordered a lot of his meals from outside, he completely gave up biryani and followed a vegetarian diet mostly. Although he mainly stuck to his vegetarian diet, he did have chicken once or twice each week.  But more than following a specific ‘diet’ plan, his UR.Life nutritionist recommended that he begin tracking his food intake and when he was eating it.
As advised by his nutritionist, Pavan began keeping a food journal to track his meals and when he was eating them. He began learning a lot about his eating habits that he didn’t know before. For example, he would always crave ‘unhealthy’ options when he was low on time and didn’t want to think about what would be good for his body. Additionally, his nutritionist also kept a tab on his food journal and regularly informed him of easy, healthy alternatives he could make to his meals. Pavan also tried to keep his meal times consistent, which made a huge difference in his eating patterns.

After 90 days, Pavan not only felt better but had conclusive results to show for it too. He lost 6 kilos, and his sciatica pain was all but gone. While he is still following a customised diet plan, his leg pain no longer affected him, and he was able to get back to his life. 

 

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At the start, Pavan thought of himself as a lazy, tired and unmotivated individual, but his perception of himself has also changed after UR.Life’s pain management programme. He is now intentional about his choices, whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the lift, or even making plans with his friends. Where he once had no energy to go out and enjoy, he now has the energy and motivation to confidently say yes to plans with friends and family. His focus and attention levels, especially at work, have changed, and he defines it as being the most productive version of himself, every day.

At UR.Life, we aim to help you feel your best, through targeted lifestyle interventions that can make you feel better inside and out. Whether you’re dealing with sciatica pain, sudden weight gain, back pain or any other issue that prevents you from living your life fully, we are here to help. Our expert team of nutritionists, physiotherapists and trainers are here to revolutionise your lifestyle, so you can live your best life starting today.
If you are dealing with a chronic condition that makes it impossible for you to go about your everyday life, UR.Life can help. Our experts can help you completely transform your life, health and fitness with a customised plan catered to your needs. At UR.Life, we believe in our patients being their happiest selves, and that only comes when you’re healthy from within. Start your transformation with us today.