Success Stories
We pride ourselves on a culture of care and therefore strive for healthcare excellence. Our transformative care caters for all ages and for the entire family.
Testimonials
Hello Linda,
Let me thank you for everything you have done for me.
My name is Eve Terrett. In late 2010 (5 years ago) I began to develop a painful spasm in the flexor muscles of my right toes, especially the large toe when I walked. When I walked, my foot began to turn inwards and my ankle plantarflexed (pointed towards the ground) so that it looked like I had a foot-drop, or that I had had a stroke. The pain increased at the first metatarso-phalangeal (big toe) joint; and was aggravated by weight bearing. The spasm-flexion of my toes could not be reproduced by foot movements or pressure when standing and non-weight-bearing.
My husband, Associate Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, taught clinical orthopaedics and clinical neurology examined me and could find no cause. Over the next 2 years I had seen: GPs, an orthopaedic foot specialist, podiatrists (including senior lecturers at a university), chiropractors, osteopaths, acupuncturists, Chinese herbalists, a neurologist, a neurosurgeon and even a Filipino faith healer. I had bought supports, pads, cushions, tape, orthotics and different shoes for my foot. I had x-rays and an MRI scan of my foot; and nerve conduction studies in my right leg.
My husband then suggested that it could be a focal dystonia affecting the foot; so I attended a neurology department specialising in movement disorders, where I was assessed, and the movement disorder specialists thought a focal dystonia was a possibility; so I had several botox injections into my right foot and calf; with no effect. By this time I had resigned myself to learning to live for the rest of my life with a gait that looked like I had had a stroke; and pain that I had graded on a visual analogue scale as 6 out of 10.
At the conference in Johannesburg (where my husband was a speaker) one of the trade exhibits was for a cold laser, and my husband suggested I give it a try. I had 2 treatments (morning and afternoon) of about 30 minutes each; where the “light pad” was placed on my right foot, right buttock and low back. Amazingly, that evening the pain had reduced to about 1 out of 10. I had another treatment the following morning.
I am very, very grateful for the incredible pain relief. At the moment I still have the abnormal gait, but I am hopeful that without the pain, there may be some improvement in my gait in the future – I will let you know.
Thank you very much.
Dear Dr Rethman,
I would like to thank you for helping my husband who suffered from Trigeminal Neuralgia for two years. After numerous visits to a Dr and also a Neurosurgeon, who said the only help he could get was an operation in the brain, we heard about you giving laser treatment for the condition. We were desperate and decided to try it. After six treatments we stopped as it did not appear to be helping, however after about a month it cleared up completely for six months. It has recurred but very slightly below the nose and on his lip. No more severe,unbearable shooting pains. We regret having not completed the course of ten treatments. I am very grateful for your help. Thank you very much and I pray that people with Trigeminal Neuralgia will consult you and be relieved from this dreadful pain.
Our very best wishes and kind regards.
A 57 year old woman with diabetes arrived with a non-healing gangrenous ulcer on her foot. She was advised to have her leg amputated.
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After 24 treatments over 3 months, Her necrotic toe has auto-amputated and her bloodflow and functionality of her foot has returned. The amputation was called off and she is back to living her life.
For 4 years I had been suffering with acute sinus and neuralgia down the right side of my face, the pain ran from the top of my head to the glands in my neck – which always felt swollen and tender. This was also affecting my jaws and ears. Numerous antibiotics, sinus tablets and general pain killers later, I had resigned myself to considering having teeth extracted to try and alleviate the pain. Lamenting my plight to my sister in Portugal she recommended I consider laser treatment. In desperation, I went to Dr R Rethman, who applied a series of laser treatments alongside chiropractic manipulation. After the 3rd session I was amazed that the pain in my jaw and ear had subsided, the numbness down the side of my face disappeared and although I still get frequent sinus attacks brought on by allergies – there are no side effects like there were previously. I wish I had resorted to this treatment earlier as I would have bypassed a lot of discomfort and pain, not to mention having to perform a day’s work in a haze of lethargy brought on by the medication I was taking for the symptoms.
I have been suffering from Polymyalgia rheumatica since 2007 and am living in England at present. I was put on a 2 year course of steroids and subsequently put on over 20 kgs in weight which has not helped my condition with the soreness of the knees. I arrived in South Africa having had to have wheelchair assistance as I was not capable of walking 10 meters at a time. My mother had been to Dr. Ray Rethman and pre booked my appointments knowing that I would be here for only a week. After the first treatment I could not believe how I could suddenly walk without pain. I have now had three treatments and am now able to run. I will be leaving and have cancelled my wheelchair assistance as I am now capable of walking without pain.
I broke my ankle in Switzerland on Dec 3rd and had surgery the same night to put 4 pins around the break. The subsequent 2 frustrating weeks were spent supine with my leg elevated, hoping to be able to fly out to S Africa for Christmas although i had been warned that i would be in a cast for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. The flight was long and painful and by the end of it the swelling in the lower leg was rather large. Following a friend’s recommendation, I managed to see Dr Rethman on Dec 29th who was confident that the BioFlex laser treatment would be hugely beneficial in helping my ankle and ligaments repair and in reducing the swelling. I set what I thought was a very ambitious target of being able to walk and pull a suitcase by the 7th of January.
The treatment results were nothing short of phenomenal and within 3 treatments it was possible to see that my target would be easily achieved. I returned to Switzerland with an appointment to see the Surgeon on Tuesday the 11th (5 1/2 weeks after the original injury), who immediately sternly reprimanded me for not wearing my cast and not using the crutches. As he examined the ankle he then noted that the lack of swelling was very good (“astonishing”) and, continuing on to do xrays, then told me that the fracture has healed but, more importantly, it seemed that my torn ligaments had also healed very well.
There is no noticeable difference in flex between left and right feet. He subsequently asked whether it was me, or whether all South Africans are “exceptional” to treat. Personally, I am finding the ankle to be pretty good with the need to Ice and apply arnica at the end of the day dependent on the amount of walking – which i am steadily increasing. I am very pleased with the results.
Regards,