For years, Nadia was a competitive athlete with a promising future.
A Division 1 soccer player and full-time college student, she lived an active and ambitious life.
But persistent back pain slowly began to take over.
What started as an occasional nuisance eventually became severe, debilitating nerve pain that threatened her education, her athletic career, and her future.
When SI Joint Fusion Makes Pain Worse
After trying numerous treatments, Nadia ultimately underwent SI joint fusion surgery, hoping it would finally resolve her pain.
Instead, the opposite happened.
Her pain became dramatically worse.
She could no longer:
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Sit comfortably
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Attend classes
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Walk without severe pain
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Sleep through the night
Even simple daily activities became unbearable.
At just 19 years old, Nadia feared her life was over.
Searching for Answers
Desperate for answers, Nadia began researching nerve anatomy and chronic back pain conditions online.
During that search she discovered patient testimonials from Dr. Tim Tollestrup, a peripheral nerve surgeon specializing in nerve compression conditions.
For the first time, she heard patients describing symptoms that matched hers exactly.
This discovery gave her hope.
The Real Cause: Cluneal Nerve Entrapment
After evaluation, Dr. Tollestrup diagnosed the real source of Nadia’s pain:
• Superior cluneal nerve entrapment
• Middle cluneal nerve entrapment
• Piriformis syndrome
These nerve compression conditions can cause severe lower back and buttock pain that is often mistaken for spinal problems.
The Surgical Solution
Dr. Tollestrup performed two procedures:
1️⃣ Removal of the superior and middle cluneal nerves
2️⃣ Piriformis muscle removal to relieve nerve compression
The results were immediate.
For the first time in years, Nadia’s burning and stabbing nerve pain was gone.
A New Life — and a New Dream
Today, Nadia has returned to school, work, and the gym.
Even more inspiring, her experience led to a new dream.
She now hopes to become a pain-focused peripheral nerve surgeon, helping other patients who suffer from misunderstood nerve pain.
Learn More
If you suffer from persistent lower back pain that has not responded to traditional treatments, the cause may be nerve entrapment rather than a spinal problem.
Learn more about peripheral nerve surgery: