19 Feb From Back Pain to the Appalachian Trail

Kathryn Galuppo Ktranitzky is a longtime patient of Bone and Joint Institute physician Michael McNamara, M.D. She came to Dr. McNamara in 2009 when she started having back pain from a surgery she had undergone in 2005. Since coming to Bone and Joint, Kathryn says her life has changed drastically, and she was even able to overcome her pain to hike the Appalachian Trail.

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“I was essentially living with back pain every single day,” Kathryn said. “When Dr. McNamara started giving me injections, it alleviated all of my pain. This allowed me to be active again – I began hiking and exercising, and have even had two kids since then, which is something that I was always really worried about.”

While the treatment and management of her pain is why Kathryn came to Bone and Joint, she didn’t know she would be building a long-term, doctor–patient relationship with a physician who cares about not only her physical healing, but also her holistic well-being.

In 2016, Kathryn’s treatments allowed her to accomplish a huge goal of hers: hiking the Appalachian Trail. When she began thinking about taking on this challenge, she came to talk to Dr. McNamara. They created a plan together that was right for Kathryn and set her on the path to success.

“The hike was successful and pain-free, and I never in a million years would have thought that could happen,” Kathryn explained. “I love Dr. McNamara. I send him Christmas cards, and I sent him cards when I completed the Appalachian Trail. Honestly, I can’t imagine my life without him, and I worry about the day that he’s going to retire,” she said.

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