Chronic Cough, Post Surgery

Penny had undergone surgery for an aneurysm five years earlier.  Post surgery, she developed a constant cough.  Every 30 seconds to a minute she had to cough. Her surgeon was inclined to believe that the surgery caused nerve damage.  Penny did not want to undergo another surgery.

She spent the following years coughing every minute of the day.  This interrupted all aspects of her life, sleep, work, home.

When she entered my clinic, and before we were introduced, I could actually see the tightness in her neck muscles.  She explained her history and chief complaint. We started work promptly.

Without delay we found trigger points in several muscles of her neck that caused the feeling of needing to cough.  Her cough was not productive, it was just a tickle in her throat that made it feel like she needed to cough.  We determined that the position that she had to be in on the operation table was the weightiest factor in the shortening of these neck muscles as well as the consequent development of trigger points.

We never completely got rid of her cough but did reduce the intensity and frequency by 90%.  Her happiest report was that she was able to eat Doritos again without having to cough. Her testimony is below.

I cannot say enough of what Neuromuscular Therapy has done for me in the short time I have been in this treatment.

I had surgery in 1997 due to an aneurysm in the back of my left eye. I had some kind of trauma to my throat or a slight stroke about three months after. Since, and for nine years now, I have been enduring a constant need to cough. Over the years the cough had become so severe that my physical health was affected. The nerves and muscles were so tight in my neck and in so much stress that I often felt like I would probably have a major stroke in my throat. I felt I was a hopeless case. 

It is amazing how much my cough has improved with this therapy. The stress I had in my neck and throat is at a level that has given me a new positive outlook.  I have also learned therapy I can do at home that helps in maintaining my cough and the stress in my throat.  I have been impressed how knowledgeable the therapists are in dealing with my particular situation. They listen to me, change the type of therapy as needed or indicated and it is working. 


I know I will have to continue these treatments to keep me from regressing back to where I was. I just wished more people knew about this kind of therapy so they could see positive results as I have. It has certainly changed my life. 

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