My Relief Story is a patient testimonial video campaign created to highlight real people, real experiences, and real relief. Through these stories, patients share their journeys with chronic pain, and how personalized care at Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants helped them get their lives back.
For years, Shane Hill lived with chronic pain that slowly took away the activities he loved most. A retired U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot, Shane spent 24 years serving on active duty, often seated in a Kevlar helicopter seat while enduring constant vibration and impact. Over time, that wear and tear led to serious damage in his lower back.
Shane developed five damaged discs, each pressing on different nerves and causing persistent lower back and sciatic pain. What began in the late 1990s gradually worsened, eventually affecting nearly every part of his daily life. A lifelong runner, Shane had to stop running altogether. Daily walks with his wife became limited. Hobbies like woodworking, hunting, and spending time outdoors were either scaled back or abandoned entirely.
“I just stopped doing all the things I enjoyed in life due to the pain,” Shane shared.
By 2010, Shane’s pain required medical intervention. While still on active duty, he relied on injections and ablations to manage symptoms so he could continue working. Those treatments helped for a time, but when Shane and his family relocated to North Alabama in 2019, he knew he needed a long-term solution.
That’s when he found Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants.
From the beginning, Shane felt confident in the care he received from Dr. Newell and the TVPC team. Because of his career background, Shane was determined to avoid pain medication. After a thorough evaluation, Dr. Newell recommended a spinal cord stimulator, a treatment option that allows patients to trial the device before committing to a permanent implant.
“The best thing about the spinal cord stimulator is you can try before you buy it,” Shane explained.
The minimally invasive trial exceeded his expectations. Within a week, Shane knew it was the right solution. He quickly scheduled the permanent implant, and the results were life-changing.
Today, Shane is pain-free. He’s sleeping through the night, staying active, and getting back to the life he once thought he had lost.
“Dr. Newell and his team really gave me my life back,” he said.
As one of the patients featured in TVPC’s My Relief Story video campaign, Shane hopes his experience encourages others living with chronic pain to take the first step.
“If you’re out there living with chronic pain, whether it’s fear, pride, or anything else stopping you, get over it. Come in here and talk to these guys.”
Shane’s journey is a powerful reminder that relief is possible, and that personalized, compassionate care can make all the difference.
Watch Shane’s full story in our My Relief Story video and learn how Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants helps patients reclaim their quality of life.
