My first chiropractic experience is underway. I’ve struggled with back pain for as long as I can remember. Upper and lower and neck pain. And that muscle that connects your neck to your shoulder? What’s that one called? Because mine is always one giant burning knot. And I get headaches. Lots of them. But it always seemed like a little mumbo jumbo voodoo magic to me. One of those things where it was more of a placebo effect kind of thing. Where people feel better because they believe it works. And what if I don’t believe?
The sad story is that it hurts so much and so much constantly that I have to do something. Since spring my lower back/pelvis has gotten so bad that I can’t even sit on my right side to stretch without shooting pain. Which, let me tell you, makes riding colts a challenge. I know I’m not riding correctly as I’m compensating for the pain on my right side ALL the time. No wonder both my colts struggle with the right lead, huh. Even short car rides are torture and in the middle of the summer I keep the seat warmer on to act as a heating pad. I’ve had massages and they help for a short period of time. But it isn’t even days before the muscles are completely knotted back up again. I try not complain, because it just “is” and there isn’t anything I can do about it. But maybe there is.
Here’s the really ridiculous part. I’m a firm believer in chiro for my horses. Years ago, I watched Giggles step on a trailer kicking herself in the belly and step off the trailer sound after one visit to the chiro. I observed the change in Chic when she stopped trying to bite my foot and actually moved off my leg after one chiro visit. I’ve seen it work and I believe in it. Why wouldn’t I try it with myself? I don’t really have a good answer for that one other than fear. Scared it will actually make it worse. Because while it hurts, sometimes a lot, I know that it could be so much worse.
So after talking with Tim, I decided to make an appointment in St Charles with the chiropractor his family has used. Because it was my first appointment, I had to answer a bunch of questions and do some nerve tests to see how my body was responding to pressure. Well, the questions were fun. Have you ever had an accident? Me, hmmm… what qualifies as an accident? ER visit? Then just the one. Oh wait, two. No… make that 3. Yeah 3. Oh wait, an accident can be anything that causes moderate to severe pain. Holy crap - put me down for 50+. I fall a lot. Off things, like countertops when I’m putting away decorations, and trailers when I’m unloading hay, culverts, oh and horses. Sometimes a few times a year. When the chiro asked if I have ever fallen and hurt my lower back I laughed. Like a lot. And then said, “Did you mean this week? Because no, this has been a good week.” He asked how long the pain lasted after my accident. Umm.. which one? And is “still” an acceptable answer?
It’s hard to explain how klutzy I am. And if I went to the doctor for every little ache and pain… I grew up in a household where the attitude was, “if it isn’t broken, walk it off.” He also asked how long I’ve rested after accidents. Well - the doctor made me rest for 6 weeks after my collarbone surgery. Otherwise, rest? What’s rest? There is no rest for the wicked. And there were plenty of years when if I rested things just didn’t get done. So yeah, resting isn’t always a possibility.
Then he moved on to the headaches. He asked how often I have them. When I replied every day he was like “every single day?” My response, “well, there was one day last spring where I think I didn’t have one.” He didn’t seem to think that was funny. So I clarified that they aren’t ALL day. Yes, I normally wake up with one. But if I work out they go away pretty quickly and only sometimes come back. Yes, sometimes they are so bad I have to close my eyes or do a little deep breathing, but most of the time they are just annoying. Yes, sometimes they cause me to get sick to my stomach and (as he is pushing on something by my neck that causes me to sit up a little straighter) yes, I do get dizzy if I stand up too fast. Huh. Apparently that “means” something.
So on to the nerve testing. Ever want to feel like a giant wimp? Have right side (or left side) weakness, apparently related to some nerve issue? Like not being able to stop someone from turning your foot. Or from gently pushing your arm down. It was kind of infuriating. I think of myself as strong. I work out and stuff. (I do really suck at the strength training - but this guy wasn’t Arnold. I should have been able to resist even a little bit.) So as we go along I’m becoming more and more of a believer.
Then he has me stand up so he can evaluate my posture. He takes one glance and says something about my one shoulder is lower than the other, well duh - I obliterated my collarbone. I’m titanium now - literally. And my pelvis is all kittywampas (that word is not used nearly enough). And I stick my neck out, apparently literally. Well, isn’t that just a fine how do you do. Maybe you stand funny too there mister chiropractor. I mean, sheesh. I’m TRYING here.
So the last questions were about former xrays after accidents. Being as most of them I was in the “walk it off” mentality - I have very few xrays. So that was the first step. Xrays and more xrays.
Yesterday we went over the xrays. He’s showing me my neck with some alarm and asked if there was a chance I landed on that when I had my fall off my horse. Apparently “which time” was not the correct answer. (Insert eye roll here) I’m also a little lopsided with a dropped left shoulder and twisty in the lower back, and yes - those are the super correct chiropractic terms that I’m gonna use. So off we went to try to fix it.
The adjustment was interesting. Not gonna lie - I was worried about it more than a little. I had this irrational fear that there would be a popping noise and I would find myself partially paralyzed. I’m happy to say that didn’t happen. It wasn’t all fun and games and boy, I was sore after, but I survived and was fully functional. Or at least as much as I was before. He called to check on me later and I was able to report that I was no more sore than I had been beforehand. I don’t expect immediate results and that’s a good thing because I am not much better today. Still woke up with a headache. Still feel sore in my neck/shoulder and I still have a pain in the butt (and I’m not talking about Tim). But I go back for another check on Friday and he did warn me it make take a couple of visits. Something about letting it go for a long time. Who me?
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