Visit to the Chiropracter: Acute back pain.

     For the next few days after my initial visit to the chiropractor, my neck remains sore.  My lower back pain is little changed despite the addition of daily stretching.  As my second visit looms, I experience trepidation regarding the upcoming adjustment of my neck.  I again contemplate canceling.  At the second visit, I am taken directly to the exam room.  Dr. D places the x-rays taken at the prior visit on the light box for viewing. He points out that my left pelvis is higher than my right.  He suggests that I might eventually require a heel raise, but for now, he wants to see how I respond to spinal adjustments.  He again instructs his assistant to “loosen me up.”  She keys in on the same tender spot along the mid-lower left side of my back.  Fortunately, this time she is less aggressive in her torture.  Dr. D returns and performs a series of adjustments similar to the first visit.  I tolerate the cracking of my neck a bit better despite experiencing the same creeping feeling as he lurks around the room with me face down on the table.  I again am sent to the decompression machine which is set this time for 12 minutes with 55 lbs. of tension.  He says he would like me back in one week.  I state my agreement, but in reality, I want to see how much of a bill I have been racking up before scheduling my return.

            My insurance covers chiropractic care at a second-tier level, unlike primary care visits to my regular doctor for which I only have to pay a small co-pay.  For the chiropractor, I have a co-pay, and I must cover my ~$1000 deductible before the insurance kicks in.  When I finally get the bill 2 weeks later, I owe a total of $252.39 for the two visits.  My insurance company has negotiated the price down from an original $510 total - kind of pricey, but not too bad.

            As the weeks pass, I am unable to appreciate any improvement in my chronic lower back stiffness.  I am underwhelmed.  I finally schedule a return visit a few months later, but little changes.  My friends tell me not to lose faith.  My brother-in-law relates his personal experience with shoulder pain which miraculously resolved with a single adjustment.  A commenter on my blog says he achieves the most benefit from the chiropractor when he is seen for acute disabling back pain rather than for non-urgent adjustments.  He relates an instance when a single adjustment helped him go from severe pain to rock climbing within a week’s time.  I am left to wonder.  Coincidentally, I do not have to wait long to put the acute back pain theory to the test.  In a particularly vigorous day, as I attempt to reclaim my youth, I play pick-up basketball in the park followed by ice hockey with my two older sons (indoor rink).  By the evening, I can feel my back stiffening up.  By the next morning, I am in a crisis.  My back pain is markedly worse and I find myself walking stooped over.  I feel myself aging rapidly!  At this rate, I will be an old man before the end of the week.  I find myself lying on the floor of my office between patients.  Now is the time to get back to the chiropractor.  Despite my skepticism, I must admit I am eager for some immediate relief.  I give Dr. D’s office a call, and I am happy to find out that I can be seen in just a couple of days.  By the time the appointment rolls around, I am in need of a savior.

            At my visit, I tell Dr. D about my worsened condition.  He gives me a nod of understanding, observes my desperate attempt to touch my toes, and then he steps out while the assistant tries to relax my tightened back with massage and some warm blankets. When Dr. D returns, he is all business.  He has me lie face down on the exam table.  He presses on the back of my pelvis bone and asks me to lift my left leg towards the sky while he pushes down.  He does a few adjustments and then again tests my leg strength.  After a few rounds of this, it appears that I am able to offer more resistance. Am I actually stronger?  Am I just trying harder?  He explains that in response to the strain of bending over while playing hockey my “glutes had given out.”  He seems quite confident that the adjustments performed should make a difference.  I choose this time to ask him for some exercises I might perform to assist with my recovery.  I would like to play a more active role in my recovery.  He blows off this question, but prescribes a visit to the physical therapist located in his office.

            I am walking more upright immediately after my visit, but as the day progresses I deteriorate to my pre-visit condition.  I hold out hope for my upcoming visit to the physical therapist and a few more adjustments with Dr. D.