A week has passed and it is time for my return to the chiropractor. I
am not so crippled as I was, but my back still feels “weak.” What do I mean by weak? I still have a deep uneasiness that stems
from my lower back. It gets sore when I
sit or stand too long, and it feels like I
am just an awkward bend away from full disability- Medicaid here I come. Hopefully, today’s visit will help my back
regain its stability.
Today’s visit has an added bonus. Included in my $25 co-pay is a 20 minute
massage. I
am introduced to a 40 something year-old masseuse who invites me back to his
room and massage table. He has me lie
face down while remaining fully dressed. I am a bit bummed
that he doesn’t at least have me strip off my shirt. I rightly assume this means no massage oils, and a limitation to the deep
probing. Despite this he quickly
identifies the tight muscles up and down my spine. He spends the allotted 20 minutes
probing and massaging my neck and back.
It is quite satisfying. Once I am loosed up to his satisfaction he sends
me over to the chiropractor.
The chiropractor wastes no time.
After a quick consultation of my x-rays taken last week, and a few perfunctory
questions, he gets down to business. Mercifully, he again forgoes cracking my neck (the maneuver which seems most likely to cause paralysis). Despite my having had a massage, he
uses a handheld vibrating machine to tenderize my back muscles a bit further, and
then has me lie on my side with my upper leg bent up as he adjusts my back by
pushing down quickly on this leg. He elicits a satisfying pop and he is done. It is a short, but satisfying visit.
Over the following week I note
continued improvement in my back. Each time I run it causes a bit of a setback,
but by and large I get better. No more radiating pain. I also start to do more stretching. I read that exercise – of almost any kind- is
the best approach for lower back pain. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/to-prevent-back-pain-orthotics-are-out-exercise-is-in/?_r=0
Regular
exercise it will be- a bit less running,
but more swimming, biking, and definitely yoga. Does chiropractor care make a difference? The jury is still out. My prior research certainly did not find overwhelming supportive evidence for chiropractic care. I will probably return when I have flares of my back pain based on the notion that something is better than nothing.
to see my prior conclusions and evidence review:
http://alternativemeddoc.blogspot.com/2011/07/chiropracter-my-final-analysis.html
to see my prior conclusions and evidence review:
http://alternativemeddoc.blogspot.com/2011/07/chiropracter-my-final-analysis.html