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Chiropractors are Kind of Magical
Nov. 3rd, 2015 08:42 amI didn't get instant relief, but there was a tremendous CRACK when the chiropractor adjusted my neck.
Generally, I have to say my very first experience with a chiropractor was pretty awesome. I went to Caron Chiropractor, which is literally up the street from me, on Snelling and Randolph, on the recommendation of my barista. (Shut up, when you talk to everyone, you get lots of advice.) At rate, as soon as I said to the chiropractor, "Explain this: why does it feel better when I raise my hand over my head?" he instantly knew where my trouble was and started pointing to parts of the spine and talking about a treatment plan.
The coolest part of the plan? Besides the fact that it seems to be covered, at least partly, by my insurance? Massage. ELECTRIC massage. I told the lady who hooked me up that it really did feel like there were tiny little electric fingers massaging my shoulder. I needed the massage because when the assistant asked me to relax my left arm, I actually couldn't. The muscles wouldn't let go. At all. Turns out I'd been tensing in order to stay in a particularly less painful position... and now I was just a giant knot. So, they undid the knots a bit and then I got to go in for the adjustment, which was kind a thing I've been craving. There have been days when I just wanted to slam my shoulder into something hard in the hopes that something would break free.
It makes me think that this is why, when I was young, people figured chiropractors for quacks. It seems both like that thing you really, desperately WANT, but which seems vaguely not okay, in that, aren't you going to hurt yourself??? kind of way.
So the crack was deeply satisfying. It was very, "AHHH, I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN."
And,while I still have nerve pinch pain, I can now move fairly normally. I see the "real" doctor later today, so we'll see what she thinks of everything. I go back to the chiropractor a couple more times before I'm supposed to feel closer to all better.
The only thing I really didn't get,which maybe the doctor can provide, is an answer to the question, how the hell did this even happen. The chiropractor suggested that it was probably just a combination of growing older and a lifetime of crappy posture/habits. He might be right, but it sucks that I literally went to bed fine and pain free, and woke up with this hardcore nerve pinch.
But I guess you can do it twisting funny, so there's no reason I couldn't just have twisted funny in my sleep. It just sucks.
The good news is that, even though sleeping screwed me up again, my recovery time in the morning is already noticeably faster. Yesterday I really didn't feel better for several hours after waking up, today it was a matter of minutes--a half hour at most of OH GOD WHAT WHY. So, that's a big improvement. Frankly, I'll take it. If we can get this down to "a bit of morning stiffness" I'll be a happy camper.
Also, just so you know, this is what you get now that I'm turning 48 this month. Blogs about my medical conditions.
You're welcome.
Generally, I have to say my very first experience with a chiropractor was pretty awesome. I went to Caron Chiropractor, which is literally up the street from me, on Snelling and Randolph, on the recommendation of my barista. (Shut up, when you talk to everyone, you get lots of advice.) At rate, as soon as I said to the chiropractor, "Explain this: why does it feel better when I raise my hand over my head?" he instantly knew where my trouble was and started pointing to parts of the spine and talking about a treatment plan.
The coolest part of the plan? Besides the fact that it seems to be covered, at least partly, by my insurance? Massage. ELECTRIC massage. I told the lady who hooked me up that it really did feel like there were tiny little electric fingers massaging my shoulder. I needed the massage because when the assistant asked me to relax my left arm, I actually couldn't. The muscles wouldn't let go. At all. Turns out I'd been tensing in order to stay in a particularly less painful position... and now I was just a giant knot. So, they undid the knots a bit and then I got to go in for the adjustment, which was kind a thing I've been craving. There have been days when I just wanted to slam my shoulder into something hard in the hopes that something would break free.
It makes me think that this is why, when I was young, people figured chiropractors for quacks. It seems both like that thing you really, desperately WANT, but which seems vaguely not okay, in that, aren't you going to hurt yourself??? kind of way.
So the crack was deeply satisfying. It was very, "AHHH, I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN."
And,while I still have nerve pinch pain, I can now move fairly normally. I see the "real" doctor later today, so we'll see what she thinks of everything. I go back to the chiropractor a couple more times before I'm supposed to feel closer to all better.
The only thing I really didn't get,which maybe the doctor can provide, is an answer to the question, how the hell did this even happen. The chiropractor suggested that it was probably just a combination of growing older and a lifetime of crappy posture/habits. He might be right, but it sucks that I literally went to bed fine and pain free, and woke up with this hardcore nerve pinch.
But I guess you can do it twisting funny, so there's no reason I couldn't just have twisted funny in my sleep. It just sucks.
The good news is that, even though sleeping screwed me up again, my recovery time in the morning is already noticeably faster. Yesterday I really didn't feel better for several hours after waking up, today it was a matter of minutes--a half hour at most of OH GOD WHAT WHY. So, that's a big improvement. Frankly, I'll take it. If we can get this down to "a bit of morning stiffness" I'll be a happy camper.
Also, just so you know, this is what you get now that I'm turning 48 this month. Blogs about my medical conditions.
You're welcome.