The Chiropractor

In this post, I discussed how my back has gotten worse instead of better since my run.  After this weekend, it was clear that I needed some help.  So this morning I called a chiropractor recommended by a friend and MERCIFULLY, they had an opening at 2:00.  By that point I had taken over the couch and was moving as little as possible. Sign. Me. Up.

I had to do a fair amount of running around that morning (not something my back was particularly excited about), including a trip to the dentist for my son where they ended up seeing my 19-month-old as well (hope that doesn't bite me in the rear with insurance later).  While we were there, I saw a girl I knew from high school. She was in choir and was several years older than me.  We did the awkward I-recognize-you-but-don't-really-know-you-but-we-made-eye-contact smile and went about our business.

Side note: Among our errands for the day were picking up new glasses for Charlie. (He broke them at church on Sunday, no one quite knows how.)  New glasses always take some getting used to, but I like them!

Anyway, I stashed the kids at mom and dad's while I went to the chiropractor.  I gimped in and began filling out the necessary paperwork.  And, strangely, the girl I knew from high school that I saw at the dentist office just that morning was behind the counter.  Weird.  We again exchanged awkward pleasantries, this time about how odd it was that we would run into each other twice in the same day.  They called me back and did my blood pressure, which they said was low - 101/60.  I have always had EXCELLENT blood pressure - the nurses always comment on it - but I don't think they've ever said "low."  Not sure exactly what that means.

They put me in a waiting room and about two minutes later, in walks the girl. From high school. She was my chiropractor.  I didn't realize it because her last name was different.  So we laughed again, chatted briefly about one another's families, and then got to work.

Let me preface - I had never been to a chiropractor before, so I really had no idea what to expect. I know that medical people I know are leery of them, but then I also know homeopathic people who swear by them and are leery of medical doctors, so who knows?  At this point, I really didn't care - I just wanted to feel better.  So I got on the table face-down.

Pretty much immediately, doc said "Wow...your pelvis is WAY out of whack."  I wasn't sure what that meant, so as she's pushing and prodding, I finally asked.  The conversation went something like this:

Her: It has to do with the positioning of your pelvis.  Did you suffer any kind of sports-related injury as a youngster?
Me: Uh, no. Definitely not.
Her: Did you fall, maybe off a horse or something?
Me: Not off a horse, but I am rather clumsy. Falling is definitely within the realm of possibility.
Her: And why did you have C-sections?
Me: My babies were upside down.
Her: Ah. Well, whatever you did to knock your pelvis, your body has been trying to compensate for it.  It's likely that both your babies were breech because of the positioning of your pelvis.  The spinals performed helped aggravate it and running made it worse.  Let's see what we can do.

And then she proceeded to "adjust" me, which, if you've never been like me, is a bit of a shock.  She shoved, yanked, pressed, and popped ALL OVER.  When she grabbed my neck and yanked, a chorus of "pops" erupted up and down it.  And then SHE DID IT AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE.

Holy cow.

When she was done, she said I adjusted "reasonably well" considering my circumstance, and then had me stand up, which I did with very little pain.  Then she had me walk, which I ALSO did with very little pain. Then she told me she wanted to see me Friday.  It was possible that I had a bulged disc, but they would know more on Friday.  Then she took me to the back where they hooked me up to a MASSAGE MACHINE for like, 15 minutes.  It. Was. Awesome.

When I left, I felt 75% better.  I went to 7 PM yoga and was VERY careful.  Doc said to do a lot of stretching and to stretch "to the pain, but not through the pain."  That was hard because I just flat couldn't do about 40% of the class.  But, I got through it.

Here's hoping for some lasting relief!