[This post was intended for earlier today but I scheduled it wrong. Oopsy. Deal with it. I still love you.]
I have been having some hip pain; nothing serious but enough to make me walk funny, groan when I get up and down and not want to start running again. (Running and I took a break. We’re back together, but I might have damaged our relationship permanently…) I kept joking about my sciatica acting up, but the more it went on, the more I thought there actually might be some truth to that. Which pains me because sciatic nerve pain is an old people’s disease; like incontinence and needing to go to the bank three times a week.
Anyway, it was bad enough that I thought about going to the doctor. Which is not a big thing. Jethro HATES doctors, I’ll go in a heartbeat if it means that I can get fixed. However, Jethro knows a chiropractor and suggested that I go see him. Which is also not a big thing, because while he won’t go to the doctor himself, he’ll send me in a heartbeat. Usually because it means that I’ll stop hurting, stop complaining and then he can stop having to listen to me whine during Top Gear. Everybody wins!
So I went and after some x-rays, testing, twisting and pushing on some pressure points…I feel better! Not automatically better, but way better than I did two days ago. Turns out that fascia over my hip muscles was jacked up and pushing on my…yep, you got it, sciatic nerve and making me all hurty.* So he did some magic fingers thingies, ran some thumpy vibrating thing over my hip and BAM! Less whiny Lyssa. A-MAZING.
My pelvis is a little wonky, so on my visit today, he also popped the shit out of it. It felt WEIRD. I also have to go back a few times for him to keep working on it into it gets into place. Also, I’m not sure what the benefit of fixing my pelvis is, (future baby related??) because I forgot to ask, but at least my bones will be nice and tidy. I may look like hell, but my bones will be LOVELY on the inside.
Jethro considers my doctor the smartest guy he knows and my husband is not much with the compliments, so that means something. Also, chiropractic care is good for TMJ-related issues, so hopefully he’ll be able to help with that! (And yes, before the sensible folks chime in, he and my face doctor are aware I’m seeing both of them and they’re okay with it. My TMJ treatment is polyamorous…)
Anyway, the main point of this post was that I want to hear y’all’s thoughts on chiropractic care. Awesome? Bunkum? I’m in the former camp, but I wanna hear everybody’s opinions!
*Although I come across as highly intelligent, this is obviously not exactly the diagnosis that he gave me. Y’all are lucky I remembered what fascia was…
Kind of a Mess 
Back pain, no fun! It’s interesting hearing about your chiropractic experience. I’ve always been chiro-curious.*
Chiro-curious, I love it!
I went to a chiropractor monthly for a few years as a teenager. I had constant back pain and it seemed like the only thing that would help. Usually I would feel better in the first couple of days, but hurt afterwards. When I went to college out of state, I didn’t find a new chiro. Soon after all that back pain faded away. I dunno if it was continuing my problem or what, but thinking about all the violent cracks, it doesnt seem like a good idea in hindsight I definitely think chiros can help in certain situations, but I wouldn’t make a habit of going to one.
Massages from your SO are much better. 😀
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had Jethro give me a massage… Then again, I’ve never asked. I’ve had so many bad massages that I consider a massage from someone not licensed akin to a back-alley doctor treating a bullet wound….
Okay, I’m being dramatic, but I envy you and your SO’s massages. 🙂
I too am chiro-curious. I have hip problems, so it could be beneficial to me.
It’s worth thinking about. I would have done more research if Jethro hadn’t known him, but if you have someone who can refer you so that you don’t’ get someone just hoppin’ up and down on your joints….
I’ve been seeing a chiropractor for ten years, on and off. Usually I’m pull a muscle when I’m doing Pilates in a misguided attempt to have a perfectly flat stomach and everything will seize around it. I have to go get the muscle itself worked on, then everything around it to get back into equilibrium.
I think of it as a therapist for my body – it deal with the largest issues and that helps to resolve all the smaller ones, too 🙂
YES. Hell, I don’t even care if it has a placebo effect, I’m down if I feel better…
I’m a bit chiro-phobic actually. No personal experience, but John kept throwing out his back really badly a few years ago and one time when he thought he had made an appointment with a massage therapist, it turned out he was booked with a chiropractor at the same clinic. He was in a lot of pain, so went anyway. The chiro literally rolled him into a pretzel and JUMPED ON HIM (and charged $60 for it). John said everything in his body cracked. He felt way better shortly afterwards but since then his back has cracked where it never did before.
Maybe it was just a bad exprience, but in my opinion if your body is acting up something is out of line, and unless you fix the underlying problem (like a muscle weakness somewhere) it will keep happening. So I go to physiotherapists for my aches and pains. Has worked well for me in the past… although tends to stop working when I stop doing my exercises.
My mom is against them for similar reasons; my aunts go to one and they go nearly every week. BUT, I told her that they may have issues in their work place that they’re not resolving so the problems keep coming back… I blame that on a bad doctor for not telling them what to fix, or patient non-compliance…
I’m with you though, luckily we’re doing some extra work that I didn’t bring up that should hopefully solve things.
Of course, if it doesn’t I’m totally bitching about it here. 🙂
Yikes! So many chiro scary stories! I actually can’t stand the ‘crack and pop’ brand of chiropractors (that is… most of them) because I always feel like I feel WORSE after leaving, but my mother and I each both throw our back out pretty badly at least once or twice a year. We started going to a NUCCA chiropractor. He’s pretty magical. NUCCA chiros only work on the cervical area of the spine- up around your neck and the base of your skull- and are of the camp that believes that you can fix most things just realigning that area of the spine. Wonder of wonders, that actually works (at least for us.) If you have one in the area, I would reccomend it!
I do think that every person has to find what works for them, though- so if this new chiro you’ve found is good for you, then awesome!
Oooo. That sounds so fancy. And I’m with you, if it works, go for it! If it doesn’t, stop paying people to hurt you. 🙂
yeah I have the impression (not from personal experience, just second-hand stories, so, take this as you will) that chiropractors kind of break you so they can keep fixing you. some people swear by it, but it just seems like so many people I’ve talked to end up with worse or different back problems, even if the original problem seems helped by the therapy.. I don’t trust it myself! If it works for you though, that’s awesome.
so crazy how you and I have such similar ailments. I have trouble with sciatica sometimes too and I get really mad because it’s such an old person’s problem..!!
I chalk some of those tales up to people thinking they can do the same things they did to hurt themselves in the first place – and doctors not telling them to NOT do that so they can keep coming in. It’s like a dentist not encouraging you to floss…
We DO have the same problems! I was looking at your blog the other day and I forgot to comment, but I had an endoscopy too! We should chat. Email me!!!
I started going to the Chiro a year ago. I went to try it but didn’t really buy in to the whole Chiro cult. When I went I was having REALLY bad allergy symptoms and was miserable 24/7… Two adjustments later I didn’t have to take any allergy meds and I haven’t looked back. The condition of my spine at the time of initial x-rays and now 12 months later is ridiculous. They are also working on my jaw… thanks to braces in middle school my right jaw pops like all the time.
That is AWESOME. Allergies suck SO bad… I think he does stuff for people with allergies too; he had a neti pot box up front and I was talking to the assistant about it. (Ever used one of those? So gross and so amazing at the same time….)
I am thumbs down for the most part. Most important is to NEVER EVER let one adjust your neck. There is a risk of stroke via arterial dissection. So no necks.
YIKES! Noted. Sheesh…that’s super scary.
1. Sciatic pain is not for oldies my love…it is the ailment of the people.
2. I like all sorts of alternative health care, but I’m a dirty hippie.
3. Also a huge fan of reflexology, I’m gagging to try acupuncture. I hear good things. Glad you’re better, mwah!
I went 2-3 times right before my wedding because my left arm had gone mostly numb from the elbow down to my fingers (stupid overhead squats – never again!). I honestly don’t know if the chiro helped or if it was just time that helped.
However, Airrosti? That is something I can get behind. Especially since you have fascia issues, and you’re in Texas (they only have offices in Texas & Oklahoma). It hurts like a b*tch, but usually, you don’t have to go more than 2-3 times and you’re cured. I did something crazy to my back last summer (leaned over to put in my contacts & couldn’t stand back up straight – wtf?) and my Airrosti friend fixed it. I also went to see him in June, when I had such bad shin splints that it hurt to walk. 3 visits, and my legs were back to normal. It was suuuuuuper painful and I had to walk around with k-tape on my legs for 2 weeks, but it was totally worth it. So if you’re interested, at least check out the website – http://www.airrosti.com.
Bah. I just left a comment and it apparently didn’t post. Basically, I went to the chiro a couple times for something I still don’t think he actually fixed (seemed like it went away on its own). What I do trust & use when nessary? Airrosti. Airrosti.com – go look at it and what they treat. They have offices all over DFW. It hurts a LOT, but within 2-3 visits, you’re fixed & can be on your merry way. No popping or cracking or adjusting; just beating the fascia into submission. I highly recommend it.
there are times that nerve pain can be severely debiliating. i also hate high intensity nerve pain which can be quite disturbing. .,'”*
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