Back in 18-something-or-other, after conducting a spinal manipulation on a building janitor who had been deaf since birth, Daniel David Palmer (see picture at right), a beekeeper turned magnetic healer, found that he had cured the janitor's deafness.
And so was born the branch of medicine known as chiropractic. Perhaps you, or someone you know, has been treated by one of these practitioners. I had not, myself, until yesterday. As conventional medical doctors have done little to alleviate my constant pain, stiffness, and fatigue, I decided I'd see if an adjustment would do the trick.
I was nervous, a little. You see, when I was a child, I visited a chiropractor in Arab, Alabama. My aunt was the patient, and why my cousin and I had accompanied her, I don't remember; but we did, even into the treatment room. I don't even remember much about the visit--except my aunt screaming while being adjusted.
But so many of my friends have recommended this form of treatment, that I decided I had to put those screams out of my mind and give it a try.
Dr. W. began by doing a bunch of x-rays. Then he sent me into a room with the therapist, Lisa. The relaxing tones of a Windham Hill piece was playing and the room smelled strongly of alcohol and jasmine. Lisa asked me to lie face down on the bed. Then she applied ultrasound to my lower back, then electrical stimulation, then a nice massage. None of that was bad; in fact, it was quite nice.
After the nice part, Dr. W., called me into his office where he showed me the results of my xrays. I already knew my spine was in bad shape, having visited with a spine orthopedist last winter. But Dr. W. felt like he had to show me just how bad it was. He explained everything in the xray--every deteriorated disk, every tilted vertebra, every curve of my spine. The x-rays even showed that my right hip is, like, and inch or two higher than my left one. From looking at my x-rays, you'd expect that I bear a strong resemblance to QuasiModo.
"If you had got the proper treatment years ago, we might not be dealing with this," he said.
"Yeah," I said, "and if I were 21 years old, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Can you do anything about it?" I mean, Daniel David Palmer had cured a deaf janitor; what was my disastrous spine by comparison.
The doctor thought that he could, indeed, help. He took me into another room, put me on another table, and that's when the fun began. I'm not sure what he was doing, since I was lying on my stomach with my face cradled in an opening in the table, but it felt like he was jumping up and down on my back. I asked him if this was supposed to hurt, because it was. (When a hug hurts, how do you think a pounding feels, doc?) He replied, "That's just the table making that noise--not you." Well, that wasn't my question.
The adjustment didn't last long, and I don't think he broke anything. I can't say I feel any better today, but as things stand, I plan to follow through with the program he put me on: three visits a week for four weeks. He also has me wear a brace and doing the Tens pain therapy treatments at home twice a day.
I'm still undecided about what I think of the whole field of chiropractic. My logical brain, what there is of it, is skeptical. But my romantic, trusting brain is hopeful. I keep thinking back to that deaf janitor. Can there be such a miracle waiting for me? (Just in case it doesn't work, however, I'm currently researching sweat lodges and snake oil.)
Oh, and one more thing. There was a print hanging in the treatment area with these words: The power that made the body heals the body." Above all, I do believe that.
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On 10/09/2007, Sister Cage said ...
Hey - I sure hope the chiro. doctor helps you. My friend Linda won't go to any other kind of dr. I have heard the TENS is effective.
On 10/09/2007, Patti said ...
My chiropractor always reminds me that I will feel worse before I feel better. And it seems to work that way. But she has done wonders for my back. I don't have as many problems as you do, but I have scholiosis - pretty severe in fact. She said today a child with a curvature like mine would be an immediate candidate for surgery. Anyway, hang in there. I know it has done great things for me, and also for several of my friends. My health insurance will pay for 12 treatments a year - except for a $20 copay - and I know they wouldn't so that for something "that's a bunch of hooey".
On 10/12/2007, Rian said ...
Very interesting. I did chiropractic years ago for a bad back, I don't know if it helped or not. It got better, but I'm not entirely sure the adjustments did it, or if time was the healer.
At any rate, I hope it helps you and you feel better soon.
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