I had my chiropractor consult last week. This was my first time visiting a chiropractor. I selected this particular office based on searching our local FB group for recommendations, and then noticing that a few friends/ acquaintances that I feel are smart, trustworthy people had all recommended a particular practice. Figured I would not waste a ton of time sorting this out. While I can be highly indecisive at times, with things like this I am a… what’s it called? A satisfier? No, that’s not right. What’s it called when you just get a few pieces of information that seem reasonable and you go with that? Someone help me out.
Anyway, back to chiro consult. So, he did a whole history and took x-rays, etc. Then I went back a few days later for a review of it all.
Turns out…. I have pretty significant scoliosis!! I had no idea. My spine is totally curved in the lumbar/ lower region. He said it is no surprise that things are not aligning right because my spine is, by definition, uneven and curved, not straight. (Like when I squat at the gym, for example- he said there is no possible way the weight can evenly distribute across both sides of my body and spine, because it’s just… crooked!)
Additionally, I have a bunch of subluxations in various areas of my spine, or vertebraes that do not move as they should.
So, he said there was good news and bad news. The bad news was the scoliosis part. There is not a way to like, uncurve your spine. The good news though is that much of my pain he feels is related to these various subluxations, and I am still in “phase 1”. He said once it progresses further and further, eventually there isn’t much that can be done. In other words, I went in early enough to hopefully be able to reverse some of this! Yay.
I had my first adjustment done last week and then went back for another one yesterday. My treatment plan is fairly extensive and involves 2x/ week adjustments for over a month, plus additional treatments and exercises for at least 3 months. We will re-do xrays at 3 months and go from there.
Irritatingly, my insurance claimed that this is not “medically necessary” (really? so it’s normal to have pain 24/7 in your back and not be able to bend over to put your socks on without wincing in pain??). But they will cover part of it. I still had to hand over $960 for my part of the treatment plan so far. Between Ivan and Ethan both in braces and now this, our “medical/ dental” budget has taken quite the hit lately….
The whole getting adjusted thing is kind of odd! Totally new experience for me. I am just not used to having someone like, touch me really in the first place- I am kind of jumpy and I do not relax easily. Ha. He has to practically lay into my shoulder for some of the adjustments to get it to crack…. yuck! The worst is the neck part I think where you hear it all cracking inside your head. Ha. He said that’s the most important one, though- the neck affects all the way down to the lower spine.
We also had an interesting conversation about how people are having increased neck issues (and actual structural changes) due to constantly looking down at their phones for hours per day! I do not have neck pain but on the x-rays my neck is “straighter” than it should be. (There’s supposed to be a certain curvature to it.) Hopefully that will improve with this treatment, too.
So that’s the latest. Anyone here have experience with chiropractic care?? It’s totally new to me and has been interesting. I REALLY REALLY hope that it can resolve or improve my issues! I did feel just generally a little looser and more limber, I guess, even after these first couple adjustments. Oh, and he also said that it will likely improve my abdominal bloating issues that I’ve dealt with- he said those nerves are all related and spread out from the spine, and digestive issues can be drastically improved with chiropractic adjustments. Interesting!
Also, I am going to take a break from any squatting for a while. I feel like I have noticed an increase in pain in the days after I squat (and I am confident in my form!). After he explained how my spine is just simply out of whack, he agreed that it makes sense to step away from that exercise for now.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for my little lap blanket that I use in my office every day. It can be chilly with the a/c on so if I’m at my desk, I have my little throw on my lap. 🙂
GRATEFUL KAE 
Phil has mild scoliosis, too. It has definitely contributed to his back pain although he refuses to see a chiropractor! He has badly hurt his back a couple of times, to the extent that he couldn’t pick up either kid… once that happened when I had the stomach flu! Now he knows not to push it if he’s having pain. He has seen his primary care doctor when it’s really bad and has gotten muscle relaxants which help a bit.
I have seen a chiro in the past. Over 10 years ago, I did something to my neck and could not turn my head from side to side. It was awful! I used to hold the phone between my ear and neck at work and was also a stomach sleeper – and both of those are bad for your neck/back! So I trained myself not to sleep on my stomach which was tough. Sometimes I’ll have pain crop back up and have had to have some tune up appts with the chiro. I think going to someone who is recommended is the best approach! The adjustments can be kind of jarring, though!! And I think you are thinking of satisfiser – or satisfier would be a more grammatically correct word! I am generally a satisfiser. I’d rather just have a solution/work towards a solution versus weighing multiple factors and doing a ton of research!
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I wonder why he won’t go to a chiropractor!! It must not bother him enough? My back issues have gotten so bad I would do almost anything at this point- so I was very excited to get in to the chiropractor and get started on treatment. If this doesn’t help I don’t know what I’ll do!!
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He thinks of chiros as, well, snake oil salespeople. Like they are just doing adjustments for the sake of doing adjustments. He has been absolutely miserable at various points when he has hurt his back but he isn’t willing to see a chiro.
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I LOVE the chiropractor. We don’t have any coverage for it anymore, so I don’t go often. I loved the cracking sound. Osteopaths have also helped me tremendously with pain in my C-section scar. Night and day. Oh, and have improved bladder control post kids, too! I’m a big fan of osteopathy. And massage!
My mom was an RN and thought chiropractors were horrible and loved to tell tales about people getting paralyzed from bad adjustments…guess who now goes to a chiropractor…hahaha.
I think the word you’re looking for is a satisficer; the other is maximizer. I’m a maximizer in most things, but then some areas of life I’m 100% a satisficer. I think satisficers tend to be much happier, and I wish I could drop some of my maximizer tendencies. There’s a whole book about this – The Paradox of Choice!
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I am a huge believer in my chiropractor. A little side story: my husband works in spine, daily with neurosurgeons, and none of them are fans of chiropractors, so it was a big deal when I decided to go to one about 2 years ago because they all thought it was a bad idea. But I also have a “straighter neck” and about every 6 weeks would have such terrible neck pain that I couldn’t move my head for a day or two. Since I started going, I haven’t had that kind of pain even once. I don’t know what they do, but I’m a believer. I only go every other week now and that keeps me feeling good. Hope you have great success, too!
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Oh wow!! Well that’s definitely a strong testament to going to one. I’m so glad it’s helped you!
I honestly hadn’t heard that much about the “rift” between chiropractors and traditional medicine/doctors until I started going. Now I have chatted with a few people about it and am realizing it’s definitely kind of controversial!! I really hope it works for me. Based on what he said and what the X-rays showed, I guess I’m not sure what other kind of treatments (besides chiropractic care) would change my spinal situation..
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I used to go to a sports chiropractor for running injuries. He would give me little adjustments here and there if he thought it was necessary, but the treatments were more focused on whatever injury I was dealing with.
Does your gym have a hack squat machine? Our gym just got one. I haven’t used it yet but my son loves it. He said it’s just like doing a squat, but your back is supported. Maybe that would be good for your situation?
Anyway, I hope your new doctor helps you! He sounds knowledgeable. Keep us updated!
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I have tried a hack squat machine… it doesn’t feel like the exact same movement as a squat to me though. It’s very quad dominant. But I am fine not squatting or just subbing other things- I mean, there are plenty of other leg exercises and it’s not like I’m a powerlifter or something and need to specifically squat!! 😉 I feel like lunge variations are a good option too.
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I got my X-ray read this Tuesday and same issues, curve spine, straight neck. treatment is 1 month to fix the pain, 2 more months to “cure” it for good so my pelvic wouldn’t rotate easily. I can say for sure that it works because after just 2 adjustments, my hip pain went away 90%. I’m going to stick to the plan this time, 2x a week. I know it’s expensive but I guess it’s less expensive than daily pain and worsening of the condition.
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I have never been to a chiropractor! So glad you are finding a treatment plan that is helping!
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Yes, I tried it today- it is different. like you said, very quad dominant. Lunges would be a good substitution!
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I have mild scoliosis and SI joint issues, and have had back pain on and off through the years (i’m 40 fyi). I’ve been to my PCP, done the chiropractor bit, gone to PT several times, etc. Honestly nothing has ‘cured’ the pain, its just something that I’ve learned to live with.
Strength training/weight lifting is my primary form of exercise, but I also do yoga and walking. I have found that doing barbell back squats irritates my back issues so I have stopped doing them. I do front type squats instead (goblet squats e.g.) and those don’t bother me. One random thing I’ve noticed that on the fist 2 days of my period, my joints seem more looser and I’m more prone to back injuries if I lift weights during those days. So I make those 2 days ‘rest’ days and only do gentle yoga or walking.
One last comment, is that there is also a mind body component to back pain (and all types of chronic pain). If you find yourself going down the road of PT, chiropriactor, meds, etc and nothing seems to really work, do some research on ‘mind body syndrome’ or ‘tension myotis syndrome’. There is lots out there (books, podcasts, apps such as curable, etc ). When my back pain flares up, this seems to help the most.
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Thanks so much for the comment! This is some great information. I am also a bit worried already that nothing is actually going to make this go away. We are basically same age – I turn 40 in October. Ugh I hate the thought of it lasting forever, but maybe I can at least find ways to improve it… thanks for the mind body info. I will look into that. I hadn’t heard of that specifically related to back pain.
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I had great experiences with a chiropractor at Duke when I had hip pain issues. He worked with a lot of the college athletes and practiced Active Release Technique. I would do it again. I am going to see a PT for some intermittent knee pain but I would also go to a chiro in the future if needed. Just important to find a GOOD one with great references. (But I’m a total satisficer too btw – if someone I trust gives me one glowing rec, I’ll just take it!).
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I have only been to a chiro once and I have to say that I agree with Phil. I felt they were just prescribing appointments to get money and it did not help me very much. Also I worked in the Workers Compensation insurance field and the chiropractors were the worst! Actually a lot of the doctors were a little shady, but the chiros were the worst of the bunch.
The word you are thinking of is satisficing, which is a combo of satisfy and suffice, as you will often pick one of the first things that works rather than going too much in detail with a decision. I am definitely a maximizer, not a satsificer!
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I would highly recommend seeing a spinal surgeon who specializes in scoliosis to confirm the degree of your curvature. I was diagnosed with moderate scoliosis in high school, which I was surprised to learn (at age 40) had significantly progressed. I was in so much pain for so long, and I finally got a definitive reason for why that was. Spinal fusion surgery addressed the issue, and the pain, once and for all. I’m now doing a lot of Pilates to work on core strength and flexibility.
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Yay, good for you for getting your back issues straightened out. Back issues affect EVERYTHING, every move!
I have not been to a chiropractor yet (since I don’t have any chronic pain) but think it’s so helpful for so many people esp. these days with all the sitting and screen time. It’s good to know you can do something about certain things before it becomes a real problem.
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