I’ve always been an active person. I was an athlete in High School, was in the military for four years, played soccer as an adult and have always been an equestrian. After having my son in 1997 I started have serious back pain. I wasn’t even able to sit on the floor and play cars or build Legos. It was crippling physically but the mental toll was even worse. I felt like a bad parent, a shell of the person I used to be, and I was moody and impatient because of it. I went from doctor to doctor, emergency room to emergency room just looking for some kind of relief- I was only 25 years old, how could I feel so badly? I had shooting pains down my legs, it felt like an electric bolt would shock me if I sat with my legs crossed on the floor and I could barely put my own pants on.
Most of my visits to the MD’s and emergency rooms all went the same: pain medication, testing, an injection of some sort and then the dreaded “back surgery” recommendations. They said I had bulging discs, arthritis, degeneration, and scoliosis! I remember my last visit to the emergency room like it was yesterday. I couldn’t stand up straight, I was bent over at the waist, my husband had to put my shoes on for me and I cried the whole way there. The Doctor spent 2 minutes with me and wrote me a script for another pain medication. Tears just started streaming down my face and with those tears every bit of hope as well. I was so tired of this cycle. The nurse came in and saw me sitting there in a puddle of tears and she said “Is there something else going on at home? Is someone hurting you?” I stopped crying instantly and just let out the throatiest laugh I could muster. Because I had said no to the pain medication, she just assumed I was there seeking help from an abusive situation at home! I left that night knowing I needed to find a different source of care.
I don’t know why I never thought about chiropractic care. Maybe because I was young, maybe because my father had back pain and multiple back surgeries and that seemed normal or maybe I was just conditioned to want the quick fix that a shot or medication provided. Soon after that last visit I started experimenting with massage and acupuncture and someone along the way recommended getting adjusted. I found a local DC and the journey began.
My first experience with getting adjusted was lackluster. No real relief, no real understanding of what or why I was getting adjusted and no plan for how I was going to heal. It wasn’t until I met Dr. Dennis and his office that I was truly exposed to the how’s and the why’s and I really began to understand what the body is truly capable of. He didn’t just adjust my back but he adjusted my mind. He explained so clearly how the consistency of getting adjusted in the beginning helped my body maintain the work that we were doing. How not only are we manipulating the spine but how my central nervous system was also affected. He educated me on how the other symptoms I was experiencing were directly connected. It wasn’t long before my outlook changed, my back was better and I was back to being a patient and active mom. It’s been over 10 years since that first visit with Dr. Dennis and I can’t imagine what my life would be like without chiropractic care! When I tell people that I’m a lifetime Chiro Patient, it means that it’s just part of who I am. When I’m feeling sick, when I’m feeling pain, when I’m struggling mentally and most importantly when I’m feeling great…I get adjusted! I know that it has changed my life and will continue to do so for as long as I incorporate it! If you or someone you know is struggling and considering chiropractic care my advice would be…be patient and follow the recommendations. It’s likely it took you a long time to get where you are and will take time to fix it!