Those who know me know that I've had years of bad back problems, starting with a ruptured disk about 25 years ago & ending last year with no disk remaining so I was bone-on-bone. That caused my posture to get goofy, which meant my hips got out of whack, causing bursitis, which in turn caused leg cramps: really, really bad cramps which meant that, between the cramps & the bursitis, I slept very little and usually what sleep I get is in a chair.
I've spent the last 3 or 4 months going from one doctor to another, searching for solutions. Gynecologist, neurologist, orthopedic surgeon...all treat one symptom or another. I had a battery of 'real' medical tests: MRI, EMGs, EKGs, ultrasound, had a D&C, nerve dye (can't remember the name of that one). I was put on hormone therapy, various drugs, etc., most of which caused other problems. Finally I got an opinion: Restless Leg Syndrome. The solution: a drug that can alter mood & behavior.
NO thanks.
I finally got to the point where I realized I wanted someone to treat Me. I mentioned this while exercising one day at my local Curves & one of the ladies mentioned a chiropractor her husband had seen a few years back. "He cured my husband's back problems in 3 visits," the woman said. "He's a chiropractic kinesiologist. Try him."
I went home & googled the doctor & sure enough, there he was (for those curious about this: http://www.quantumchiroarts.com/). I thought, "What the heck? What do I have to lose?" The type of evaluation he performs is not 'sanctioned' by assorted organizations, but a lot of massage therapy & acupuncture isn't either, and I know that stuff works. So why not?
I saw him yesterday. It was a long drive (he's as far away from me as he can be & still be considered in the Twin Cities) but I made an adventure of it, going to a to-me-unfamiliar part of town and wandering around before my visit. He was very straightforward, explained what he would be doing, why he thinks it works, etc.
His goal is wellness -- and for the first time in a long time a doctor actually sat, talked to me, and when I said, "You know, my entire pelvic region is goofed up -- I've got to think it's all related" he just nodded. "You're probably right. Common sense dictates that all those muscles & nerves in one place will get goofed up if one major part, your back, gets goofed up. So let's see if that's right."
It was a very unusual experience for me. His exam consisted of moving my limbs and gauging my reaction to the movement. So he'd press my thigh and see how my arm reacted. Or he'd press my ankle & see how the arm reacted (the arm is like a conductor of energy, I think). Then he determined how to 'treat' me, talking to me the whole time. "By applying energy to this portion of your body, we are releasing the blocked flow from the spleen that is preventing ..."
I've been to chiropractors before and this was a bit of that, a bit of acupressure (I've had that done by a massage therapist), a bit of manipulating my limbs to 'feel' where the chi was blocked. I have reflexology done on a regular basis on my feet, and my massage person talks about blocked chi & how certain areas of the foot relate to the intestine etc., so I've heard & felt some of this before.
Then he did the chiro stuff: adjusted my neck, spine & tail bone, put pressure here & there, and did some 'whoo-whoo' stuff (drawing bad chi out of my body and flicking it away). When he was done I had increased mobility & last night I slept for the first time in days without leg cramps. He wants to see me 2 more times then he thinks I'll be fine.
As I told my husband later, "It was refreshing to talk to someone who wants to make my life more liveable. No other doctor talked that way. They all talked about controlling symptoms. He talked about alleviating them."
I feel good today. My back doesn't hurt -- repeat after me. MY.BACK.DOESN'T.HURT. I have not been able to say that for at least 6 months. Some days it was BIG OW some days it was 'ooh'. But today my back feels normal. Even if it only lasts a few hours, I now remember what it feels like to feel normal again.
I see him again in 10 days. He gave me some exercise to do, and I'll be doing 'em. I'll report back on my progress.
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