Don't Give Up!

I just replied to an email I received from someone in San Francisco and it inspired me to make a new entry. This person is dealing with a chronic pain and has tried going to various doctors and alternative health practitioners. One piece of advice I had for this person is "don't give up!" There are plenty of times in my office where, unfortunately, I wind up being the 3rd, 5th even 15th doctor someone has seen for an issue. I definitely can't say that I have taken away the symptoms of each and every one of those people but I have helped many. Sometimes there is either one piece of advice, one supplement, one adjustment, or a muscle being worked on the correct way that can make a difference in the way a person responds to care.

I'll give you my personal example...Before graduating chiropractic college I was in a car accident. Along with many other injuries I also had 2 compression fractures in my spine. Those two fractures kept me in some form of pain or discomfort for months. I had been getting adjusted by great chiropractors 1-3 times per week, I was in Physical therapy for 2 years, I exercised on my own and was taking great care of myself and I still was experiencing mild chronic lower thoracic pain. I also had frequent flare ups of more acute pain for about 2 1/2 years after the accident.

Having chronic pain would have been frustrating for anyone but especially for someone like me who's job it is to care for others. Here's where things changed. I went to an Applied Kinesiology seminar because I was curious to learn more about it and to be honest I was getting bored with my practice. I was called up to the "stage" by Dr. Eugene Charles who was teaching the seminar because I raised my hand as someone who had a certain type f pain that he was describing. I laid face up on a chiropractic table and Dr. Charles put 2 wedges under my back and then proceeded to traction my legs. The whole procedure took 1 minute and he then told me to stand up. When I stood up and tested my range of motion I noticed I had the ability to rotate side to side further than I had been since the accident and I felt better as well.

That one movement to correct a "facet imbrication" was done by a chiropractor and is considered an adjustment just like I had received hundreds of times before. The point is this time there was something a little different. Sometimes that is all a patient needs. Something a little different. I still have to keep up a healthy lifestyle of getting adjusted, eating well, exercising and taking supplements; but without that facet imbrication being released I feel like I would have still felt that accident to this day. That is what put me on the road to learning more Applied Kinesiology and why no matter what; you should NEVER GIVE UP!