Chiropractor

    Hello there friends! :] How are you all doing today? I hope well. Too bad it is still raining here, and I mean constantly raining! So you know I have just been feeling great! (Oh, that's sarcasm, by the way. I tend to type like I speak, and sarcasm consists of about 50% of my speech. It just does not tend to transition well into writing.)
    So, I have been going to this chiropractor for about a month and a half now. The one bad thing about my area and these doctor's appointments is that the doctor's offices are all at least 30 minutes away from me. You would think in my highly populated area that we would actually have more specialists and services, but ends up that we only have doc-in-the-box medical care facilities, hospitals, and 24-hour eyeglass services. So, you have to make the trek to Timbuktu.
    You know, driving has been so hard for me. For the one year I had this mystery undiagnosed illness, driving was absolutely terrifying. I was already the unusual preteen/teenager back in the day because I was scared to drive from the start, but when I got sick it was really bad.
    When you don't know if you are dying or not and then you get super bad chest pain, what's the one thing you think of?... Yes, heart attack. And my biggest fear was driving because, "What if I have a heart attack and die? And then I run off the road and hit a tree? Or I hit a person? Or I hit a person with a child who runs into a tree?" Well, you get the irrational ranting, but at the time, it could have been completely rational. When you don't know what's wrong you prepare for anything and everything.
    Thankfully, I can drive. No problem. If I keep my arms up on the wheel for too long it can really start to hurt my arms though, so now I have to drive with my arms down in my lap. I also drive with one arm at a time, so if one gets tired I have the other one to use next. And it's not just with driving. Everything has been altered to accommodate my new restrictions. Basically, it stinks! I say all the time, "I'm too young to feel this old!" And honey, it is so true!

    I really hope these doctor's appointments are worth it though. I have such a hard condition to heal. As my chiropractor says, "It has taken you quite some time to get into the shape you are in, so it's going to take you a while to get yourself out of it." Depressingly so. Bummer. And if you only know the money we have spent on medical care… ugh!
    My chiropractor is so sweet and amazing! I was really nervous about going, and I was sore the first few visits, but I think I am slowly but surely getting better. You can usually tell when you have more good days than bad ones. So for a little over a month I was going three times per week, but just last week he said I didn't have to come in but for only twice a week. Sounds hopeful!

    I was really amazed at how much my condition can be related to the spine. In fact, the only x-rays they took were that of my cervical spine, nothing else besides the upper neck! Evidently that is where the main problems forms, and when you fix it there the rest of the spine falls into alignment.



The Hydra Bed

    So, I get this therapy called hydo bed therapy. It is a warm water massage for your back. It is crazy how much your back itches on that thing! Itching is good though, because that means that your muscles are getting the circulation stimulated better in them, which is done by relaxing the muscle. Then they do the adjustments. They look at the whole spine and use a syringe-like device to "pop" the places on your spine that need to be better stimulated because they are too tense. The device is called an activator, and it actually delivers less intense stimulation than those who do not use it, since the sensations are quickly delivered. Honestly, the sound of the "pop" is more intimidating that the actual feel of it. There is a rubber stopper on the end that makes the impact gentler, and it never impales the skin. It would be just like clicking a pen or a mechanical pencil, just on a larger scale. You can use it everywhere. I have had it used on my jaw, chest, back, shoulders, and knee.

The Activator

Activator treatment.

    So far from my chiropractic therapy, here is what I can tell you. You will be sore and itchy after the first day. It shouldn't be debilitating, but since I have never had any treatment to my back before and I am super tender with my condition, I feel it a little more. You might not be able to see results right away, and results may not be seen every day for you, but in time you will probably see a difference. You might be the one to feel a difference right after the first visit, you just won’t know until you give it a try! I know I have seen a difference in me. It has taken me a little while to tell, but I can feel the results now. If I can get my rest from having to run around to all of these appointments I am fine, otherwise I am just worn out and hurting.
    Have you tried going to a chiropractor? How did it go, or how is it going? Give all of us your feedback! Have any other doctors have you tried and recommend? I want to hear from you!

Until next time, stay strong, drive safe, and be merry! XOXO,

Chelsea <3 (I need to have a personalized signature for my blog, don't you think?)

*Today's Happy Thought: MOOSE!
I love them. :) They look like they smile! I even have the moose Pillow Pets. Obsession? Neh. ;)



Precious! <3