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What a perfect day for writing. There's a little cloud cover making the breeze cool and the light indirect. The wind is creating a symphony as it rustles its way through the leaves in the tall gums on our property. The two horses are up at the house pad fence as they habitually are in order to amalgamate with our morning routine (and hopefully score a feed). The hint of smoke scents the air, probably the result of a nearby burn off or some cooking... the perfect environment to get the writing juices flowing for a Sunday morning post.
Welcome to my office!
This morning I wanted to write about my first experience getting an adjustment at the chiropractor. This is a followup to the post I made recently on the Gonstead approach and how impressed I was with the holistic manner in which this Gonstead practitioner treated my wife's case. That background information can be found here.
Mine was an unusual visit in a way. Normally people go to a chiropractor to treat pains that they may be suffering. I don't suffer from any pain - save a niggling issue around my tailbone from a horse fall a few months back. I wanted to know what could be improved and, importantly, what seemingly unrelated problems may be attributable to nervous system and skeletal issues.
Gonstead is very analytical and measurement based. We hence started with a questionnaire about my history of trauma and any issues that may form a part of the puzzle. It was an interesting exercise to go through as past injuries that you no longer (apparently) suffer from don't feature readily in every day thought.
In the process of our discussions on history, I'd remembered a few things that had long been filed away in that dimly lit part of long term memory, covered in cobwebs. I'd recalled a low speed motorcycle injury I suffered a decade ago. Going back further I recalled some of the unavoidable spills we all suffer as children, in my case one fall from play equipment at primary school I recall due to the embarrassment at the time. I'd been winded and was laying on my back unable to get up. At the time I was so embarrassed as "the other kids were looking at me!" An interesting walk down memory lane".
Then came the XRays which were immediately brought up on the big wall monitor. The take away from the beginning was that there's a lot going on with me. The doctor had noticed my "straight back" from eyeballing me during a visual inspection and the XRay images had confirmed it. My spine is too straight.
There was evidence of whiplash trauma in my neck, likely from an age under 5 or 10 that had since fully healed (in the wrong spot) and I have rotation and torsion issues in the pelvis and through the lumbar. The doctor was surprised I had no physical pain and said that it was a good idea that I'd come in for a "check up" as these sorts of things will cause pain later in life, at a time when you've got fewer options on the table in terms of remedy.
The observations made sense when I consider things I've always lived with. Car headrests for example I've always found too intrusive. I'm often feeling like my head is being thrust too far forward in most car seats. My observations in conjunction with the XRay imagery that we freely discussed seemed to provide a lot of merit to the various conclusions the doctor was making.
Interestingly, I'd confessed in the history of a recent decline in my mental motivation. I'd recently noticed a reduction in tolerance and a tenancy to avoid exercise; something I'd always enjoyed doing. These statements were not of surprise to the doctor who firmly believes that the strong connection between the brain and the nervous system often results in symmetries between them when something is not-quite-right.
I was able to have a correction done during that first session. I never tend to crack easily. Some people are able to click their spine more than those African Khoisan languages... but not me.
Yesterday however, laying on that bed in the chiropractor's office, the doctor with a single movement to my lower spine managed to ripple a sensation all the way up to what felt like my shoulder blades. I heard multiple clicks and cracks and afterwards there was a sensation of adjustment. No pain, just a feeling that things were sitting differently. An unbelievable skill.
On the drive home I was overcome with fatigue, a symptom of pressure release as I've discussed earlier. Today I feel no different, although I've not yet really done much other than setup my little outdoor writing area.
I can't help but feel I've averted a health train wreck by proactively seeking a checkup of my skeletal structure. Interestingly, the doctor said that chiro is not just for those in pain. Athletes often seek counsel on how to best fine tune their bodies for competition or goals. I'd recommend a checkup in the same way that we all tend to be OK with getting dental checkups.
My next correction is booked for next week. I'm told that it may not take long before some curvature starts returning to my spine and I'm keen to see if my sleep, mood and desire to exercise starts to return to me.
Thanks for reading!