Never say never

Back in university, I was in a car accident and the truck I was in rolled.  I was not seriously injured, just a little sore.  The driver of the vehicle, my roommate, went to a chiropractor.  He was a friend of ours.  I did not go see him.  I was nervous and afraid to be "cracked".  I would never go, I could never relax enough in order to be "cracked".  All I'd known was stories of people being cracked and then ended up seriously injured.

Over the past two years, I have dealt with lower back pain.  Actually it was more pain in the hip area on the left side.  Related to running, I wasn't sure?  But when it was present it stayed for up to a week varying in intensity and radiating along my lower back, into my bum and sometimes a little down my leg.  At times, it could be shooting pain and other times just a constant soreness.  I would live on ibuprofen, that would take the edge off.  I also tried to deal with it by putting a hot water bottle or heated rice pack on it or soaking in a hot bath. These all helped a little.  Then all of a sudden it would be gone...

I thought it could be related to running on uneven pavement or stress or my period or even that I had one leg slightly shorter than the other.  For the latter, I had the kids pulling on my left leg in attempt to realign my two legs.  I also stretched and stretched and stretched.  At one point, I had my niece walk on my back.  She is two and a light weight so that really had no effect:(

I tried massage therapy a couple of times but never felt it really got to the problem nor relieved it completely.

So I Google diagnosed myself.  Put in my symptoms, at this point thinking I had arthritis in my hip (I had a wee bit of it in my left index finger awhile back reminder I am no Dr. and had no idea if they were related: index finger arthritis and hip pain?). Well after googling, I feared in the end I would need a hip replacement!  When telling my friend (Dr;) Michelle, she said it might be bursitis.  After meeting with my family doctor, she agreed it could be bursitis and said I would need physio.  

My bro in law, works with a chiropractor who uses active release, massage and he had a great introductory package...so I went and he too agreed it was a bit of bursitis plus my hip and leg bones rubbing together (eek) and muscle tightness.  I told him right away that I was scared to be "cracked".  He told me he would examine me and that there would be no snap, crackle, pop that day.

On my second visit, the Dr explained again what was going on and then he said he would adjust me!?! Whoa! Didn't that mean getting cracked? I didn't really focus on this.  We continued to discuss what was happening but now I was lying on his special table and I assumed he was still examining, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.  Ahh but he knew what was going on and while I was on my right side...

HE CRACKED ME!

I yelled out.  The crack and my yell were about the same loudness. Loud!

Then I started to laugh

And laugh.

I was embarrassed and stunned that he actually did it.

I was also given stretches to do at home.  And guess what?  I am feeling sooo much better.

I have been again and was cracked again, despite being worried that I would be so nervous and tense that again there would be no cracking but the Dr. was able to do it.

The Chiropractor, is Jeff Lowthian.

www.trinitychiro.ca

My lesson learned: never say never