Auricular Treatment: Part One - My History

I have to tell ya... with all the political blogs today, I'm feeling the need to talk about something different.


I try real hard not to preach my beliefs on people or preach about anything, for that matter.  However I do have to share something that has me out of my wits excited.  Here I mention, in brief, a pinched nerve in my back during my drive down to Missouri.  It made the drive down quite uncomfortable and it caused me to have an unbelievably horrible first night sleep.  I had to see a Chiropractor and I had to see one before I took the 10 hour drive back to Minnesota.


Let me first give you my history with back problems, injuries, and Chiropractic experience:


It all started back in about 2001 when I went on vacation to Cancun.  The last day of our vacation my brother and I decided we wanted to take some wave runners out in the ocean; I was too scared to drive one alone, so I rode with him.  The waves in the ocean are HUGE (fyi) and we were having a blast!  All of the sudden we see this huge wave growing bigger and bigger as we approach it.... he looks back at me and says "you ready?" Hell yes I'm ready!!!  I grab on super tight and we 'floor' it.
Now, when riding a wave runner there are certain things you must know, especially as a passenger.  First and foremost: when you ride up on a huge wave you have to stand and brace yourself for the landing.
We ride up on this HUGE wave and stand as we are flying through the air - an unbelievable rush if you've never experienced it - we are coming down... down... down (which takes forever cause we are so high)... we land, my feet slip on the wet floor and the entire impact of landing has now been transfered from my knees/legs to my tail bone/back.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, but the way I can explain it to you from experiencing it is: it felt like my entire spine compressed into my lower back.  I screamed so loud my brother said he thought I was dying.
We, obviously, rode very slowly back to shore.  I sent my brother out in search of a 'black market' buy of some pain killers... remember we are in Mexico and have to leave for the airport shortly.  What he came back with didn't really do me much good.  The plane ride was not fun.


Once back home I decided the Chiropractor was going to be my first visit.  It was my first time going to one, so I was pretty nervous.  She did X-Rays and finally adjusted me... I didn't feel like a million bucks, but I did feel some relief.  I continued to see her for awhile but finally got to a point where I was only feeling better for a day or two, so I stopped going.  I have had chronic lower back pain ever since.


Fast forward to Autumn 2007... I went sky-diving last October, we pulled the cord and I felt my spine pop from the lower back all the way up to just below my neck.  I suffered with upper back pain (and was unable to tip my head back successfully) for about 2 months.  After seeing a Chiropractor a few times and going to the Doctor only to have him tell me it seemed like I had sprained muscles in my upper back and I needed to stop the Chiropractor and just let them heal,  they finally did.


Fast forward again to Summer 2008... out of nowhere, or at least nothing sparks in my head that I did, I have this huge knot, or what feels like a knot, in the center of my spine.  I went to see my Chiropractor again... she adjusted me and I felt fine.  The pain came back the next day.  My Chiropractor is in NE Mpls and I live in Andover, so the 25-30 minute drive is not ideal if this pain is going to be bothering me every day, especially with the price of gas then being up around $3.50/gallon.  It was time to search out a new Chiropractor!


I finally find a (hot) Chiropractor in my 'hood and pay him a visit.  He adjusts me in ways I've never been adjusted before and I fall a little bit in love with him for it.  I continue to see him for a few weeks, I'm feeling great, the knot in the middle of my back is less, and my entire body is a million time looser!  Just as I'm prepared to continue a regular treatment plan with him he tells me that my insurance has contacted him and if we are to continue there is an ass load of paperwork to be filled out.  He said they are more than happy to do it, but asks me if I feel it's necessary.  I told him that I felt any further treatment would be simply maintenance as my back wasn't in pain anymore than it had been for the past 7 years.  We both agreed to stop treatment unless the knot returned.
The knot did come back, but I was loose enough to pop it out myself for a very long time.  I never returned and the knot stayed away for the most part.


Now you might say: "Ang, you have huge boobs; don't you think that plays a roll in your back pain?"  I used to believe that it played a small role... until I took this trip to Missouri and was seen by Willard Chiropractic.  


Stay Tuned for Part Two of this blog where I will tell you all about what I had done to me and why I've changed my whole perspective on shit!!