So I finally went to the chiropractor and...

So far I am impressed. Although I always could have benefited from it, I was never inclined to seek chiropractic care because it had been ingrained in me from a young age that chiros are quacks. I think part of it may be the south, where anything new or unfamiliar is seen by many as dangerous, people are stubborn and loyal to their medical docs, and suffering is borne like a cross with some pain pills to take the edge off.

But the other day I woke up unable to turn my neck very far in any direction. It hurt. I couldn't even look down at the baby while she nursed. I had a cold too and worried on and off if I had meningitis. I had been planning to go see Carey at her new office but I couldn't drive and felt awful so I called to cancel and she encouraged me, for like the seventh time, to go see a chiropractor. I had been meaning to go for a long time but had financial concerns and just never got around to it. But this neckache had me calling Dr. Wickiser's office and begging for an appointment that day. I had to wait (they were in the middle of moving their office) and finally had my first adjustment yesterday.

When Dr. Wickiser showed me the x-rays, it was obvious things were a bit off. My spine was curved so that one shoulder was significantly higher than the other. (I wore my backpack on one shoulder as a child because that is what the cool kids did. I was not a cool kid so I don't know why I did it.) My neck, instead of curving forward, goes in a straight diagonal line forward. He told me my head was too far forward and the unnecessary strain of holding it up in the awkward position was hurting my back. Bottom line, my posture has always SUCKED and I thought it was because I was too lazy to stand up straight. I tried and tried! People told me to stand up straight and I could, for a while, but it actually made my back hurt to do it.

Then I got my first adjustment (actually three separate ones), which was a little nervewracking but not bad at all once I realized it wasn't going to be a big deal. It was no more traumatic than popping a finger. Dr. Wickiser said it would be normal to feel nothing, to feel sore, or to feel better so I walked hopefully out of the office wondering which it would be. By the time I got to my mom's house I realized I was sitting up straighter. Holding the good posture that I'd been after for years was actually easier. My mom told me I was sitting up so straight it looked weird and that's probably because she's watched me slouch all my life! There are several little differences I notice after that first adjustment, but in general it's easier to stand up straight than it is to slouch. I feel like a swan or a giraffe or some other long-necked animal.

I am also a bit sore and looking forward to my next adjustment, which is tomorrow. I'll be going in quite frequently for a while, and then I'll continue to go for maintenance visits. I'm excited to see how I feel in a few months!