hallelujah! scoliosis progress!

Last week I went to the chiropractor. Actually, I saw two chiropractors at Active Life Chiropractic, Dr. Steve Hall and Dr. Laura (I don't know her last name). I've been going there for a long time.

Dr. Hall did some deep tissue massage on my upper back, which was tense from working at my computer, and on my lower back--I have a lumbar scoliosis, not severe but the cause of intermittent back problems my entire adult life, discovered last summer. Then he put biofreeze gel all over my back and placed the light therapy pad on my upper back. At the same time, he put e-stim electrodes on the left side of my lumbar spine, where I feel most of the dysfunction.

I had him bump up the e-stim settings. I know from experience that the higher you can tolerate the tingly e-stim shock, the more effective it is. It's great for muscle spasm.

I laid there with biofreeze, light therapy, and e-stim for maybe 20 minutes.

Then Dr. Laura came and did her thing, which is having me make movements on one side and then the other while she observes my back for imbalances and gently taps the bones into place.

When I left, for several hours, my lower back felt completely balanced, with no pain, stiffness, or dysfunction. For the first time in my memory. (I've probably had the scoliosis since adolescence.)

I felt like I didn't have any back problems at all. I felt aligned, healthy, and strong.

Wow.

I realized that I've tolerated chronic low levels of pain, tightness, stiffness, and imbalance for years, and it has taken a toll. It's been a real energy drain. I'm so grateful to finally be getting this help.

The feeling of dysfunction did return after a few hours, but I feel like March 18 was a huge day for me because I now have a sense memory of having a pain-free and aligned back. My progress will be much faster, I hope.

I imagine that with continued treatment from ALC, and doing the specific exercises at home that Dr. Hall prescribed, along with yoga and bike-riding and other physical activities, that I will more and more experience what it's like to really feel strong and healthy.

I really want that.

I also want to credit Nina Davis, my cranio-sacral therapist. Nina works on my back from the inside out, working with my cerebro-spinal fluid, somehow helping me make new connections. With trauma, car accidents and other injuries, in my history, CST is helpful. It's very subtle but sensitive, fine work.