Chiropractic

All week I've been plagued by a bad back, but the last couple of days I've had trouble raising my left arm - to the point where I had trouble steering my car last night. I've felt like I'd pinched a nerve in my neck or something.

Max dose of Panadol, a voltaren and dreaming all night of my back crackling like popcorn and when I woke up this morning - at 7.30am no less - I knew I needed it looked at. (Thats like the middle of the night for me. Usual bedtime is between 3-4am, though I went to bed early last night at 2.30am because of the owch factor)

A quick search of the internet to figure out the difference between a physiotherapist, osteopath and chiropractor and remembering there was a chiropractor at Contours gym, and I was on the phone at 8.30am setting up an appointment with a chiropractor for 10.30am. Back to bed for another hour's sleep then away I went for my appointment.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Never having been to a chiropractor before I didn't really know what to expect, but to find everyone who worked there (Hammond Family Chiropractic) in the reception area chatting and laughing and playing with a poodle was actually very refreshing. Certainly not a dimly lit doctors waiting room, the sun was shining in, and well.. like I said, very refreshing.

Keith was really friendly, explained about how the spine affects the nerves and was very easy to talk to. He actually listened when I was discussing the problems I was having with my back and shoulder, and was actively paying attention rather than doing that thing that some doctors do of making conclusions before you've said three words.

Once he'd assessed where the problem was coming from, or to be more specific, one of the three places on my back that needed attention, he showed me this cool little spring loaded hammer thing which didn't hurt at all when he demonstrated what it did on my hand, found the spot at the base of my skull where the first vertebra was out of place, popped the hammer on it and I was immediately improved. Before and afterwards he did a resistance test where I try and raise each arm and leg as he pushes down to see how much my nerves were being blocked. At the beginning I was pretty darn poor, immediately afterward I was able to resist really well. And that was just one single pop with the nifty hammer!

There were two more spots in my upper back that were troubling too, but for those I lay down and he did a push and turn type movement which sounded more like "crunch" than "crackle", but again made me feel better straight away. Ideally I should go back a few times to make sure my back stays where it's put, but since I'm leaving in a few days, I'll just have to wait and go back when I get back to New Zealand.

I'm still a bit achy, but it feels like an ache that is fixing itself, rather than one that is yelling for my attention, so in my opinion, that is $47 well spent.