For years now after a severe horseback riding accident I’ve been living in constant back pain. You know that dull, aching pain that makes you feel lethargic and as though you're giving a piggyback ride to a 600 lbs. man? No matter how many times a week I worked out or pleaded for back massages both were only temporary fixes. I awoke constantly in the middle of the night to shift positions because of the pain (I’m really not sure what the overpriced tempurpedic bed my doctor recommended did other than blow a hole through my wallet).Again, upon recommendation I went to a chiropractor. What an f’ing joke. I must tell you – I walked away in more pain than when I started. Instead of waterboarding the government should use a chiropractor. It's legal and probably just as affective. I would confessed all of my deepest, darkest secrets just to prevent enduring that “neck manipulation” movement once again.
Instead of living off pills I decided to try something different. Acupuncture. I visited Cornerstone Healing in Brooklyn this Saturday. Although skeptical I was open to anything at this point. The Zen like atmosphere of the office is fab, but I guess it’s got to be when you plan to puncture your body full of needles. Overall, I found the procedure “uncomfortable” and slightly painful at times, however Saturday night was the first night I slept the full night. My pain has shifted too – it’s not as deep and aching as it’s always been. From what Dr. Mok said once a week for a month should correct my Qi and get the blood back to and flowing correctly through my damaged muscles. From then on it’s once a month maintenance work. No matter how far out or crazy it may seem – if my pain is diminishing then I’m a happy camper. And apparently the more I go the less painful it becomes which would be a huge plus.
Lesson learned from this weekend – don’t rule out alternative medicines. Next up cupping - or not.
4 comments:
Jessica,
Thanks for linking to my cupping post which is a subject of constant controversy. "Severe horseback riding accident" is a major ouch I'll never be able to relate but if my previous nagging back pain was anything to go by I'd imagine yours would be many times worse.
I used to dread getting up in the mornings but to cut a long story really short, believe it or not, an Indonesia massage by someone who knew what he was doing fixed it with just one visit! At first I thought it might have been the numbness from repeated pressure to the same area that spelt relief but several days later when the numbness would have supposedly wore off, getting up was neither uncomfortable nor dreadful.
You've been through quite a bit from your post, I hope someday through your pursuit of alternative medicine that you find a fix. All the best
p.s. I like your blog very much. It's not easy to make a blogspot blog look good but this one is exceptional good. Keep it up!
I have to say i love my chiropractor. The neck manipulation is my favorite part. The second everything cracks the pain is gone and I can move like a normal human. but to each their own.
Chiropractors are definitely an acquired taste! My mother and sister swear by them but my husband, who was in a severe car accident three years ago and suffered two herniated disks in his spine and now has a permanent disability and is in constant, hated it. He walked out of the office in slight pain but couldn't even go to work the next day because he could barely walk. Now he swears by epidurals twice a year and prescriptions to Percocet, Cymbalta, and Neurontin, after a successful surgery where they used a laser to slice off the portion of his disk that was herniated causing the remaining piece of the disk to "suck" back in.
He'll always be in pain but for him it's about the management. That and a very long legal battle for piddly compensation.
But I, personally, have known lots of people who have had tons of success with going off of Western medicine and taking more traditional routes, like herbal medicines and Eastern healing methods. My theory is, when something isn't working you should try whatever is at your disposal.
If you try the cupping let us know how it goes! I've always been interested in it!
As a chronic back-pain sufferer, as a result of an ltr with a devoted grand-prix-jumping equestrienne ex, I can recommend--in addition to acupuncture--iyengar yoga. the back pain is mostly gone; the ex, completely. :-)
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