Chiropractor verses Medical Doctor

How many of you out there have had dealings with
a Chiropractor? Back issues, shoulders, knees...etc?

Years, and years ago in my early 20's (that would be
20 something years ago) I saw one for a short while.
After I felt better, I stopped.

Again in my early 30's I saw one for awhile, only to
start feeling better and stop. One issue I had with them
was that it was a continuing thing. Something that you
have to keep coming for to keep things in working order,
or at most, several upon several visits to get you feeling
better.

I guess when I was younger I thought things should be
simpler and it should be a lot easlier of a fix. Funny
how we think when we are younger. Now in my past
the Chiro's I saw normally just did the xray, saw the
problem and adjusted for that issue. But like I stated, it
was not something that could be done over night and
you had to go several times a week for weeks to do this
adjustment.

In the early years I had heard Chiro's called Back Crackers,
Quacks, they were not medical doctors...etc. I remember
where most doctors did not even like to refer you to one.
Last time my back messed up, 10 or so years ago, I was
sent to an orthopedic doctor where I was given pain meds
and anti inflammitory meds and put out of work for three
weeks. So even then, an orthopedic doctor was referred over
a chiropractor.

I have an on going back issue, discovered while in high school.
I was told by one doctor that it was the type of injury you
would find in a football player and one told me I would be in a
wheel chair later in life. What it basically amounts to is the
L4- L5 slip out of line. When they do this and you take an
xray from the side view you see a stair step affect. I
understand that is not a good thing (lol).

What was never explained to me by a medical doctor or
the other Chiro's I saw in the past is the damage this
does to your nerves that lead to the spine that effect and
goes out to every part of your body. And me being
young and dumb never thought of it. You see, when I
was told I would be in a wheel chair (he was off base bad)
if I did not take care of it, I figured I needed to do all I
could while I could.

I have never been one to wait on anyone to move anything,
to wait on help or to ask for it. I have learned this past yr.
with my health issues that I have been given NO choice.
Between the sleep apnea and now the back, I have had to
ask for that much needed help. I have learned the hard way.

But in my finding, thanks to the doctor a great Chriopractor,
I seem to be on the road to fixing things I did not know they
could help with. Things that my medical doctor would
send me to a specialist for and have me put on a drug
for.

Not only can this DOCTOR help with the back by putting
it back in line, he will be able to help put space between the
L4 and L5 where the disc is about gone and give what is left
more room to expand. He will be able to stop what is pinching
the nerves, the muscles spasms, the leg numbness and the
tingling in the toes. But in my first visit I also found that they
could help with my migraines to ween me off the preventative
migraine meds I have been on since 2005. And it does not
stop there, with the adjustments, and a change in eating
that he recommended that cuts out food that helps
inflammation enter the body, I should be able to lose
the weight that I have been fighting to lose and could
not know matter what I tried (let me note also here, that
I talked with my medical doctor about this and tried to
explain to him there was more to it then just dieting,
something was preventing my body from allowing me
to lose, his reply "you are going to have to find a diet that
works for you or you are in trouble"!)!! No offers to help...
he is NO longer my doctor. Okay...back to what this
DOCTOR can do, and he will be able in the long run by
doing adjustments around the nerves that are being effected
to help with the IBS that I developed a couple of years ago
(that I was also given a drug for).

Before I had started with this Chiropractor, I had decided
to give it one more hard good try to lose weight before
seeing my new medical doctor, this was before I messed the
back up again. I cut sugar, flour, starches, things like that
out of my system (even Weight Watchers allows rice and
potato's in their diet). In two weeks I did manage to drop
6 lbs. The the change in eating plan the Chiro gave me allowed
me to drop another 3 lbs from Monday to Friday. I am not
only feeling good about what they are going to do for me about
what they are already showing me in this area.

Not only that, I have had an added extra bonus I was not expecting,
I am sleeping better. With the number change and 3 mask changes
at the first of the year with my sleep apnea, I was still waking tired,
still sleepy during the day, still no energy. The first week with the
Chiro, I am waking not tired, not sleepy during the day and doing
more at night, having more energy.

So now I have to ask........Chiropractor or Medical Doctor?
We will see in the long run. I have changed my whole
way of eating, fruits and veggies, mostly organic. I am
sleeping better, I have been told they can help with the
back for the pain, the line it up, the hip, the nerves, the toes,
the legs, the digestive system and my migraines. It is going
to require 3 visits a week for 4 weeks then 2 visits for 3 weeks
then I will come once a month, or when I feel the need. I have
been given exercise to help keep the muscles stretched and
strong. I already feel like a different person, in 2 months...
the world should be mine.

I will continue to blog about this and my weight loss, not
for anyone that happens to read this, but for me. I weigh
more then I ever have in my life. But the putting on 40 lbs
three years ago over night due to the sleep apnea was
hard...I hope to kick this and not let all this crap kick me.
Come back on Sunday's and view my blog and see where
I am and how I am doing.

Thanks for stopping in.
Pam