From Patient to Doctor: A Chiropractor's Story

Did you know that Chiropractors suffer with back pain too? You might be thinking that this is a little ironic? But when you think about how long a Chiropractor spends on their feet, standing and hunched over patients or having to lift or move them all day long, you may get to understand why they get a sore and painful back.
 
I remember my very first Chiropractic treatment. I didn't know what to expect and I was really nervous (thanks to all the You Tube videos I had watched). Thankfully, the Chiropractor who was treating me, noticed my apprehension from the start, knowing precisely what to do to make me feel more comfortable. A willingness to share knowledge and having a little patience made all the difference; between me running out of the office; to staying and having the best experience of my life.
 
My Chiropractor started by asking me numerous questions:

• “when did the pain start?”
•  “can you remember how you hurt your back?”
• “what movement makes it worse?”
• “what makes the pain feel better?”
• “what does the pain feel like?”

​I had no idea how difficult it was, to describe my injury, how it happened and describe what it felt like. I always thought pain was just pain… I had no idea that pain changes, depending on the time of day, what I was doing, the way I was sitting or standing or even just sleeping. I quickly discovered, that asking so many questions, was vital to finding the possible cause of my problem.
 
My Chiropractor then did a series of tests and movements in different directions. Although I did not know what they were doing, they explained that it was to correlate my movements with my symptoms. It was vital that the symptoms I was describing was related to what was actually causing the problem. These tests also helped the Chiropractor match their diagnosis to my physical symptoms. As the Chiropractor explained, “it does not help just treating symptoms, without finding the cause of the problem. If we are just treating symptoms and not correcting the cause, there is a high probability that the symptoms would return again.”
 
After the correct diagnosis was made, it was time to get treated. The Chiropractor started by loosening up my tight muscles. They were over reacting and trying to protect my injured back. There was inflammation, which also made movement rather difficult and quite unbearable. Once my back muscles had loosened up, I could immediately feel the difference. It felt as if a heaviness had been lifted from my back. The Chiropractor spent much time explaining exactly what they were doing and the reason to why they were doing it. This was invaluable in building a good doctor-patient relationship. It gave me the confidence to trust them, to feel comfortable and relaxed. The more relaxed a person is, the more enjoyable a Chiropractic treatment becomes.
 
My favorite part of the treatment is the Chiropractic adjustments.  After seeing them for the first time on YouTube, I was really afraid. The clicking or cracking sounds had me worried that the Chiropractor would do more damage by breaking my neck. I was advised by GP's, coaches,  physio’s or other athletes never to have a Chiropractor click my neck as they could leave me paralyzed. Thankfully, after much reassurance, I had confidence that my Chiropractor knew exactly what they were doing and I trusted that they only had my best interests at heart. The fear I had was based on inaccurate information, as a result of misunderstanding or, more accurately, lack of knowledge of how Chiropractic works. When I understood how Chiropractic influences the healing processes within the body, it made perfect sense why Chiropractic treatment could help me, where other interventions failed. The clicking sound was loud, but it felt similar to when I would crack my knuckles. I was relieved to find that it was not painful at all and actually had the opposite effect. I had an instant release and relief from the pain I was experiencing! It was rather unexpected, but wholeheartedly welcome!
 
And so began my journey to become a Chiropractor. From that day on, Chiropractic is my first choice of treatment for any injury. I avoid pain killers and anti-inflammatories, as I tend to have bad reactions to them. Being a sporty and active person, exercise is my drug of choice, which means I need to always be in the best form and maintain the highest fitness levels. I have regular Chiropractic treatments, not for when I am in pain, but to keep my performance levels at an all time high. I have learnt that prevention is better than cure, and given our current, mostly sedentary lifestyles, Chiropractic treatment is almost as vital as food to me… I just can't live without it.