i have what?

For a while now...errr, actually a long while on and off...I have been having lower back pain, neck pain and headaches. For all these while, I just thought it was a common post-baby problem, carrying JD on the hip, work stress, running around too much, looking too much at computer and yada yada yada.

After putting up with it for a while, I thought this is not a healthy sign. I have always been a fit and healthy person. Working out in the gym few times a week, going for regular walks, yoga, aerobics and chasing after an active 2 yo toddler. So taking on a friend's suggestion, I booked myself in to see a chiropractor. I have never seen a chiro before and never really knew what a chiro does.

So, here is what a chiro does.

"Chiropractic returns the body to balance through adjustments of the spine and joints, normalizing joint motion, reducing nerve interference, relieving stress and restoring normal body function. Whenever there is a system containing many movable parts, a complex balance is necessary between those parts. Chiropractors influence the body's nervous system and natural defense mechanisms in order to alleviate pain and improve general health. Because of its effectiveness in treating back problems, headaches and other injuries and traumas, chiropractic has become the second largest primary health care field in the world."

Source:www.tlccenter.com

Now, so what did the chiro find?

It was a long and detailed assessment, where my chiro checked my spine, running this very nigh tech looking machine over my spine, testing my nervous system, showing me where my problem was, checking my shoulders, checking my pelvis, testing my reflex and etc etc. Then I was sent for x-ray for a pic of my spine and pelvis.

And what happened after all the assessment.

Well, my chiro, Dr.R found:

- a curve in my spine (possibly since birth or early teenage years)
- an uneven pelvis (interesting!)
- a tilted lower back (blame on 1st pregnancy, hee hee hee)
- an uneven shoulder (probably been around since teenage years)
- a very nasty looking neck (maybe since I started working and spending endless hrs staring at the computer) and
- a slightly not so good looking tailbone (ha, this one I can blame on the birth of my 1st child)

That wasn't good. Ok, so I know I have back problems. I know my yoga teacher keep correcting my posture coz my right shoulder tends to stick out! But seeing the x-ray of my spine and neck was quite an experience. Wow, I never knew I was that crooked! I got scared, and thought OMG! I thought I was going to pass out. My first question was "Can it be fixed?" I breathe a sigh of relief when he said yes. Thank goodness. Funnily enough, Dr. R was able to trace every bit of my crooked joint to my headache, my lower back pain, the pins and needles in my fingers, my sore tailbone. Afterall, I wasn't imagining it, and I wasn't going crazy!

And for my uneven pelvis...ehem, well now I know why JD had such a hard time in getting into the right position during birth.

Well, apart from all the wild things I did when I was a kid, like trying to be a BMX rider (bad idea!), or a "professional" backyard circus, to having a bad posture because I never listened to my parents advice for standing up tall....many other things in life such as stress, diet, tension, errr, and having a baby can cause our spine and pelvis to seriously misaligned.

So, I have 5 treatments so far since I saw Dr.R. The treatment is called "Spinal Adjustment".

1st time - Din feel anything different
2nd time - Back sore as hell after treatment %&*T*&%()
3rd time - Went it with a headache, but gone after 5 mins of treatment, wow!
4th time - I thought my shoulder felt different when I walk, maybe I was dreaming
5th time - My shoulder is correcting itself

So far,
- Frequencies of headaches have reduced
- My tailbone doesn't hurt when I sneeze
- My lower back not so achy all the time

This is promising, I think!