How Chiropractic Care Gave Me My Life Back and How it Can Help You Too!

Until earlier this year, if someone had told me that chiropractic care could alleviate the pain I was feeling due to sciatica, I wouldn't have believed them. That has all changed. I have suffered with severe debilitating sciatica for almost ten years now. I was told by every traditional medicine doctor I saw that I would just have to live with it, and keep a standing order for Ibuprofen 800. With the use of Ibuprofen 800 on a regular basis and a heating pad I was destined to live with sciatica for life. My sciatica continued to worsen to the point I was stuck in bed for 2-4 days at a time.

When your back is inflamed heat is the worst thing you can do for it, it keeps your muscles inflamed and keeps the pain alive. Sciatica pain also kills your ability to do things that most people take for granted. For instance I could not sit on the bleachers at a baseball game like most people. The last time I did, I was in excruciating pain and bed-ridden for 4 days. I couldn't take long walks because of the hip and back pain that would follow. These are all things that many of us take for granted when our back is in good health.

Upon recommendation by a colleague, I decided to try chiropractic care. My opinion of chiropractors has definitely changed. I assumed that if a traditional medicine doctor could not help me why would a chiropractor be able to? When I went to the chiropractor I discovered shocking problems directly due to my negligence in good back care.

My spine had actually curved and I was leaning to the left when I walked, it felt natural to me so I didn't even realize that there was a problem. Worse yet, my left leg had actually shrunk to compensate for the tension being put on my back. The chiropractor has also since restored that as well. No more leaning or severe tension. However due to my age and health other wise, I have been able to make an almost full recovery.

For me treatment was more than just a few visits, it involved going twice a week for 3 months on end in the beginning. My visits included a different type of chiropractic care than I imagined I would receive. I thought that I would have my back cracked every time I went to the office. However I have only had my back cracked two or three times. The chiropractor used more of a spine manipulation technique. This involves moving the spine back into the correct formation and it was slightly uncomfortable at times. He also used acupuncture techniques such as pressure points and tapping. There were no needles involved at all.

Once again, I assumed that I knew what something was, but I was mistaken. The type of acupuncture he used does not involve needles at all. It is simply releasing various glands from over producing, and as corny as it sounds it works. Now I am able to go in for regular maintenance on my back as needed. Some of the things I have learned that have tremendously helped me in the healing process are:

Use ice instead of heating pads, when the muscles are inflamed you make them worse! I know some people think I am crazy, but try it you will notice a difference. Avoid the over the counter back wraps as well, they also inflame your back. Every traditional medicine doctor I had been to has told me to use heat, its no wonder my back kept flaring up. Ice works wonders!

Try to avoid using over the counter or prescriptions to mask the pain, you are having the pain for a reason, something is wrong! In my case, the over the counter pills did absolutely nothing, this includes Doan's back pain pills and other medications which claim to alleviate back pain specifically. This is because sciatica is not like normal types of back pain; it's a build up of ignoring the previous less painful problems of back pain.

Sleeping on your back can really help. Your spine is not meant to curve in the direct in which it does when you sleep on your stomach. I have had a difficult breaking the habit of sleeping on my stomach so I discussed this with the chiropractor as well. He suggested that I buy a curved pillow to support my neck or I could have one made. This pillow aligns your neck and spine in a manner which helps relieve the tension on your back and neck. It takes some getting used to but I am finally getting into the habit of sleeping on my back.

The other suggestion that the chiropractor gave me was to lay a pillow or two on one or both sides while I become accustomed to sleeping on my back. That way when I roll over to try and sleep on my stomach it will cause me to wake up enough to roll back into position. This has actually helped as well.

It's also fine to sleep on your side. For sleeping on your side you can also place a pillow between your legs and one behind you to keep from rolling over to your stomach. I can't stress enough how important it really is to sleep in a correct position. A good mattress helps significantly as well.

Watch for the wear on the bottoms of your shoes. If one of your shoes wears faster than the other you should see a chiropractor. I thought for the longest time that my shoes were wearing uneven because I was dragging my feet. This was not the case at all; in fact I was dragging my body crookedly. This is a sure sign that you have a back problem that requires attention.

After speaking with my chiropractor and doing some research on my own I was amazed to learn that chiropractors in some cases go to school longer than traditional medicine doctors. In no way am I doubting the credibility of a traditional medicine doctor, but after being told for years that there was nothing I could do, but live with the pain I will definitely consult a chiropractor for all of my back related problems. There was never even a recommendation that I should see a chiropractor by the regular doctor. If I had known this years ago I would healed my back before it went from bad to worse. There are obviously things that a doctor should see us for that a chiropractor cannot.

Lastly, the best and easiest tip I have is to eat healthy and drink a ton of water. This helps to hydrate your body and keep the fluid moving within your body and muscles. Exercise is also a key component as well, and for those of us with back pain, working through the pain is not the right thing to do, and your body will not thank you for pushing too hard.