For as long as I can remember I’ve suffered from discomfort in my neck and lower back. I can crack pretty much all my joints: toes, ankles, wrists, hips, back, neck, knees.. you name it. Now this isn’t something I am proud of, it’s kind of disturbing actually. It’s kind of funny because for the longest time I thought that it was normal. Doesn’t everyone experience the same aches and pains that I do? I’m sure my friends and family thought, or still think, that I am over exaggerating when I complain. I’m not a fan of popping pills if I don’t need to. I’d rather not take a muscle relaxer or pain reliever but sometimes I just have to. If my pain is throbbing and unbearable, I will try a topical treatment first. I like Saje’s pain release roll-on but it doesn’t always work for me. It’s all temporary relief anyways. I’ll stretch and I’ll lift weights to work the area. It helps get the blood flowing to ease the discomfort.
I’ve tried massage therapy and that hurt like no other. My massage therapist really focused on my lower back/butt area. I would leave sore and was tender for several days after. I went for a few months but really didn’t see any improvement. I’ve considered going to see a chiropractic work for a while now. This week, I finally booked in to see a local chiropractor for my initial exam. We discussed my case including a treatment plan. This included in take forms and a discussion about my problem areas. The chiropractor determined that the big factor in why my neck and lower back are giving me trouble is because of a lack of movement in the very bottom and in the very top of my spine. Most of this is because of two things: my addiction to my iPhone (looking down at my phone all day, every day) and my habit to sleep on my stomach.
Now, I’ve had a cell phone since I was in grade five. I am now 23. Also, for as long as I remember I have slept on my stomach. It’s so comfortable and I feel less vulnerable on my stomach. See, sleeping on your stomach is the worst position. It effects your lower back and your neck. You have pressure on your tail bone area and your forced to turn your head to lay on your pillow – which strains your neck over time. So I need to stop sleeping on my stomach and raise my phone in front of my face..
During the exam the chiropractor had me do some movements such as bending over to my toes, bending backwards and had me bend from side to side. Then she did my first alignment. My neck and lower back were the focus points. Honestly, it was pretty trippy and I did hear some loud snap, crackle and pops. But it didn’t hurt and I am used to doing this to myself; improperly.
Honestly, I was a bit nervous going in. I’ve heard the horror stories of people dying and what not. I “self-align” A LOT, which means I am constantly trying to pop areas of discomfort for that immediate relief. What the chiropractor told me though was that this isn’t doing me any good, this is cracking the same joints over and over but isn’t actually helping the problem areas. I’ve booked two more appointments and hope that I see some relief soon!
