After dropping her off at school, I worked for about 90 minutes before leaving for the chiropractor. If you haven't already heard me whine about it, I've been having trouble with my back for at least three years now. Last Summer I went to a physician, had xrays taken, and discovered... nothing. NO. THING. "Your back looks fine." Well, golly, doc. Thanks. That's just not helpful at all. Here I am a year (almost) later and waving the proverbial white flag. I finally made an appointment with a chiropractor.

The receptionist at this office was terribly nice and friendly and seemed compassionate. I filled out the appropriate paperwork, waited a few minutes and was then shown into an exam room that looked like an exam room in any other doctor's office. This place was nice, the people were very helpful and accommodating and I felt comfortable being there.

The doctor came in a little while later, asked me a bunch of questions, got clarifications from me when unsure about something and performed what he referred to as "orthapedic testing." He manipulated my legs around, and asked a bunch more questions ("does this hurt?" "do you feel anything now?") Based on all that, he concluded that the "hip" joints at the small of my back were locking up. There is no disc damage, no nerve problems either. He thinks that the muscles in my back and hip are swelling and squeezing the spinal and cyatic nerves. When those muscles swell, they are not fitting together properly, and cause the pain.

I asked questions when necessary and agreed with his diagnosis. (Hell, it sounded good to me!) Then he went on to explain how he would help me to feel better. The words "adjustment, pretzel-like, exercises, and electric stimulation" were mentioned. Pretzel-like? Electric stimulation? Greaaattt.

We went to another room with a goofy kind of chair/table. I looked at it and, smiling, he said "This is where we torture you." Uh-huh. He did a little soft tissue manipulation to relax my muscles and me. Then he said "Ready?" How am I supposed to answer that?! I don't really know what I'm in for. Pressing down firmly and swiftly on my back with both his hands, he cracked my back in a couple of places, then instructed me to "take a deep breath in and slowly exhale" (crack!), "now take a deep breath in and hold it" (crack!) Umph!

"Now comes the pretzel move." I can't explain exactly what he meant by that, but I had barely gotten "comfy" in that position when (snapcracklepopcrackcrack!) Ugh!

"Now the other side." (snapcracklepopcrackcrack!) Ugh! "Ok, sit up. How do you feel?" I didn't know the answer to that either. I felt ok. My muscles felt a little "freer" and a little tired.

"Now we'll do the electric stimulation to relax the muscles." After I was all wired for ultrasound with four little patties stuck to my lower back, they turned me on. That's a strange sensation, lemme tell you. It's not easy to describe either. The sensation was a little like someone rapidly tapping their fingers on my skin. It felt ok though. Just as I was about to drift off into dreamland, the little buzzer went off, and so did the machine.

I was warned that my back may feel like I've "just run about 20 miles, but that should go away in 24 hours." I walked out of there feeling better than when I went in, but not "cured."

I'll be going back there tomorrow.

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