It’s been a couple of weeks since I gave you a chiropractic check-in, so I thought that today (after having yet another adjustment) might be a good day for an update.
deep breath, now let it all out
It feels like I never actually finish inhaling by the time I’m being told to exhale. I commented to the family that it makes me feel like I have these giant lungs compared to everybody else. Son dashed my oversized lung theory with a much more likely answer.
He suggested that I inhale slower than most. I had to concede to the possibility. I admit that while lying on the table I do indeed use yoga breathing. The best way to avoid injury during an adjustment is to remain relaxed. Deep breath in, okay deep breath out. Sounds like it’s begging for yoga breathing. An extra large dosing of oxygen coursing through my body? Yes, please.
to the left… to the right…
On the way out of the office last week, I noticed something was different. It was a subtle difference, really. I might have missed it all together. I turned to glance at my husband behind me.
In itself, not much of a thing. I look at him hundreds of times a day. Well, maybe not. Does that sound excessive? It’s not like I stare at him all the time. Anyways, I was looking at my husband, and it occurred to me that I was looking at him over my shoulder.
It has been years since I could comfortably look over either shoulder, and the right shoulder I was looking over was by far the worse of the two. I actually proclaimed my shock out loud. I didn’t shout it or anything, but my surprise was enough to make my husband and the doctor laugh.
headaches abound…
I’m not one to pretend all is perfect and disregard the downsides, so here’s a downside. I’m a headache sufferer. I’m a migraine sufferer. I actually greatly reduced my number of migraines by discarding the bra many years ago, but I still get one from time to time.
It started the Friday I met Doc, I suppose. He got my neck to crunch to the right. I guess it didn’t quite go like he wanted it to. He went for a second crackling, and I tensed up. That night, I got a tension headache. The kind that only runs up one side.
Saturday and Sunday, my neck was stiff and sore along the right side. Monday I told other doc that I think I’d caused a bit of a miscrunch along the right side. He fixed me up. That night, the tension headache returned.
It came and went all week last week. On Monday, my pain was still apparent to the doctor. He sat me down on his bench. He braced my forehead in his left hand and pressed with his fingertips in a few key spots along the right side of my neck. He held each pressure point a number of seconds.
The headache was gone until Wednesday night. It came and went all day Wednesday and Thursday. Today it was just a tender neck again.
why I love Doc
Doc walked into the room today. He scrutinized me from head to toe. I interrupted his assessment with a rundown of my day’s complaints.
I pointed to my left side, just below my shoulder blade, “I’ve been hurting up through here,”
I ran my fingers down the right side of my neck, “and I’ve been sore and tense along here.“
“Well, that’s obvious,” he declared matter of factly.
Then, I hesitated a moment. I’d been debating the whole ride there whether to mention it. In the end, I decided that Doc’s shown to be a true holistic practitioner, so I went for it.
I told him that I’d spent the last few days walking around feeling as though I could just burst into tears at any moment. As I have no reason to be on the verge of tears, I admitted it was likely my wonderful thyroid.
nothing to cry about… On the way to the chiropractor appointment, we were behind a landscaping truck towing a trailer full of landscaping tools I presume. He clicked on his turn signal. We’d driven a good bit before he came to his road. (We live in rural Michigan)
Oh don’t I just love my thyroid…
Hubby comments about how he gave us plenty of warning. There I am, on the verge of tears, talking about how nice it actually was of him to give ample warning instead of the usual click on the turn signal as they slam on their brakes and slide down the next dirt road.
the largest heart
Doc took me by the hands, he looked me square in the eyes– sincerity and tenderness in his– and declared that he cannot imagine anything that could bring such a beautiful creature to tears.
Doc had me lie down on the table. He cracked something in my middle back, right along the left side. He declared, “this is the crying spot, right here.” He’d later tell me it was my T4. 6 hours later, and I still don’t feel like I’m going to cry. Maybe I just needed a good cracking?
Then, he moved on to my neck. That straight section of spine that’s most definitely not supposed to be straight. He feels along my neck. Says a little yep, yep, yep (Doc’s quite a character) and proceeds to crack something in my neck. He shouted, “that’s the C2!” and declared me finished.
the yoga?
I shared ten of my favorite asanas in reconnecting mind, body, spirit. I don’t have any particular routine for when I do practice. I just kind of go with what feels good at the moment, I suppose. Yoga relaxes me. Most days, I just sort of flow into whatever comes naturally.
Occasionally, I follow along to someone else’s plan. Yoga Journal recently posted […]Scientifically Proven to Boost Your Balance. I’m thinking that I’m going to give the sequence a try. My balance is good, but there’s always room for improvement. Some of my favorites even made it onto the list.
back again next week
I’m scheduled for another adjustment on Monday. We’ve been visiting three times a week for the better part of a month now. My husband, who suffers scoliosis, is likely to continue on that schedule. However, it looks like they might be cutting me back. I’ll know more next week.
ShldBWriting 