April 15, 2012 - My Chiropractor Does it Again

I would never make a general statement like chiropractors are the cure for all that ills.  I would, however, say that MY chiropractor has helped heal a number of pretty severe injuries I've had over the past 15-20 years.  About 20 years ago, I was playing centerfield in a softball game and had a viscous collision with my left fielder.  I was unconscious before I hit the ground and ended up with a herniated disc in my neck.  I had a lot of pain in my neck, couldn't lift my arms above my head and my finger tips of my left hand were numb.  I went to an orthopedic doctor, who, after the MRI showed the herniated disc, wanted to do surgery immediately.  I went for a second opinion and was given the same advice.  I really did not want to have surgery and instead went to a chiropractor.  That did not help much at all.  I tried a different chiropractor, same result.  Six months went by and my symptoms did not get much better.  I love working out and really could not during this period of time, especially, if it involved lifting over my head.  I was about to make the decision to go back to the orthopedic surgeon and opt for surgery, when a co-worker suggested a chiropractor she had used with great success.  I figured, why not, so I gave him a try.  I saw a very different approach right from the start.  He explained to me what was going on and what he was going to do to heal my injury.  A combination of chiropractic adjustments, massage and at home therapy complete cured me.  It took about 6 months of this combination of care, but it was well worth the wait.  Before long, I was doing 200lb. military presses over my head and was probably in better physical condition than I was before I got hurt.  Over the years he has also helped me with an assortment of nagging "I'm getting old" injuries.  You may wonder, why the hell is he going on and on about his chiropractor on his blog dedicated to Crohn's disease?  I am doing this because of the issue with my knee's and how it is affecting my running for Team Challenge of the CCFA.  On Wednesday of this week I had an appointment with my chiropractor and mentioned my knee's to him.  As much as I have used him for a multitude of issues, I never thought of him helping me with my knees.  Sure enough, he did it again.  He first tested my range of motion in every possible direction to determine if there was an injury that he could not help.  Once determining that there was not, he said my knees and shin bones were out of alignment and did an adjustment to help align them.  He then suggested a neoprene brace to keep the alignment where it needs to be when I run.

Well, today, 4 days later, I ran a 5k with Team Challenge, wearing those braces.  Here I am about 50 yards from the finish.

It went great !  A little normal soreness during the first mile and very comfortable thereafter.  It was funny, because the last quarter mile of the run we entered a minor league baseball stadium, ran the warning track and finished at home plate.  There actually was a game this afternoon and the smell of zeppoles as I entered the stadium had me break into a sprint for the finish.  I ran with a couple of my Team Challenge teammates, who are all so inspiring to me.

Having said that, the most inspiring thing of all was hearing Emily screaming my name as I entered the stadium.  A great and memorable day that may not have happened, if not for my chiropractor.  Good job Doc !!