Cynthia’s Chiropractic Adventure!

My Chiropractic Evaluation

It was Monday--my new “Sunday.” As a yoga instructor, my hours of operation are erratic. Week by week, my work schedule shifts based on substitution opportunities. My Mondays have turned into my catch up day. I spend those days on creating/planning marketing endeavors, working on studio managerial tasks for Kula Yoga, and squeezing in some preparation for med school applications.

This particular Monday though, I woke up excited for a different kind of catching up-- catching up on my self-care.

I started working as a yoga instructor for Northern Edge Chiropractic this past February since the practice just opened up a brand new yoga studio within their chiropractic office space. When I met Dr. Mitch and Dr. Nick for an interview in January, we vibed immediately as we all clearly believed in the innate healing powers of the human body, had a passion for stimulating that healing power in fellow humans, and saw the benefits of integrating yoga and chiropractic care into that passion. I heard the excitement in their voices and the saw the sparkle in their eyes and knew I wanted to be a part of their team. After I already accepted their job offer, they let me know that I would be getting free chiropractic care...

So. Freakin. Down.

Ever since my first chiropractic experience at In8love Chiropractic in LA, I’ve been a firm believer in the healing power of an aligned spine. My neuroscience education at UCLA and yoga teacher training with Nicole Doherty through YogaWorks only further cemented this belief. It just makes so much sense. Our spine is the only two-way highway between our brain and every other anatomical structure and functional system of our body. If the entrance and exit lanes of that highway (spaces between the vertebrae) become restricted or closed, we cannot function properly. Thanks to my initial care in LA combined with my yoga practice, my low back pain disappeared, my shoulder and neck pain from pole competitions faded away, my sleep became steady and unbroken, and my usual fatigue had been replaced with higher energy in my days.

Like… what?!

Unfortunately, I was unable to afford further care. After a year since my last adjustment, my neck and shoulder were causing discomfort again and my fatigue was creeping back. I was eager to get back to optimal spinal health.

~~~

I walked into Northern Edge and was warmly greeted by the receptionist, Mollie. She handed me an iPad and explained what forms to fill out and how to do it. After finishing the forms, I was led to a room with a chiropractic table (basically an adjustable massage table that sits lower towards the ground). I sat on the chair next to it and waited for about a minute before Dr. Mitch came in.

We went over the areas of my body that had issues, the source of those issues, and how spinal alignment (or lack thereof) could be contributing. He then had me sit tall as he pressed his hands along the length of my spine to make his assessment. He held up a spine model and demonstrated so I could visually comprehend what was going on in my own body.

Since my main complaint was my neck/shoulder region, he began work on the musculature there with a pointed massage, firmly pressing his thumbs up and down the length of the muscles connecting skull to shoulder. “Before we do any adjustments, we address the musculature first. We can adjust all we want, but we are creatures of habit; that muscle memory will just pull the spine back to where it was,” he explained as I tried not to drool from the massage. Once he was done, he advised I ice the massaged regions before bed to reduce inflammation (which constricts blood flow and interferes with re-oxygenation of muscles) so I can be in prime condition for my adjustment in a few days.

I left the office feeling relaxed in the neck and was smiling with anticipation for the adjustments to come.

My First Adjustment

I came into the office and saw Mollie and the other receptionist, Quinn. Both of the cheerful ladies greeted me as Dr. Mitch popped out of his office with a hearty, “Hey!”  After some more chit chat, he lead me to the Therapy Room. What’s this now? He had me lay face-up on something called a traction table, adjusting a heating pad so it would be under my shoulders and upper back, where I have the most tension.

“This will help warm and prepare the spine for adjustments. You’ll feel a vibration roll up and down your body. I’ll be reviewing your notes, but someone will come get you when you’re done.” He turned on the bed. Woah! My other chiropractic office did not have this! As promised, I felt a vibrating roll travel up and down the length of my spine. It was like a gentle massage. The heating pad felt great on my upper back as the roller passed through.

After about five minutes, a timer went off by the bed, and Dr. Nick led me to the other side of the Therapy Room where there was another set of adjustment tables and a strange little contraption I’d never seen.

“Have you ever had electrotherapy?” he asked. Huh? Isn’t that for neurological use? Images from my neuroscience and psychology classes came to mind of patients strapped to tables and larger versions of this contraption hooked to their heads. Gulp!

“No…” I cautiously answered.

“It’s just a way to stimulate muscle contractions using electrical currents. It’s easier to make chiropractic adjustments when the muscles are slightly fatigued and warmed.” Phewf! “I’ll just place these pads along your upper back, since that’s where we’ll be focusing our adjustments, and it should feel like a light buzz. We can adjust it up and down, so you just let me know when you start to feel it.” Dr. Nick turned on the machine.

There was no crazy sound or anything significant happening. I started feeling a little tingle, kind of like when a limb starts to fall asleep. “I think I feel something.”

“Great! So I’ll keep going up until you feel a more consistent buzz.”

After that, I could feel each notch he was going up, the tingles getting more acute until it was definitely feeling like more of a buzz. “I think we’re there!” It felt so cool. I’d never felt something like this before. To the objective eye, it would seem nothing was happening. There was no sound, no twitching of my body, but it was just something that was happening within the muscle fibers. Neat!

After a few minutes, Dr. Nick came to check on me again and asked if I needed to increase the level of the current. I hadn’t noticed but the buzzing had reduced to a tingle again as the body had adapted. “I guess I do!” We got it back up to a good buzz and after a few more minutes, a timer went off again and I was done with the Therapy Room.

I was then led to Dr. Mitch’s treatment room I was in before. He walked in and, after some more review over where I was at, he had me lie down on my stomach to start. He started on my shoulders, applying some pressure behind my shoulder blade then pressing down after an exhale. I heard a little pop! He then did the other side, but I didn’t hear a pop there.

“Don’t worry if you don’t hear what we like to call ‘ear candy.’” Ha! Cute name. “The pressure still adjusts the bones but there just might not be air to release at the joint.” He had me flip to my side and hold my elbows. He had me in a twist before applying pressure to my hips. My spine rippled with "ear candy" on one side.

“Woah! You’re pretty mobile here!” He exclaimed.

“Well, I also crack my back… a lot,” I admitted. “I actually joke that I’m a crack addict, hehe.” We giggled a bit and then I asked, “Why would you say it’s not good that I crack my back and neck vs. when a chiropractor does it? I heard from my other chiropractor that I’m not creating enough space between the vertebrae and can cause a wearing down of the bones.”

“There is that,” he replied, “but also, when you force a crack, usually it is moving the spine where it is most mobile already in the same spot over and over again while the stiffer areas remain unmoved. Over time, this can make you vulnerable to injuries and overall imbalance.” Oh! That makes sense.

Then I came onto my back and he ran his fingers up and down my neck, counting the vertebrae in my cervical spine before making a calculate tilt of my head. Once the tilt was in place, he lifted my head onto his hands and made a quick twist that caused a pop in my neck. After finishing the other side, he sat up, “You’re all done!”

“Great!” I slid off the table and stood up. Dr. Mitch and I said our goodbyes and I got to say bye to Dr. Nick, Mollie, and Quinn as well.

I’d only been working as a yoga instructor here for a few weeks and coming here as a patient for two visits, but I somehow felt very close to everyone at this office already. My spine felt alive with energy and I floated out of the room, feeling more space between my vertebrae and more balance in my body. A smile spread across my face, grateful for the opportunity to practice the self-care I advocate for.

It's been about 4 months working here and getting adjusted, now.  I'm loving the growth in my own health and in the yoga studio. The future is looking bright for this budding chiropractic practice! Click here to claim a free week of yoga and click here to give chiropractic care with this stellar team a try!