How Chiropractic Care has helped me.

In 2004, I was experiencing extreme pain in my back while exercising and ignored the pain for two years.  I just dealt with it the best I could.  It was not until the pain became so intense that I had to get my back checked out.  My trainer suggested I see a Chiropractor which I vehemently refused to do.  However, when the pain became too intense and started taking my breath away and even though I was terrified I finally went to see a Chiropractor that my trainer had suggested.  Thank God I finally listened.

The main reason for my fear was that in my third year of law school (December 1989) I was involved in a car accident where I sustainded a spinal injury (complete break to C2 and fractures to C6 and C7) and I was placed in a Halo device to stabilize my spine.  My fear of seeing a Chiropractor stemmed from what I had viewed on television years ago of people having their neck and body twisted violently and I was extremely nervous, because all I could think of was something happening to my neck again requiring

me to be placed in another Halo.  The Halo is a mobile traction device that is attached to your skull by four (4) long bolts screwed into your skull with six (6) pounds of pressure on each bolt, the bolts are held in place by a metal ring around your head (the Halo) and the metal bars holding the ring are attached to a vest that surrounds your chest.  The patient is unable to move his/her head or neck for several months until the spinal injury heals and in my case I was in the device for three (3) months only because I healed

very quickly (I was supposed to be in the device for six months).  As a result, the fear of being put back in one of the contraptions was in the fore front of my mind and I was terrified.

In June 2006, I finally arranged an examination with Dr. Jeannette M. Anderson (more commonly known as Dr. A) and she took the time to get to know the problems I was experiencing, what if any past injuries I had suffered and then conducted a thorough examination including x-rays and a scan of my spine.  She did not perform any adjustments in our initial meeting and this made me begin to think this Doctor may be alright.  In my second appointment, she took the time to explain what she believed was  causing my pain and then conducted her first adjustment and established a treatment plan geared specifically for my situation.

Almost immediately, I developed a trust in Dr. A’s abilities and in Dr. A herself.  What I learned very quickly is that she is intelligent, has the practical knowledge, she wants to see an improvement in her patients overall well being and to do what she thinks is the proper medical treatment for the patient.  She is friendly, caring and most of all a no-nonsense type of person, which works well for me because I can be a bit stubborn at times and would have refused to do certain treatments that have aided in my recovery.

Currently, I have been seeing Dr. A on a weekly basis for a nearly four years and the difference I feel in my back is remarkable.  The intense pain I was experiencing in my mid and lower back is completely gone, with minor flares up in my lower back when I fail to get adjusted regularly.  What people should be aware of, at least in my situation, is that Chiropractic Care is not an overnight cure and that the pain in one spot may move during treatment and the pain may intensify but if you continue seeing a good Chiropractor (Dr. A for one) you will eventually become pain free.  However, it is up to the patient to follow the doctor’s instructions and all will end ina a positive result, i.e. the patient living pain free and his/her overall health improved.

Jeannette M. Rucker