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Going to a Chiropractor
Has anyone ever been to a chiropractor before? I’ve always gone back and forth about seeing one for my chronic ear infections and vertigo. The idea sounds promising, but I am so fragile and my body is uniquely, and unorthodoxy, shaped that I’m afraid a chiropractor would literally break me. I doubt they’re trained to treat people with severe disabilities so that’s when I shy away from the idea.
But, at the same time, my vertigo is so bad, I would try anything. (Note: vertigo physical therapy did nothing for me. I’ve heard better things about a chiropractor though.) Have you had any experience? Maybe not particularly with vertigo, just in general chiropractic care?
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3 Replies
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I have gone to a chiropractor for years just for back adjustments but haven’t recently. I would get a deep tissue/ stretching massage at the chiropractic office and then adjustment right after. My neck and back would really make some cracking sounds as he would adjust me and I always felt better after an adjustment. But in saying this, I also have no curvature and have a milder form of SMA (Type 3).
My chiropractor understands my situation and they have other ways of making adjustments or manipulations without using physical force. I honestly felt the deep tissue massage and stretching was very helpful as it loosened up my back. It wasn’t a relaxation massage either although the deep tissue part felt good. The therapist would refer to it as a mixture of passive and active stretching.
If you find a good chiropractor they will work with you within your limitations. But I stress a good chiropractor as many just get you in and out without talking the time to understand your situation. The Physical Therapist at the MDA Clinic didn’t think a chiropractor was a good idea as she felt they could break something with their manipulations but like I said they can make adjustments with the physical manipulations.
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Hey! I’m an SMA parent and I’ve wondered about taking my daughter to a chiropractor as well. I haven’t so far because she has a lot of sensory issues and anxiety. I would just say that if you decide to go, get some recommendations for a gentle chiropractor from people you know in your area. They do adjustments on babies without having to pop and crack anything, so I’d think that someone who took time to understand your situation would be able to help you without doing anything that might endanger you. I’ve heard that anyone who goes should avoid the neck adjustment where they twist because of the risk of stroke. When I used to see one, I’d ask them to use their little clicky tool (I think it’s called an activator or something like that) on my neck instead of the twist. Please keep us updated on how it goes!
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Thank you for all this helpful info! I think I might present this to my SMA team of doctors and see what they suggest next. It’s great to hear your firsthand perspectives first, though!