I have had lots of experience with chiropractors after a fairly traumatic car accident that jacked up my spine.

Agreed that you should not place any hope on it clearing your skin, I did not have muscle knots or back problems before this accident, but I definitely had acne. I do not feel the knots made my acne worse or really contributed at all.

I can't tell you much about the EEG or MRI, I don't really get consistent numbness in my hands and feet (beyond the sort of "my foot is asleep" or "my hand is asleep" every once in a while).

Chiropractic adjustments do help the pain temporarily. The problem is that, for most spinal alignment problems, your muscles and the way you use your body pull the bones out of alignment again. Adjustments are by no means a permanent cure, you basically have to keep going back.

After my accident I was on a very long treatment program with a chiropractor that was supposed to re-align my spine and then also train my muscles through various exercises and specialized equipment to accept the new alignment. This went on for some time because auto insurance was paying for it. It did help the pain and I could "feel" the difference when my spine was aligned. But the longest my spine stayed aligned on its own was about a week. Then I'd have to go back. I was very disappointed that the best they could do was basically prescribe me lifelong therapy.

As for the muscle knots, since my accident and stopping therapy, the muscle knots return in the same spot and don't ever really go away. I have had hundreds of deep tissue / trigger-point therapeutic massages, but they only help temporarily.

I hear that the only real cure for bad muscle knots like mine is cortisone shots in the muscle. I think if your knots are less intense, many rounds of trigger-point from a heavy-handed massage therapist will eventually force the muscle to unwind. But in my case they did not. If I had more time/money to devote to this, I would probably just get shots all down my back, even though there are some bad side effects and risks.

I don't know what they mean by "therapeutic massage", but real trigger point massage hurts like hell. If you're not about to scream in pain they're not doing it right.

You might also want to read up on magnesium levels and muscle calcification.

I have had lots of experience with chiropractors after a fairly traumatic car accident that jacked up my spine.

Agreed that you should not place any hope on it clearing your skin, I did not have muscle knots or back problems before this accident, but I definitely had acne. I do not feel the knots made my acne worse or really contributed at all.

I can't tell you much about the EEG or MRI, I don't really get consistent numbness in my hands and feet (beyond the sort of "my foot is asleep" or "my hand is asleep" every once in a while).

Chiropractic adjustments do help the pain temporarily. The problem is that, for most spinal alignment problems, your muscles and the way you use your body pull the bones out of alignment again. Adjustments are by no means a permanent cure, you basically have to keep going back.

After my accident I was on a very long treatment program with a chiropractor that was supposed to re-align my spine and then also train my muscles through various exercises and specialized equipment to accept the new alignment. This went on for some time because auto insurance was paying for it. It did help the pain and I could "feel" the difference when my spine was aligned. But the longest my spine stayed aligned on its own was about a week. Then I'd have to go back. I was very disappointed that the best they could do was basically prescribe me lifelong therapy.

As for the muscle knots, since my accident and stopping therapy, the muscle knots return in the same spot and don't ever really go away. I have had hundreds of deep tissue / trigger-point therapeutic massages, but they only help temporarily.

I hear that the only real cure for bad muscle knots like mine is cortisone shots in the muscle. I think if your knots are less intense, many rounds of trigger-point from a heavy-handed massage therapist will eventually force the muscle to unwind. But in my case they did not. If I had more time/money to devote to this, I would probably just get shots all down my back, even though there are some bad side effects and risks.

I don't know what they mean by "therapeutic massage", but real trigger point massage hurts like hell. If you're not about to scream in pain they're not doing it right.

You might also want to read up on magnesium levels and muscle calcification.

thanks for your input. You're right - adjustments are temporary and I will probably need to go back regularly. It's kind of like acupuncture treatments - if I'm not consistent, I don't see long term improvement (with the exception of some numbness in my upper arm that completely went away after 2 acupuncture treatments).

So, the chiropractor also wants me to do an MRI, of my neck and back, because he thinks I might have a misplaced disk in my spine. I went from having to do 1 MRI to 3 now, jeez! He also told me not to carry weight on my back and to only do light exercise. The massage did hurt quite a bit, and I do feel better and less tense today, but I'm still quite sore.

The chiropractor explained to me how each nerve is connected to other parts of the nervous system, and the parts where I have issues with link to digestive issues, allergies, numbness, and skin problems. What do you think of this chart? It's similar to the one he showed me. Of course, I know my breakouts are hormonal too, but all the food sensitivities and histamine reactions I have been getting have only started happening this past year.

Do you think supplementing with magnesium might help? I take it on and off, but haven't been consistent with it. And you know what? The inositol I'm taking helps a lot with muscle relaxing and boosts the nervous system...I've been able to sleep better and have been getting less numbness so that's encouraging for me to keep taking it. Of course, the neurologist and chiropractor were clueless about it and said they will look it up bc it sounds promising.

Yes, disk misalignments are connected to muscles and nerves, and can affect your overall well-being. I have 4 slipped disks myself.

To say this spreads to something like migraines? Sure, pressure on certain nerves can certainly cause headaches. To allergies...maaaaaybe...if you impinged just the right nerve to send the wrong signal to your brain. To digestion? Anatomically that's a reach.

The basic concept is sound, but chiropractics in particular tend to overreach their practice as a cure-all for everything. Florida is overrun with chiros for some reason.

I highly appreciate everything chiropractics do, and I'm a bit of a naturalist myself, but it does well to remember that most chiros are not taken seriously by the rest of the medical community. In part because of exaggerated graphs like the one he showed you. As soon as you start suggesting that your chosen speciality may be a panacea for all ills...credibility goes down the drain.

Okay, magnesium.

Biggest problem with magnesium is it's not very absorbable through the digestive tract. Even the Natural Calm stuff that's the best form you can get is only about 5% bioavailable. It won't really get to your muscles very quickly, it'll just give you the runs. Like progesterone, magnesium is best applied transdermally (you can buy pre-made magnesium oil or you can make your own with boiled water and magnesium chloride flakes). Use magnesium chloride not magnesium sulfate (epsom salt). They are very chemically different.

Magnesium has been stripped from most farming soil, but it is still present in the ocean, if you'd rather take daily ocean swims.

Magnesium oil is often used in the athletic community.

Nielsen, F.H., Lukaski, H.C. 2006. Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise. Magnesium Research. 19(3): 180-189. Technical Abstract: Magnesium is involved in numerous processes that affect muscle function including oxygen uptake, energy production and electrolyte balance. Thus, the relationship between magnesium status and exercise has received significant research attention. This research has shown that exercise induces a redistribution of magnesium in the body to accommodate metabolic needs. There is evidence that marginal magnesium deficiency impairs exercise performance and amplifies the negative consequences of strenuous exercise (e.g., oxidative stress). Strenuous exercise apparently increases urinary and sweat losses that may increase magnesium requirements by 10-20%. Based on dietary surveys and recent human experiments, a magnesium intake less than 260 mg/day for male and 220 mg/day for female athletes may result in a magnesium-deficient status. Recent surveys also indicate that a significant number of individuals routinely have magnesium intakes that may result in a deficient status.

Studies carried out in 1986/87 revealed that gymnasts, football and basketball players were consuming only around 70 percent of the RDA, while the intake of female track and field athletes was even lower, as low as 59 percent of the RDA.

Yes, disk misalignments are connected to muscles and nerves, and can affect your overall well-being. I have 4 slipped disks myself.

To say this spreads to something like migraines? Sure, pressure on certain nerves can certainly cause headaches. To allergies...maaaaaybe...if you impinged just the right nerve to send the wrong signal to your brain. To digestion? Anatomically that's a reach.

The basic concept is sound, but chiropractics in particular tend to overreach their practice as a cure-all for everything. Florida is overrun with chiros for some reason.

I highly appreciate everything chiropractics do, and I'm a bit of a naturalist myself, but it does well to remember that most chiros are not taken seriously by the rest of the medical community. In part because of exaggerated graphs like the one he showed you. As soon as you start suggesting that your chosen speciality may be a panacea for all ills...credibility goes down the drain.

Okay, magnesium.

Biggest problem with magnesium is it's not very absorbable through the digestive tract. Even the Natural Calm stuff that's the best form you can get is only about 5% bioavailable. It won't really get to your muscles very quickly, it'll just give you the runs. Like progesterone, magnesium is best applied transdermally (you can buy pre-made magnesium oil or you can make your own with boiled water and magnesium chloride flakes). Use magnesium chloride not magnesium sulfate (epsom salt). They are very chemically different.

Magnesium has been stripped from most farming soil, but it is still present in the ocean, if you'd rather take daily ocean swims.

Magnesium oil is often used in the athletic community.

Nielsen, F.H., Lukaski, H.C. 2006. Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise. Magnesium Research. 19(3): 180-189. Technical Abstract: Magnesium is involved in numerous processes that affect muscle function including oxygen uptake, energy production and electrolyte balance. Thus, the relationship between magnesium status and exercise has received significant research attention. This research has shown that exercise induces a redistribution of magnesium in the body to accommodate metabolic needs. There is evidence that marginal magnesium deficiency impairs exercise performance and amplifies the negative consequences of strenuous exercise (e.g., oxidative stress). Strenuous exercise apparently increases urinary and sweat losses that may increase magnesium requirements by 10-20%. Based on dietary surveys and recent human experiments, a magnesium intake less than 260 mg/day for male and 220 mg/day for female athletes may result in a magnesium-deficient status. Recent surveys also indicate that a significant number of individuals routinely have magnesium intakes that may result in a deficient status.

Studies carried out in 1986/87 revealed that gymnasts, football and basketball players were consuming only around 70 percent of the RDA, while the intake of female track and field athletes was even lower, as low as 59 percent of the RDA.

Yeah, I noticed that too...there are a lot of chiropractors in Florida, maybe due to the large number of car accidents, because most of them take insurance for accident injuries. You're right that chiros exaggerate what their field can do...the place I went to practices integrative medicine and they have a general doctor on staff but I got the feeling they were trying to sell me more services. I told them that once I get the MRI then I will decide what treatment I need to have done, based on what the neurologist says. My uncle was an athlete and he had the same symptoms as me (numbness and tingling) and he had a misaligned disk. He still has back pains if he doesn't get treatments regularly. He's done acupuncture, chiropractic massages, yoga...everything. So far, the things that have helped me are acupuncture and yoga...the massage I got at the chiropractor's helped ease some of the tension, but I had to lift some heavy stuff the following day and my back & neck are sore once again. I used to be very active, and this is so frustrating because I can't work out like I used to. Do you think that running should be avoided? It's one of the things that helps me relax, and the chiro said I should only do light exercise from now on until the test results.

The info on magnesium is interesting. Is magnesium oil available in stores (like health stores)? I used to exercise very vigorously for at least 5 days a week, and I also have PCOS, so magnesium deficiency is common for both of these.

Sometimes I drink water with electrolytes after exercise, but I'm not sure if it's helping or if it's just a gimmick companies use to charge more for water. What do you think?

Anything helps, but I have seen way more results from magnesium oil than oral magnesium. I would use it more often, it's just a pain to slather magnesium oil on your body, rub it in thoroughly, and then wait 30 minutes for it to absorb, and then you have to shower again. I know some athletes who, after a hard workout, shower, and then apply magnesium oil and just leave it on for the day, but they are mostly men...and gosh I just couldn't do that, would feel too icky.

You can buy magnesium chloride oil at Whole Foods or other natural-ist places. You can get it online. I make my own with magnesium chloride flakes and distilled water. You can also get the flakes at most Whole Foods type places, or online. You get more for your money with the flakes.

I used to have regular trigger point massages, but that gets expensive, so now I have my own EMS/MC combo unit that I use if the pain gets too bad. A lot of chiros use them, but after 4 treatments in-office you could have bought your own. EMS helps me stimulate muscles that are hard to work or stretch, and the MC helps heal muscle. You can also get a TENS unit, but TENS only numbs the pain (like an electric ibuprofen) and doesn't heal the muscle.

As for the exercise, I think that's a personal decision. Personally I feel that most exercise does good, sometimes it will temporarily pop a disc back into place. But I do more dance / yoga / pilates. I don't weight-lift and I don't run anymore, both are pretty hard on the joints.

Hi Wishclean, usually numbing and tingling is related to a deficiency in pantothenic acid. Vit B5. I remember you saying the B vitamin enriched foods and supplements break you out. You could consider a natural supplement like bee pollen or royal jelly, which are high in B vitamins..The numbeness and tingling has reduced greatly for my Mother in law after she started supplementing..Just a thought!

I just bought a groupon for a chiropractor, and it includes a neurospinal exam with x-rays, an adjustment, and a therapeutic massage. I got this because a few months ago I got a massage and the person who did it told me I had a lot of knots in my back and neck, and that could be contributing to poor blood circulation and inflammation. Has anyone had experience with chiropractors? I have back pain and sometimes neck pain, and my doctor referred me to a neurologist for the numbness & tingling I've been getting in my hands and feet. The neurologist wants me to do an EEG and MRI for brain scans to make sure I don't have anything serious. Anyway, those scans are really expensive, and I'm scheduled for the EEG (which is cheaper) next week. I thought I'd go to the chiropractor in the meantime to see if there might be any misplaced disks in my spine that could be causing the bad circulation, and hopefully save myself the trouble and $$$ of doing the MRI.

Do you think the chiropractor will be able to help me? I checked out the place and it has positive reviews, and the doctors there practice holistic medicine so I guess they might be able to give me an indication on what's causing my numbness. Not sure if it will help my skin, but I figured if I improve my circulation I might feel better overall. Any thoughts?

Anything helps, but I have seen way more results from magnesium oil than oral magnesium. I would use it more often, it's just a pain to slather magnesium oil on your body, rub it in thoroughly, and then wait 30 minutes for it to absorb, and then you have to shower again. I know some athletes who, after a hard workout, shower, and then apply magnesium oil and just leave it on for the day, but they are mostly men...and gosh I just couldn't do that, would feel too icky.

You can buy magnesium chloride oil at Whole Foods or other natural-ist places. You can get it online. I make my own with magnesium chloride flakes and distilled water. You can also get the flakes at most Whole Foods type places, or online. You get more for your money with the flakes.

I used to have regular trigger point massages, but that gets expensive, so now I have my own EMS/MC combo unit that I use if the pain gets too bad. A lot of chiros use them, but after 4 treatments in-office you could have bought your own. EMS helps me stimulate muscles that are hard to work or stretch, and the MC helps heal muscle. You can also get a TENS unit, but TENS only numbs the pain (like an electric ibuprofen) and doesn't heal the muscle.

As for the exercise, I think that's a personal decision. Personally I feel that most exercise does good, sometimes it will temporarily pop a disc back into place. But I do more dance / yoga / pilates. I don't weight-lift and I don't run anymore, both are pretty hard on the joints.

Interesting, thanks for the info! I'll have to look into magnesium oil. The supplements I sometimes take are the cheap CVS kind, magnesium oxide. Not sure if they do anything. I read that women with PCOS are usually deficient in vitamin D (which I am), zinc, magnesium, and inositol, among other things.

I'll update when I get the MRI and EEG results back. I had the EEG yesterday and I felt so drained afterwards. I think it will be worse with 3 MRIs in one day. I'm sure I don't need all these tests, but the doctors are trying to get as much $$$ out of this as possible. I had to postpone my hormonal tests because of it

Hi Wishclean, usually numbing and tingling is related to a deficiency in pantothenic acid. Vit B5. I remember you saying the B vitamin enriched foods and supplements break you out. You could consider a natural supplement like bee pollen or royal jelly, which are high in B vitamins..The numbeness and tingling has reduced greatly for my Mother in law after she started supplementing..Just a thought!

Thanks, that's interesting that B5 deficiency symptoms are similar to B12 (numbness, tingling etc). I got tested for B12 and found out I'm not deficient, but I don't know if it's possible to get tested for B5. Did your mother in law get tested for a B5 deficiency? Yeah, B complexes break me out, always in the same spot! I want to try bee pollen and royal jelly - are they sold in regular grocery stores? I take manuka honey every day, and some carob. My numbness has reduced dramatically since supplementing with inositol, which is B8 but really a prohormone like vitamin D.

I'm hoping the numbness is caused by a deficiency or stress, not something more serious. But of course, the neurologist I saw doesn't believe in testing for deficiencies, and sent me to get all the expensive scans.

Hi WishClean,

My mother in law did not get tested she was advised by her doctor in India to take a B Complex. She was having digestive issues with B complex. So I read up a little on this. Then we tried bee pollen and last week we both started takin royal jelly. She says it is really helping.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87

Read the deficiency symptoms. A quick google search on numbness and tingling Vit B5 deficiency will throw up a lot of results.

 

Anything helps, but I have seen way more results from magnesium oil than oral magnesium. I would use it more often, it's just a pain to slather magnesium oil on your body, rub it in thoroughly, and then wait 30 minutes for it to absorb, and then you have to shower again. I know some athletes who, after a hard workout, shower, and then apply magnesium oil and just leave it on for the day, but they are mostly men...and gosh I just couldn't do that, would feel too icky.

You can buy magnesium chloride oil at Whole Foods or other natural-ist places. You can get it online. I make my own with magnesium chloride flakes and distilled water. You can also get the flakes at most Whole Foods type places, or online. You get more for your money with the flakes.

I used to have regular trigger point massages, but that gets expensive, so now I have my own EMS/MC combo unit that I use if the pain gets too bad. A lot of chiros use them, but after 4 treatments in-office you could have bought your own. EMS helps me stimulate muscles that are hard to work or stretch, and the MC helps heal muscle. You can also get a TENS unit, but TENS only numbs the pain (like an electric ibuprofen) and doesn't heal the muscle.

As for the exercise, I think that's a personal decision. Personally I feel that most exercise does good, sometimes it will temporarily pop a disc back into place. But I do more dance / yoga / pilates. I don't weight-lift and I don't run anymore, both are pretty hard on the joints.

Interesting, thanks for the info! I'll have to look into magnesium oil. The supplements I sometimes take are the cheap CVS kind, magnesium oxide. Not sure if they do anything. I read that women with PCOS are usually deficient in vitamin D (which I am), zinc, magnesium, and inositol, among other things.

I'll update when I get the MRI and EEG results back. I had the EEG yesterday and I felt so drained afterwards. I think it will be worse with 3 MRIs in one day. I'm sure I don't need all these tests, but the doctors are trying to get as much $$$ out of this as possible. I had to postpone my hormonal tests because of it :/

>Hi Wishclean, usually numbing and tingling is related to a deficiency in pantothenic acid. Vit B5. I remember you saying the B vitamin enriched foods and supplements break you out. You could consider a natural supplement like bee pollen or royal jelly, which are high in B vitamins..The numbeness and tingling has reduced greatly for my Mother in law after she started supplementing..Just a thought!

Hi WishClean,

My mother in law did not get tested she was advised by her doctor in India to take a B Complex. She was having digestive issues with B complex. So I read up a little on this. Then we tried bee pollen and last week we both started takin royal jelly. She says it is really helping.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87

Read the deficiency symptoms. A quick google search on numbness and tingling Vit B5 deficiency will throw up a lot of results.

Hi sustakp,

Thanks for the useful info. So basically I should try to eat more foods rich in B5, if I want to avoid supplementing. I would probably have to eat large quantities of those foods though, if I'm deficient. It's interesting that no doctor ever mentioned that it's not only B12 deficiency that can cause numbness. Sometimes doctors are clueless when it comes to vitamin deficiencies and nutrition. I'll try royal jelly too, to see if that helps, thanks for the suggestion!

My symtoms have minimized a lot since taking inositol powder, but I'm not sure if it's masking the cause or boosting my nervous system....whatever the case, I can sleep better now.

I read about B5 megadosing and hairloss, but I guess that shouldn't be an issue if B5 is taken in smaller quantities. I sometimes drink vitamin water and fuze (the sugarfree versions) and they have a high % of B5.

I get it that when you tell people you are mostly vegan they will first say OMG you will be B12 deficient.

I think if you stick to natural sources you wont overdose as the body usually eliminates excess waater soluble vitamins.

 

Hi WishClean,

My mother in law did not get tested she was advised by her doctor in India to take a B Complex. She was having digestive issues with B complex. So I read up a little on this. Then we tried bee pollen and last week we both started takin royal jelly. She says it is really helping.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87

Read the deficiency symptoms. A quick google search on numbness and tingling Vit B5 deficiency will throw up a lot of results.

Hi sustakp,

Thanks for the useful info. So basically I should try to eat more foods rich in B5, if I want to avoid supplementing. I would probably have to eat large quantities of those foods though, if I'm deficient. It's interesting that no doctor ever mentioned that it's not only B12 deficiency that can cause numbness. Sometimes doctors are clueless when it comes to vitamin deficiencies and nutrition. I'll try royal jelly too, to see if that helps, thanks for the suggestion!

My symtoms have minimized a lot since taking inositol powder, but I'm not sure if it's masking the cause or boosting my nervous system....whatever the case, I can sleep better now.

I read about B5 megadosing and hairloss, but I guess that shouldn't be an issue if B5 is taken in smaller quantities. I sometimes drink vitamin water and fuze (the sugarfree versions) and they have a high % of B5.

Ok I have an update. I got 2 of my MRI results back (still waiting on the 3rd one and the EGG beause that doctor refuses to tell me over the phone, so I have to pay to get my results...jeez! If someone is dying, do they expect them to book an appointment and pay before they can tell them that?!??!) Anw, both MRI showed herniated dislocated discs. Two of them on my neck, and the other on my lower back. That explains the tingling and numbness, because they are pushing against nerves. Ughhh. So they recommended physical therapy and chiropractic adjustments, 2-3 times a week for 4-6 weeks. Is that too much? I feel that that's too much.

Is there anything I can do on my own to recover? I heard that swimming is good, but last time I went swimming at the ocean my face got really irritated from the saltwater, and the same thing happens in swimming pools.

Any tips on what to do? Are there any supplements to take to speed up recovery?

Oh, and look what I found -this is from several sources but I'll only post one. That acne bacteria can invade discs and cause back pain! WHAT THE HECK!!!! http://www.naturalnews.com/040354_chronic_back_pain_antibiotics_spinal_injury.html ---> Do you thiink there's any validity to this? I'm, gonna post a new thread I think 'cause this is a new topic for debate

Look up CissusRX. This supplement actually helps a lot with both bone issues and muscle issues. It is reparatory and NOT anabolic when taken at low doses.

I use the SpineWorx a couple of times a week. It looks hokey, but after a few uses I did notice things clicking into place, so I kept it (I think you can return it if you don't like it). I actually have fallen asleep a couple of times while on it...kinda weird, but sometimes when I'm exhausted I can't sleep because of back pain. I laid on the SpineWorx and it relieved the pressure, so I just conked out. It was designed by a chiropractor.

If you want to go to the chiropractor, but still save money, decline the electrode or ultrasound treatments (they typically do these after an alignment), and get your own unit. This is the exact unit I use. It has TENS, microcurrent, EMS, and IF waveforms. Don't tell your chiro...many are trying to legislate away our ability to buy these units ourselves. If you buy a home unit through a chiropractor it will cost five times as much. You don't need the skin prep solution, just wipe down with a bit of rubbing alcohol before you apply the electrode pads.

Look up CissusRX. This supplement actually helps a lot with both bone issues and muscle issues. It is reparatory and NOT anabolic when taken at low doses.

I use the SpineWorx a couple of times a week. It looks hokey, but after a few uses I did notice things clicking into place, so I kept it (I think you can return it if you don't like it). I actually have fallen asleep a couple of times while on it...kinda weird, but sometimes when I'm exhausted I can't sleep because of back pain. I laid on the SpineWorx and it relieved the pressure, so I just conked out. It was designed by a chiropractor.

If you want to go to the chiropractor, but still save money, decline the electrode or ultrasound treatments (they typically do these after an alignment), and get your own unit. This is the exact unit I use. It has TENS, microcurrent, EMS, and IF waveforms. Don't tell your chiro...many are trying to legislate away our ability to buy these units ourselves. If you buy a home unit through a chiropractor it will cost five times as much. You don't need the skin prep solution, just wipe down with a bit of rubbing alcohol before you apply the electrode pads.

Wow, thanks! This is very useful information, esp. bc I'm trying to save money and also gas and time from driving back and forth to appointments.

I have some questions, if you don't mind answering. Basically, CisussRX is to manage the pain, or does it also help with healing?

Also, are the ultrasound./electrode treatments necessary when it comes to physical therapy? I have no idea what to expect. And yes, the unit you are using is one I would get because it costs as much as 1 physical therapy session.

If I had to prioritize and start with getting one of these three, should I start with spineworx?

Look up CissusRX. This supplement actually helps a lot with both bone issues and muscle issues. It is reparatory and NOT anabolic when taken at low doses.

I use the SpineWorx a couple of times a week. It looks hokey, but after a few uses I did notice things clicking into place, so I kept it (I think you can return it if you don't like it). I actually have fallen asleep a couple of times while on it...kinda weird, but sometimes when I'm exhausted I can't sleep because of back pain. I laid on the SpineWorx and it relieved the pressure, so I just conked out. It was designed by a chiropractor.

If you want to go to the chiropractor, but still save money, decline the electrode or ultrasound treatments (they typically do these after an alignment), and get your own unit. This is the exact unit I use. It has TENS, microcurrent, EMS, and IF waveforms. Don't tell your chiro...many are trying to legislate away our ability to buy these units ourselves. If you buy a home unit through a chiropractor it will cost five times as much. You don't need the skin prep solution, just wipe down with a bit of rubbing alcohol before you apply the electrode pads.

Wow, thanks! This is very useful information, esp. bc I'm trying to save money and also gas and time from driving back and forth to appointments.

I have some questions, if you don't mind answering. Basically, CisussRX is to manage the pain, or does it also help with healing?

Also, are the ultrasound./electrode treatments necessary when it comes to physical therapy? I have no idea what to expect. And yes, the unit you are using is one I would get because it costs as much as 1 physical therapy session.

If I had to prioritize and start with getting one of these three, should I start with spineworx?

CissusRX does actually help both muscle repair and even bone repair if there is bone damage (fracture patients use it).

The electrode treatments can help stimulate muscles that have become contracted over time due to the spinal misalignments. The muscles will attempt to compensate for deficiencies in the spine. Whether electrode treatment is necessary is anyone's guess. But I think they help release muscles that you can't stretch individually. Some muscles in the back you can't really "get to" with movement or physical therapy. You could use massage on those muscles, but electrodes are a much cheaper alternative...

SpineWorx is the cheapest thing, and least commitment, so it's a good place to start. I can't remember if you have already, but at least get one spinal alignment so you can feel how the back can click into place. The SpineWorx doesn't work as quickly as an alignment, you have to lay on it for 15+ minutes to let the pressure points and gravity kick in.

I think you will mostly be disappointed in physical therapy, honestly...even with my accident, and having some range of motion issues for a while, I felt like the physical therapy was kind of useless for the more "internal" muscle/skeletal pain I was experiencing. I think physical therapy is more useful when you literally can't move. The adjustments helped for sure, and the electrodes helped a lot for the muscles.

Thanks for all the useful information. Yeah, spineworx seems like a good investment. I do need to get a spine alignment because my neck feels very sore. Is the alignment the same thing as a chiropractic adjustment?

Also, do you think I should go back to acupuncture, or would that just temporarily numb the pain? I haven't had time to get acupuncture lately, but last time it completely took some of the pain away in certain areas and it hasn't come back. But I'm sure it hasn't treated the cause, just the symptoms.

Btw, you were right about chiros exaggerating their profession. They were making physical therapy out to be a miracle for me. The only good thing was that they didn't make me drive there just to get my test results (unlike the neurologist, who charged me $200 for a 10 minute visit the first time and didn't help me at all), and they offered to refer me to a closer office if their office was too far. There's also a doctor and a neurologist on staff, so at least I know they got a second opinion on my MRIs.

Thanks for all the useful information. Yeah, spineworx seems like a good investment. I do need to get a spine alignment because my neck feels very sore. Is the alignment the same thing as a chiropractic adjustment?

Also, do you think I should go back to acupuncture, or would that just temporarily numb the pain? I haven't had time to get acupuncture lately, but last time it completely took some of the pain away in certain areas and it hasn't come back. But I'm sure it hasn't treated the cause, just the symptoms.

Btw, you were right about chiros exaggerating their profession. They were making physical therapy out to be a miracle for me. The only good thing was that they didn't make me drive there just to get my test results (unlike the neurologist, who charged me $200 for a 10 minute visit the first time and didn't help me at all), and they offered to refer me to a closer office if their office was too far. There's also a doctor and a neurologist on staff, so at least I know they got a second opinion on my MRIs.

Adjustment/alignment same thing.

I have zero experience with acupuncture, and haven't researched it much either.

Sorry about your experience so far

If you do get the electrode unit, just note that TENS and IF are generally only for pain. They actually work GREAT for pain, it's like taking super strong ibuprofen but without all the systemic side effects of ibuprofen. But that's all they do. For actual healing/stimulation, you should use EMS and Microcurrent. EMS directly stimulates the muscles in a way that you can feel. You can't really feel microcurrent much, but stimulates ATP in the muscles and some other beneficial things.

Most chiros only put you on TENS or IF. It feels like a wonder treatment, until you realize it's basically a really expensive pain reliever, and doesn't cure anything.

Adjustment/alignment same thing.

I have zero experience with acupuncture, and haven't researched it much either.

Sorry about your experience so far

If you do get the electrode unit, just note that TENS and IF are generally only for pain. They actually work GREAT for pain, it's like taking super strong ibuprofen but without all the systemic side effects of ibuprofen. But that's all they do. For actual healing/stimulation, you should use EMS and Microcurrent. EMS directly stimulates the muscles in a way that you can feel. You can't really feel microcurrent much, but stimulates ATP in the muscles and some other beneficial things.

Most chiros only put you on TENS or IF. It feels like a wonder treatment, until you realize it's basically a really expensive pain reliever, and doesn't cure anything.

You are an expert on this! You've given me way more information than the doctors have, thanks

You said that most chiros will only put me on TENS or IF. Should I ask then for the EMS and microcurrent, or will they not use it/ don't have it? I'm gonna have to save up to get the machine you recommended, it seems like a good investment after I get spineworx. I made an appointment for physical therapy on Monday, it costs $120 out of pocket because my insurance won't cover it. With that much money, I can do my own treatments at home and buy all the stuff you recommended. Do you think that if I go to physical therapy once a week and do my own treatments at home I can get away with only going once a week? Honestly, I thought the 2-3 times a week the chiro recommended was too much. Now that I know I'll have to pay for it out of pocket, I definitely can't afford that.

I'm also sending my MRIs to my family's doctor in Europe...apparently, my dad told me that they do something less invasive than surgery to realign the spine...I'll have to ask details but it's basically a procedure that's not as serious as getting surgery. Hopefully I can fix this with just this conservative treatment, I don't think it's that serious.

Sure you can ask for it, they may not have a machine that has all four modes.

I think you should go to physical therapy once and see if it really is worth going at all. When auto insurance was paying for it, yeah, I mean it helped some. But if I had to pay out of pocket, all I would have done was a once a week adjustment only, no physical therapy session, and my own stretches at home, along with electrode stuff.

I'm assuming you mean physical therapy is something in addition to the adjustment. For me, I had the adjustment, but then I also had PT sessions where they would do certain stretches along with exercises on strength machines to get my range of motion back.

Yeah, I'll try PT on Monday and see if it works. My neck stopped hurting today, but it's usually on and off like that.

I asked the chiro place what they mean by PT, and they said it includes a therapeutic massage, stretching and exercises, so I guess that's similar to what you got. Were you getting regular massages as well, or do you think those are not gonna help the situation? The adjustment is extra, so I guess the total would be $120 (plus a discount) for all that. I was thinking of just getting the weekly adjustment too, to save money.

Yeah, I'll try PT on Monday and see if it works. My neck stopped hurting today, but it's usually on and off like that.

I asked the chiro place what they mean by PT, and they said it includes a therapeutic massage, stretching and exercises, so I guess that's similar to what you got. Were you getting regular massages as well, or do you think those are not gonna help the situation? The adjustment is extra, so I guess the total would be $120 (plus a discount) for all that. I was thinking of just getting the weekly adjustment too, to save money.

Trigger point massage (painful) helps for sure, but it is a no pain, no gain situation.

Relaxing massages are nice but don't really help.

So if you can afford the massage, and if it is a true trigger point by an experienced trigger point specific therapist, go for it. It is all about the therapist though. There are people who will give you "deep tissue" massages, which are also painful, but they have no idea where actual trigger points are. They may as well massage you with a giant rolling pin.

A trigger point therapist will ask you where pain is occurring, and will press very hard on specific points in the body, either where it is hurting, or where a different spot may be causing referred pain. If they do it correctly, you should actually feel the muscle unwind after the trigger point.

Though I should say I guess it depends on what your problem is. My accident resulted in really bad muscle knots. Specific areas of pain in specific places. I can point exactly to where a knot is, because the pain is very localized (even though I have multiple knots, I know exactly where they all are). If you're having more general and diffuse pain, then a deep tissue massage may be fine.

Oh yeah, I had muscle knots too, but probably from stress since I haven't been in a car accident in years (knock on wood - I have been getting some tickets lately though :/). I think what I got yesterday must have been a trigger point massage because it hurt a lot, and then the chiro snapped my neck during the adjustment and I heard it crack. I think some muscles did unwind and the pain subsided significantly, but today some of the pain is back again...I think I will need to do this consistently for a few weeks/months. The chiro told me that conservative treatment won't fix anything though, which was a bit discouraging to hear. He said that if I get re-scanned in a few months, my back will probably still look the same.

The MRI report said that there is "posterior central disc herniation/ protrusion which slightly indents the ventral portion of the thecal sac" and also "mild annular disc bulging is effacing the ventral portion of the thecal sac." How serious is this? I mean, if something is impacting the thecal sac, surely that's something that needs to be fixed, right? Also, if the discs are pushing on nerves, then shouldn't the goal of chiropractice be to move the protruding discs back to their place? Or is that too much to expect?