Why I love chiros

Mattingly Chiropractic is very happy to continue to release a series of blogs regarding menopause relief and women’s health from St. Louis author, Carolyn Carter.  Enjoy!

I have a confession to make. Until I hit my thirties, I never thought about chiropractors. But then my straight neck caught up with me. (You may not know that your neck is supposed to have a curve in it. Well, mine didn’t know that.) So, when I hit my thirties, I had near-constant headaches. I was taking aspirin nearly every day; and most days, it wasn’t helping.

Then I discovered (cue angels singing) chiropractors.

I make no bones about the fact that I love chiros. I mean, I love them. I see mine anywhere from 1 to 2 times per month, and I always say, “I don’t know how people live without you guys!” He always replies that he doesn’t know, either.

Chiropractic has helped me to maintain my sanity, my heath, my well-being. (Did I mention I love them?) So, when it comes to the Big Scary Menopause, I wanted to compile the reasons why I would trust in what they can do to help you feel normal again.

1. No comment is ever too off-the-wall for chiros. You can say, “My big toe hurts.” And they might say, “Sit down. Let me pull on your toes a minute.” Or, maybe they would say, “Oh, that’s your blah. Does your blah also hurt?” I love that about them. Everything is in sync with everything else, and they seem to know how it all fits together.
2. They believe in wellness. If I went to an M.D. and told one I had a pain in my gut, he might run a series of tests, or press on my insides to feel for a tumor, or ask me when it happens and how often, and maybe prescribe me a pill. If I went to a chiro and told him that same thing, he might have me take a health assessment to see when and how often it occurs, massage my gall bladder or adjust my mid-back. He might ask me if my blah also hurts (and he would usually be right.) Then, he might send me off with some supplements and tell me to get back with him on how I’m feeling. See, the goal is to treat the problem not the symptoms.
3. They don’t care much for drugs. Maybe that’s because drugs don’t really work in the long-haul. Here’s a great example. I’ve called my chiro when my mother is ill, and she isn’t even a patient of his. I once told him, “My mom can’t stop coughing long enough to finish a sentence.” And he said, “Is she on blood pressure medication?” Sure enough, she was. (See how good they are!) If my mother had been up to it, he would have put her on a more natural blood pressure supplement, but my mom’s a little set in her ways. However, her coughing got so bad that she ended up taking one of these supplements for her upper respiratory system. My mom stopped coughing within a week! It was miraculous. Even mom’s a believer now.
4. They know the body so well you’d swear they’re psychic. One time I went to my chiro and said, “I’ve been burping a lot lately, and I don’t normally burp.” He said, “Does your right shoulder also hurt?” My mouth fell open. I said, “How do you know that?“ He told me it was my gall bladder. Adjustment. Massage. Supplements. Took a while, but I finally stopped burping, and my stomach stopped burning.
5. They like to see you. Some people interpret this to mean that chiros adjust you only to keep you coming in the door. That’s not the case. It’s a misunderstanding of what and how they do what they do. In our culture, we’re raised to see doctors only when we’re ill. The goal with chiros is to see you while you’re well and keep you that way. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather see mine 1 to 2 times a month and keep my system in order, rather than going to them when I’m in pain and misery. By the time the pain sets in, it can take a while to fix it. Fix it, they will, but you have to have the patience to see it through. Remember, they want you well, not ill.

There you have it. If you’re not a fan of chiros, I suggest you try one. You might end up a believer like me. I’m still looking for my bumper sticker: I LOVE CHIROS!

xoxo, Carolyn