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Being introspective two posts in a row isn’t my usual M.O., but my last post got me thinking about how far I’ve come in my ability to do things. It also got me thinking about a recent breakthrough in one of my ongoing health issues.
The accident
When I was 14, I got hit by a car while out running. Too be more accurate, my shoulder was struck by a metal mirror on a large bracket on the door of a cargo van going 55-60 mph.
I was incredibly blessed, and the force of the impact spun me around, softening the impact so I did not suffer any broken bones, though it certainly hurt a lot. Aside from bruising, the worst issue I had to deal with was nerve damage in my shoulder. The damaged nerves constantly sent pain signals to my brain, even though there was no physiological reason for them to be sent.
It took a couple years and lots of doctor appointments and trying this, that, and the other, but eventually we found a treatment that worked. My nerves stopped sending the phantom pain signals, and I haven’t had too many problems with my shoulder since.
The years of painful consequences
But there’s been another problem that surfaced several years after my accident and progressively got worse: headaches.
About 12 years ago (maybe more?) those headaches had worsened to the point that they were close to migraines (I’d be sensitive to light and nauseous) and very disruptive to my daily schedule. As time went on, they occurred more and more frequently, so I was having several each week and not getting anything done because they were so debilitating. Accomplishing anything was a struggle I faced every day I had a headache.
Finally giving the chiropractor a try
After we moved to Virginia, Jeremy started seeing a chiropractor for his back and he finally talked me into giving it a try as well. I’d been resisting because our insurance doesn’t cover chiropractic care and I knew I’d have to go pretty frequently at first, which wouldn’t be cheap. The thought of never-ending, life-disrupting headaches was too much though, and I finally decided to invest in my health.
Our chiropractor does an exam during your first visit to make sure he can actually help you before he starts a treatment plan. The x-rays he took showed that my head was out of alignment both front-to-back and side-to-side. No wonder I was having so many headaches!
The impact of the van knocked my head out of alignment and my neck muscles accepted the new position and settled into new patterns. New patterns that eventually started causing my headaches.
Relief at last
After an initial treatment period where I went fairly frequently, we settled into a routine of monthly adjustments that have kept the headaches mostly at bay. Occasionally I’d experience more frequent headaches and we’ve used acupressure and acupuncture beads a few times to good effect.
After seven and a half years of monthly chiropractic adjustments, I can finally crack my neck. This may sound trivial, but it means that the muscles in my neck aren’t trying quite so hard to pull my head back out of alignment. And it’s not something I’ve been able to do for years.
Seven and a half years may seem like a long time to see this kind of progress, but when you consider that we’re trying to overcome more than 18 years of muscle memory, I’m very pleased.
Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t get headaches any more or don’t need to go to the chiropractor. I still get headaches, especially if I’m doing things that cause my neck muscles to tighten up, and I still need regular adjustments. But the hope is there that someday I will be able to function without headaches and without needing regular adjustments.
Exercising patience as I deal with my health issues can be hard, annoying, painful, frustrating, and depressing. But these glimpses of what life can be make it easier to accept the limitations I’m currently living under.
Have you experienced a health breakthrough after years of treatment?
