I had seen a chiropractor who adjusted me…and for a few days I was better but my pain returned.

I went to MidSouth Orthopaedic Rehab in July of 2012 referred by my doctor for back pain. My pain had started the prior November and was overall worse than when it first started. I had seen a chiropractor who adjusted me and gave me electrical stimulation and for a few days I was better but my pain returned. I didn’t have any specific things I could do when at home that I could count on to relieve my pain. I was taking an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxer which gave me temporary relief. My pain was worse every morning when I got out of bed for at least the first 30-45 minutes. I wasn’t sleeping well, awakening about 4 out of 7 nights per week especially when I would roll over in bed. I was evaluated and sent home with some movements to perform very regularly all throughout the day. I have to admit, they were quite uncomfortable at first and I didn’t do them as well early on but Jason helped me understand the right reaction of my pain from the exercises and the wrong reaction so I felt better about doing them. I continued for several sessions and by mid August I remember not awakening when I was rolling over in bed and I could use my exercise when I began to hurt and control my own pain.
Maybe even more exciting to me was what happened after Jason evaluated my elbow on August 2nd because it was hurting with some of the exercises he was asking me to do for my back. I had been hurting in my elbow for about 8 years and was diagnosed with chronic tennis elbow or tendonitis. I was given a series of cortisone shots but when they worked only temporarily I was casted for 3-4 weeks. That doctor wouldn’t do more injections so I did nothing for about a year. I went through a few more shots and because of no permanent relief he performed surgery. I was pain-free for about 6-8 months but then the pain returned about the same as before surgery. For months I just lived on 800 mg of Advil 3 times a day most days and if I tried to write or work at a computer I would have to ice my elbow and would resort to a compression strap. I didn’t expect for Jason to be able to help with such an old, persistent pain and even joked that if he got rid of that pain I would gladly stand at the street and advertise for him!
At first, the movements he asked me to do for my elbow were quite painful and after a session or two I quit. When I returned, he re-assessed my elbow and came away with the same conclusion. Something about how my pain behaved during and after movement made him believe it was the answer. Well, much to my surprise within a day or two I saw considerable relief and within 14 days I was working at the computer and writing without any need for anti-inflammatories and not using ice or the compression straps either. If I began to feel anything in my elbow at all I would just go back to doing the exercise he taught me and I was pain-free. It’s now been several months and I do feel my pain but the key is to do the movements I was taught regularly. I feel myself occasionally wanting to go to ice or anti-inflammatories but I need to grit my teeth & stretch it out as that’s what always gives me relief in the end.
–Pam