5 Things That Happened When I Became a Regular at My Chiropractor's Office
As someone who has psoriatic arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, chronic headaches, and fibromyalgia, I swear by chiropractic treatment. I know its not a cure-all, but it’s a natural way for me to help my body without pumping more chemicals into it than I already do. Without it I probably would have had a few painful back and neck surgeries at this point, or I wouldn’t be able to walk. My goal right now is to stay away from spinal injections, nerve blocks, and surgery. To achieve that, I see my chiropractor at least once a week, if not more… and because of our busy schedules, that is more than I see my best friend! You know what it’s like when life gets busy, between school, work, church, boyfriends, or whatever else you’ve got going on in your life, sometimes you don’t get to see your friends as much as you’d like. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there for you when you need them, it just means life got in the way.
These are some things that happen when you see your chiropractor as much as I do…
1. We ended up on a texting bases.
Though texting isn’t that unusual nowadays to schedule appointments, we use it as our way of communication. If I’m not feeling well or something is bothering me that isn’t normal, I am able to text them and talk through the problem. They will either give tips on how to work on the problem at home or have me come into the office to see them. I’ve also gotten to the point where they check up on me if they know I’ve been having a rough week.
2. They became my unofficial therapist.
Of course every doctor I come in contact with will exchange pleasantries, but with the chiropractor, it is on a more personal level – while still being professional. Because I have to be open about what’s going on health wise, and all that can affect your health, as patient I start to open up about myself. And though sometimes it’s unrelated to the treatment, they have helped me through some life stuff. They are also just a ear to listen, which helps in its own way.
3. I got to know their other patient’s on a name to name bases.
As a regular patient, I get to meet a lot of their other patients while waiting in the waiting room. Eventually faces started to stick out to me, and then at some point I realized I was on a first name bases with them. Then we began to keep tabs on each other, and we started to create our own little community.
4. They know more about my health conditions than my other doctors.
Because I see them on such a regular bases, they are constantly updated on my well-being. I may only see my rheumatologist or family doctor every couple of months, but the chiropractor ends up knowing more about whats going on than them.
5. They became my own personal health cheerleader.
They only want to see me feel better and doing well in life because, well, their job is to help me feel better. They have also invested so much time in me as a patient and a person, so when things are going good for me, they are excited.
The relationship I have with my chiropractor is one I don’t ever want to lose. They are my go to person when something isn’t right. They are very knowledgable about the body and they are able to look at me as a whole, and not just a disease or injury. They aren’t afraid to tell me what’s up either. If they believe that my diet has to play into the chronic headaches, they will tell me. They keep me in check by asking me about how much water I’m drinking or if I’m doing my exercises regularly – which I need constant reminders for and they know it. They make me feel like a friend rather than a patient. They are very personable and friendly, which isn’t always an easy thing to find in a doctor.