[Lead Care Worker] The story of being laid bare at a chiropractic clinic

Thank you for reading.
In my previous article, I talked about
sleepless nights.

In this story,
I went to a chiropractic clinic!
That is what I will talk about.

Actually, I am going again today, right now✧*｡

・Chronic neck/shoulder stiffness & lower back pain

Neck, shoulder stiffness, and lower back pain have been my long, long friends
for so long that I don't even know when they started.

I have occasionally gone for massages.
I didn't feel any dramatic changes,
and I mostly went for the pleasant feeling during the treatment.

・Rapid worsening recently

Since around August, when I started going to the dentist,
my neck and shoulder stiffness worsened rapidly.

Compresses, gels, and heat packs were all only temporary,
and when my partner tried to massage me, I was rock hard.

The answer is NO.

There were times when I felt temporarily better!
I feel good when I'm with my partner,
but the moment we say goodbye, I feel the pain...

Is it finally the age where I can't fool myself anymore...
I looked up some promising chiropractic clinics in my spare time
and made a reservation.

・My chiropractic debut

The male staff member had a gentle demeanor,
and the medical interview was done by scanning a QR code and entering it on my smartphone.

▸Photo shoot

After the interview, they took photos before the treatment.

I was shocked when I saw the photos they showed me.
In the front view, my left shoulder was lower,
and although I "intended" to be standing straight,
it seems I was standing while leaning to the left overall.

The side view was a miserable sight,
with my body leaning forward from my head to my pelvis.

Truly, truly,
In my own history, I am standing normally.

Am I really this crooked...,
I'm leaning forward,
No wonder my neck and shoulders are so stiff...
I realized it quietly ( i ꒳ i )

▸Range of motion check

Before the treatment, there was a range of motion check.
How far can I see by moving only my neck

towards the staff member standing directly behind me?
...Even trying my best, only up to my upper arm
The ideal is to be able to see their body.

Stretch your arm straight and move one hand behind you...
...It didn't reach the staff member
Ideally, my hand should be able to touch the staff member.

Please look at the ceiling using only your neck.
I thought I was looking,
but looking at the photo taken,
I was only looking up about 75° to 80°.

▸A shocking remark

The soft-spoken male staff member,

I was startled.

The reason is that a few years ago, in a health checkup,
my liver function and inflammatory response showed abnormal values.

Regarding liver function,
I've been taking steroids for asthma treatment for many years,
so I wonder if that's having an effect?
When I said that, the staff member nodded silently.

Had they seen through me even before the body check...!?

Besides that,
Your blood flow is poor, isn't your blood pressure high?
→Yes, the lower number is a bit high.

You get swollen easily, don't you?
→Yes, I wear compression tights all the time.

Are your teeth hurting right now?
→Yes, they hurt and I am undergoing dental treatment.

Your menstrual pain is quite severe, isn't it?
→Yes, absolutely.

With just a brief body check, they saw through things I hadn't even mentioned,
and I felt like I had been laid bare... (　˙-˙　)
→The title comes from this!

・The treatment itself was surprisingly gentle

I filled out the areas of pain in the questionnaire as
[Neck, shoulders, lower back]
other than touching them during the body check,
they were barely touched during the actual treatment!

The treatment involved breathing deeply
in sync with the staff member's voice.

Some of the pressure point work was painful,
but the pain subsided after a few times and didn't bother me.

I was surprised at how quickly the treatment ended!
The neck and shoulder pain I had when I arrived was gone,
and my toothache had even stopped.

According to the staff member

Please rest when you get home.
You have moved your body a lot and are tired even if you don't realize it,
so lie down until you have to go out again, they said.

・YUME's invincible time

Alright!
I headed home with a body lightened by the treatment.
I followed the staff member's instructions,
went home, and took a nap for about an hour and a half to prepare for my night shift,

but when I woke up, my body was stiff as a board again...

The effect of the treatment lasted for about 2 hours ( i ꒳ i )
I had hoped the night shift would feel a bit easier,
but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. They said the duration of the effects increases with repeated treatments, so I'll continue for a while!

▸Discomfort during the night shift

Perhaps it was because I had just had the treatment?
While walking during my night shift, my pelvic area
would make a popping sound with every step...
It didn't hurt, so I didn't worry about it,
but I worked while feeling some discomfort around my hip joints.

・Self-care advice

▸It's worth measuring your basal body temperature!
You want it to be between 36.5°C and 36.8°C.

▸Take a bath!
Warming your body is important.

▸Drink room-temperature water!
Daily water intake = body weight x 35 is a good guideline.
※Includes water from meals

▸Keep your body warm!
Coldness worsens poor circulation.
Cold weather protection is essential from now on.

▸Increase the time you spend without compression tights!
Relying too much on compression tights can weaken your own
blood circulation function.

▸When your neck and shoulders are painful, try massaging your fingertips!
It improves nerve flow and reduces neck and shoulder stiffness.

▸ Let's massage our feet in our spare time!
It's worth incorporating for blood flow promotion and cold sensitivity measures.

I received a lot of self-care advice!

Some things are difficult due to my routine, but...
I tried working on what I could, within my limits!

・Hydration
It's getting colder, so drinking nearly 2L of water is difficult...
I don't really drink much water to begin with,
so that's a challenge for the future.

・Compression tights for swelling
I tried taking them off when sleeping.
I've been using them for years, so I felt a bit uneasy,
but there were no issues.

・Soaking in the bathtub
I don't take baths unless I go to my partner's house, so it's irregular,
and I don't intend to change my routine at home,
so I'll give up on this.

・Massage your fingertips frequently
This was surprisingly effective!
The pain from my neck and shoulder stiffness decreased,
and I have more comfortable time now!
I will continue to do this from now on ✧*｡

Thank you for reading.

Sorry to those who were surprised by the title... lol
Do you all go to a chiropractor?

As I get older, I've come to deeply feel
the necessity of maintaining myself...
Well then, now that it's my appointment time,
I'm off to get my body adjusted today!

Aiming for a comfortable life without pain,
I'll do my best with both chiropractic and dental visits (_ _*)

In the next article, I think I'll try
writing a note project article!