Chiropractic vs Traditional Medicine

Today's only Tuesday? I feel like it's been days since I last painted. Maybe it has...

Got my first real treatment from the chiropractor (previously it was just what I like to affectionately call "the pincher" - the thing with 4 pads stuck to your back that is ratcheted up to where it pinches you over and over, apparently "stimulating" the muscles that are frozen in your back).

After being told the results of the x-rays I had done back in March '07 (not just arthritis, nope, not as simple) and shown a dummy spine and vertebrae, I think I understand what's happening. But then again I was in so much pain this morning and had a mostly restless night, that I couldn't pay that much attention. At one point when the doctor was telling me what they would/could do in the next few days, I was thinking, "Well, at least it's not an episode of House so I don't have to have major seizures before I get better."

Anyway, onto the table - you stand in front of it, lean in and it lowers you - afterall, you are in no shape to lie down on your own, especially face down (why didn't I know this last night when I was tossing and turning and gritting my teeth each time I moved?). A minor adjustment and more of The Pincher.

But what I really need are pain pills - major pain pills. So off to the GP this afternoon who gave me a prescription for anti-inflammatory meds and muscle relaxants (don't drive while taking these pills, he said). I can understand why, having taken my first one this evening with dinner.

Time is extended - slow and stretched out like molasses. I look over at my cup of coffee - looks good - but my hand doesn't want to reach out to pick it up to take a sip...

Modern medicine! My GP, after watching me move delicately around the room, move stiffly up and down the table and hear me explain that on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being the worst ever pain you can imagine that my pain last night and this morning was an 8 - also gave me a photocopy of some exercises he thought I might want to try to help my back. He especially liked the one starred - which is just the Cobra Pose in yoga - which is extremely hard on a back that is frozen.

But what the heck, maybe if I take one more muscle relaxant, I could try??

I am taking them to my chiropractor (he of the "don't twist your torso, don't bend, don't carry anything over 10 pounds) to give him a good laugh.

Painting? No way. So I'll get some old stuff together so you have something to look at tomorrow...