Years ago, my chiropractor diagnosed me with spondylolisthesis, plus a bulging disc. I’ve been visiting her once a month for some 13 years now, to keep things healthy and make sure nothing gets too far out of whack.
Last month, I had four visits to the chiropractor’s office in just over a week, thanks to my disc pressing on a nerve and giving me the worst back pain I’ve experienced in a very long time. Since the chiropractor I normally see is semi-retired now and is only available on certain days of the week, I got to see two of the other docs at the practice. They were both just as helpful as my usual doc would have been, and got me back to normal pretty quickly.
Side note: It’s interesting how different people have different styles of chiropractic manipulation. I especially like my chiropractor’s niece, who is now in charge of the day-to-day management of the practice.
At my regularly scheduled visit earlier this week, my usual doc explained that the constant tension that’s cropped up in a new spot on my lower back is due to my right glute being in spasms. I’ve been instructed to massage the ever-loving hell out of it, preferably with a tennis ball. She also advised me that the stronger my glutes are, the healthier my back will be overall.
I suspect that my increased number of back issues lately is due to my weight and my loss of general muscle tone. If I needed a “why” with a sense of urgency in order to focus on my physical health, I think this is a good one. I miss the days when my back didn’t hurt all the time.