To Sleep or Not to Sleep
- Rosetta Mandisa
- Jun 24, 2018
- 3 min read
After my son was born, I began experiencing pain in my lower back. I had no idea what was causing it or what to do to make it stop. When the pain got really severe, I had to be taken to the hospital where they would inject medication into my back. Over the years, I guess I kind of got used to having this pain. At my worst, I had difficulty getting out bed, driving and getting in and out of the car. My doctors would tell me there was not much they could do outside of shots, prescribing pain pills and muscle relaxers. I am not one to take a lot of medication just to be taking it so, I began simply living with this dull pain in my lower back. I’d take an aspirin or two if the pain got too bad but for the most part, I just dealt with it. By the time I started teaching full time, I had no idea how I’d live my life with this constant pain in my back. I found new doctors who basically recommended the same treatment as my previous doctors, cortisone shots in the area, which I extremely opposed or surgery which was completely out of the question. I was not able to wrap my head around having back surgery when none of my doctors could pinpoint where the pain was coming from or how the surgery would help.
During my second year of teaching, during Teacher Appreciation Week, my principal at the time had hired a massage company to come in and give teachers fifteen minute massages on their breaks. Prior to this I had never had a massage by a professional. During the brief session, a nurse was also there to talk to about spinal health and to ask questions about whether or not you were experiencing any back pain or joint discomfort. I jumped at the chance to tell her about the lower back pain I’d been experiencing since the birth of my son some ten years prior. She invited me to come to the chiropractic office where she worked and meet with the doctor. Chiropractic services were never on my radar as I worked with other doctors to find a solution to my lower back pain. None of my doctors recommended chiropractic services or any other physical therapy services for that matter.
A few weeks later I met with this doctor, who turned out to be a very nice, kind and knowledgeable guy. I had x-rays done on my back, met with the rest of his staff and was given a tour of his office where he explained his work and what all of the machines were used for. A few days later I went back to review my x-rays and talk about treatment options. Turns out, the pain I had been experiencing was due pressure on my nerves from my spinal cord being a little inflamed and pinched. I’m sure there is a scientific term for it but I can not recall what he called it. I began having treatments at his office and after a few weeks, I began to feel better.
I started seeing Dr. Brown about ten years ago and I still see him for treatment maybe about once every other month or so. I, honestly feel a lot better. After my car accident five years ago, he was the first person I called. With no medication or surgery, he was able to help my body heal the three bulging discs, two tears and whiplash I sustained from the accident. Whenever I have issues with my health, Dr. Brown is usually the first person I call or go see. So when I recently began experiencing pain in my neck, shoulders and back, I went to his office to talk with him. His first question, “how old is your mattress?” My response, “12 years.”
This conversation set me on a journey that taught me even more about my health and listening to my body.
More to come…:)
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