I’ve been focusing on my wellness the past year or two and one thing I couldn’t shake was some terrible neck and back pain that had started traveling down to my back and causing some numbness in my arm. I always thought that if the pain wasn’t acute or didn’t keeping me from doing my workouts, then it wasn’t really that bad. Well, turns out I was wrong! Chronic neck and back pain are signals from our body that something is off and I shouldn’t have ignored them so long! Here are the 7 signs you should go see a chiropractor!

I worked with Dr. De Luna and her team to treat my conditions and I received some complimentary treatments in exchange for this post. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

Why I decided to see a Chiropractor

I like to tell people that I’ve had a headache since the 4th grade. It’s true. Some days it is worse than others but there always seems to be pain in my head. I’ve been told by dentists that I grind my teeth but I just thought they were trying to sell me an expensive retainer! I should really listen to doctors, and my body, more to be honest.

My shoulders have been tight for the past fews months and I always chalked it up to travel and that I could stretch it out or work through the tightness during my workouts. I was always raised to work through the pain and unless I was bleeding or a bone was sticking out then I needed to shake it off. Needless to say, that mindset led me to have some serious pain in adulthood.

Finally, when I couldn’t raise my shoulder and started experiencing numbness down my arm, I decided it was time to see a professional! I am so glad that I did! When I went in for my first visit, Dr. De Luna did a series of tests to check the length of my arms and legs, the strength of my arms and wrists, and x-rays to see what was going on inside in my body with my alignment.

Top is my x-ray from my initial visit and bottom after one month. The dark, bowed line is the curvature of a healthy neck. 

How I worked with a Chiropractor to Heal My Neck Pain

When the results came back, it validated that not only was my pain real, but that I had some serious stuff going on! I was diagnosed with mild scoliosis, TMJ and severe reverse curvature of the neck. The numbness in my arm was a sign of nerve damage because my neck was literally bowing out the opposite way that it is supposed to! How scary is that?!

My reverse curvature of the neck was most likely caused by car wreck I was in 10 years ago and then made worse by staring down at a phone or computer screen all day. Dr. De Luna says this condition is on the rise and is seeing lots of younger and younger people coming into her office with neck and shoulder pain due to staring down all day.

My TMJ I knew about from the dentists but never took seriously. It was/is the main cause of my headaches which are tension related. I decided to go to the dentist to be fitted for a proper nightguard. Dr. De Luna said that while she can treat my symptoms and provide some relief in my jaw and neck, until I treated the cause, which is grinding my teeth in my sleep, I wouldn’t see a full recovery.

The scoliosis was a mild curve which is most likely why it went undiagnosed my whole life. It was pulling my lower spine and hips up on one side and causing my muscles to be very tight in the lumbar area of my back and torso. This resulted in my legs being uneven by almost an inch! I always stood towards one side or swayed a lot when I was on my feet and realized this was my body compensating for my legs being so uneven. Fun fact: people usually don’t have a limp until their legs are 3 inches different in length.

The top is the x-ray from my initial visit showing the curve of my scoliosis and the uneveness of my hips. The bottom is after one month of treatments. The black lines are where things should be and the red lines are where my body lines up. 

My results after seeing a Chiropractor for a month

After getting the results of my tests back, Dr. De Luna prepared a treatment plan for me which included visiting her 3 times a week for the first month, then we would reassess. After the first month, I started to feel better after about a week. My muscles began to loosen and the pain in my back was gone first! I couldn’t believe it.

After the first month, we redid the tests and x-rays and they revealed that I had gained a lot of strength back in my arms and was able to lift more weight. My shoulders were also much more flexible! The scoliosis saw a 50% improvement in the curve in just one month! My legs were almost completely even too. The best news was the my neck curve saw an almost 50% improvement as well! We both couldn’t believe it! Usually necks can take a lot of time to heal. My neck is now straight, which is still a problem, so we are going to continue working on it but needless to say, we are seeing great results!

This is my story and recovery, so not all results will be the same! I am also a person who does their homework, i.e. I always do the stretches and icing, etc that the doctor orders!

Chiropractor in Austin

When you are going to see a medical professional multiple times a week, you want it to be someone you enjoy seeing. Which is why I love Dr. De Luna and her staff! They are always so sweet and welcoming. Dr. De Luna is such a great doctor, she explains the conditions to me in a way I can understand, and talks me through the adjustments. None of the adjustments she did with me seemed intense. Ok, sometimes when she massaged my jaw, that wasn’t the best, but there wasn’t anything that made me feel afraid or weirded out.

Honestly, the treatments felt more like stretches! That’s why I was so impressed that I had such great results from adjustments that seemed so simple. Dr. De Luna also has such a sunny personality and infectious laugh. The appointments are always quick and I am in and out of her office in 15-20 minutes. Which is nice because then I can get on with my day!

I asked Dr. De Luna for her opinion about the 7 most aliments and when you should go see a chiropractor.

The 7  Signs You Should Go See a Chiropractor: