Though I had already entered my training to become a doctor of chiropractic in January 2000, I continued to be amazed at the new ways in which I benefited from chiropractic treatment as a patient.
During my class training in rehabilitation and manipulation techniques for the extremities (arms and legs), I fully recovered from a chronic tennis elbow injury after 1-2 mobilizations to the left elbow joint and 1-2 soft tissue sessions to break up the scar tissue in the local tendons surrounding the elbow joint. The chronic pain that remained for 2 full years of competitive tennnis during middle school, led me to my decision to turn down a full scholarship to a prep high school in the Twin Cities to play tennis for my freshman year of high school. I was ranked in the top 20 for junior tennis players in the Twin Cities region at the time from playing local tournaments. However, after taking the maximum dosage of ibuprofren each day for two solid years, I gave up playing tennis competitively due to the constant pain in my left elbow that resulted from the cumulative impact of playing tennis. Today, I am able to play competitive tennis with friends and family without experiencing this once debilitating left elbow pain.
The other concern that arose during my chiropractic training years was a diagnosis of "reactive airway disease" that was confirmed from new cutting-edge respiratory testing at a local hospital in the Twin Cities. I was prescribed a steroid inhaler and told that this was a chronic condition that I would have to learn to manage to deal with the rest of my life. I was aware from my training in chiropractic that it had been regularly reported that patients who received chiropractic manipulation in the neck and upper back frequently reported improved respiratory function and sometimes reversal of respiratory symtoms. After seeking assistance from our student health clinic and receiving a short course of manipulation in the neck and upper back, I was able to discontinue my inhaler and return to running in hot or cold conditions without requiring the use of my inhaler. I have not had to utilize an inhaler to this day. What was even more impressive is that the student intern was able to show the improved respiratory function with pre and post treatment V02 max testing.
My experience as a chiropractic patient has taught me that doctors of chiropractic are gifted with an ability to easy pain and suffering from spine and extremity conditions quickly and cost-effectively, and are able to address many systemic problems with nutrition and lifestyle changes in order to create health and wellness for many non-musculoskeletal issues.
