The Chiropractor

As I am writing this post, S is upstairs stretching!  I know.  It is not something he enjoys doing and has avoided for a few weeks.  What brought about this change?  The chiropractor!

We have talked for a while about taking him to the chiropractor.  I’m trying to type reasons why we haven’t taken him earlier, and I can’t think of any that make a lot of sense.  The important thing is that he is going now. I wrote about this for the first Therapy Thursday; therapy is different at 18 years old than it was when S was younger.

His first appointment was a very thorough evaluation with a little bit of work done.  My husband took him to that one, so I don’t know everything they did.  The doctor was impressed with S’s knowledge of his medical issues and how they impact his body.  S and I were just talking the other day about how my husband and I have been preparing him his whole childhood for adulthood with CP - knowing what it means for his body, knowing how to talk to medical professionals about his body, knowing what accommodations he requires and is entitled to have.

S was pleased with his appointment and his initial adjustment.  The doctor told him that stretching will be beneficial.  Hmm….Funny how that keeps coming up in conversations with him!

I went to the second appointment.  The chiropractor kept telling S that he was making her day! She is a woman who loves her job.

In addition to an adjustment, the appointment involved a lot of time with the Vibracussor being used all over. Needless to say, S was full of questions about the purpose of the this. It's good to hear him ask questions at appointments. He was good with the answers he was receiving.  

It was fun to watch S relax as this was being used on him.  At one point, I thought he might fall asleep. Normally, his mind is racing with thoughts constantly bombarding him (this week has been one of those weeks for him); however, I could see a calmness come over him while he was on the table.  I asked him if his mind had been racing.  He told me it wasn’t.

S is going back next week for another treatment.  His homework this week is to really monitor his body and bring his feedback to the doctor next week - how long before he felt tight again, how often did he stretch, was it easier to stretch, was he sore, how did it feel to walk, etc.

I’m glad we started taking him to the chiropractor.  I’m sure it would have been beneficial earlier; however, I’m not going to beat myself up about it.  We are going to be in the present and appreciate how it helps him now.  He is in a good place to appreciate what it is doing and will do for him.

I will be relaxing on the couch with chocolate!

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