The Chiropractor

Until a few weeks ago I was a chiropractic virgin. Never been. My sister goes regularly, but me no. Never needed it. Even though I when I worked for Pennzoil moving cases of motor oil and drums around, didn't need it. Of course I was much younger and stronger.
So one morning while we were on San Juan Island, I woke up with a pain in the neck. It was on the left side sort of where teh neck joins the shoulder. I must have slept wrong. I have had them before once in a while. But it didn't go away. It persisted for weeks and I started to get headaches too.
When we returned to Eugene, I made appointments to check it out. Optometrist, new glasses.
Doctor for annual physical. (He didn't seem concerned.) So I decided to go to the chiropractor that R had used in the past.
Same kind of office. Same look. Went into the examining room and talked with him for a short time and then he had me lie on the table. He immediately felt the jammed up muscles and inflammation where my top ribs join my spine. Evidently the inflamation is the problem. It pushes everything around and presses on the nerves causing discomfort and, in my case, the headaches.
So the following happens on my visits:
1 I go in and lie on my stomach my my face in a special donut shaped pillow. An aid gives my whole back a massage with an electric machine that feels like a car buffer. It makes my back all soft and warm.
2 The doctor comes in and feels my spine and "the spot". He presses my spine in several places and I can feel movement and hear little snaps.
3 Then he has me roll unto my back and moves my spine by moving my arms in front of me and pressing on my elbows. It seemed quite odd the first time, but there was movement when he does it each time. He tells me that the movement it easier now showing that things are getting better. The inflammation is lessening. Movement is what is needed to get rid of inflammation. Movement allows the body to reabsorb the tissue that had become the inflammation. I told him that I had seen an ad on TV for a arthritus medicine that goes, " A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion." The meaning is obvious. Stay active even if it it is uncomfortable. My chiro confirmed. Use it or lose it.