Okay, here we go again…I’ve already written this post and !poof! it is gone. Perhaps it will be better the second time written…
My second treatment was a week ago. My main complaints were that “trapezius” area and a new one, my left leg falling asleep while I was sitting. I blame the latter on an increase in leg exercises – biking, stair climbing, hill walking combined with the scoliosis. Dr. Marty treated my hips and so far so good – no narcoleptic legs since then. 🙂 He also manually adjusted around C7-T1. A bit jolting as I don’t usually go for the manual manipulations on my neck, but it felt okay. He also “drilled” around the area medial to my left scapula (shoulder blade). I left feeling taller and more upright – always a very nice sensation.
The next day, I noticed soreness in my rib area, especially when I would exhale after a large inhalation. My guess is that it was the intercostals contracting. It was a good sore – like “I got a great workout the other day” sore. It did not cause a headache and the soreness was gone within a few days. I can’t say that I felt any long term benefits, per se, seeing as my shoulders find a myriad of reasons to tense up – physical stress, emotional stress, dehydration, hormonal imbalance. I believe those things of mine that hold up my arms work in cahoots with my neck to keep me ever aware of my body. This week I offered them the opportunity to seize via doing a few deep tissue massages and haul rocks for a landscaping projects. Actually, the tension effects were minimal with just a minor headache.
Alas, occasionally I think about where I’d be if I’d stayed on the course I was on 20 years ago. I had just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was in constant pain. I was not sleeping at night. I had no energy, no motivation and I was depressed. Whether I was aware of it or not, on some level I made a conscious choice. My path was massage school. Your path could be anything that opens your awareness of your body and your being. I learned about nutrition, alternative forms of wellness. I explored chiropractic, acupuncture, tai chi, qi gong and of course various forms of bodywork. I’m almost 50 Â – at 30 I could hardly move. Today, I’m active and energetic. Life is not perfect for me – I still have pain, a few sleepless nights – but they are all manageable. With the Achtermanns’ help, I hope that I move to an even higher level of wellness. God bless!