Real Talk: How Chiropractic (and a Few Fancy Machines) Saved My Neck—Literally

Let me paint you a picture: I’m in the thick of grad school, running on caffeine and blind ambition, when my back starts pulling this weird disappearing act. One minute I’m fine, the next I’m waking up like I got hit by a bus in my sleep—with no memory of the bus.
This went on for months. I’d feel better, then bam—down again. My doctor gave me muscle relaxers like they were mints and I just kept rolling with it. Until one day, I noticed part of my hand was numb. Numb! Like, “oops, dropped my phone again because I can’t feel my fingers” numb. I didn’t even say anything for two weeks (10/10 not recommended), but my husband eventually found out and practically shoved me into the doctor’s office.
Long story short, I ended up with an MRI and a diagnosis: herniated disc in my neck. Awesome. My doctor sent me to a physical therapy clinic. I went three times a week, did the stretches, took the meds, got massaged like a stress ball—and hey, I started feeling better! Then came the twist.
I told the doctor I was 90% better and expected a high five. Instead, he recommended steroid injections into my spine. Um... hard pass. If I’m getting stabbed in the neck, it better be by a ninja, not a needle.
Fast forward two years: life got hectic, work travel ramped up, and the pain came back with a vengeance. This time, my regular doctor suggested I see a chiropractor she swore by. I was skeptical—mostly because I’d heard all the usual “quack” comments—but I was also out of options and ibuprofen. So I gave it a shot.
And wow. I walked in expecting crystals and incense and walked out wondering why I didn’t go sooner. She actually looked at my MRI and explained that all the discs in my neck were degenerating. ALL of them. Apparently, that’s why the pain and numbness had switched sides like some weird game of musical chairs. She also found an issue with my rotator cuff that no one else had mentioned. Shout out to PT for missing that.
But here’s the kicker: this chiropractor didn’t just crack my neck and send me home. She broke out the big guns.

• Spinal decompression (a.k.a. the spine stretch of my dreams) helped take pressure off the discs.
  
• Infrared therapy made everything feel less inflamed and way more relaxed.
  
• Shockwave therapy—not as scary as it sounds—targeted the deep-tissue stuff and helped break up scar tissue like a pro.
  

She even helped me fix my car and desk posture. Yes, this woman literally got into my car and adjusted my seat and steering wheel like some kind of ergonomic fairy godmother. I got a better desk setup, a neck pillow, and a whole new lease on life.
The cherry on top? The mystery headaches and ear pain I’d had for years? Gone. They were apparently connected to my neck issues all along.
So yeah, I get why people side-eye chiropractors. But honestly, you can find questionable folks in every field. (Don’t get me started on the time I met a lawyer who thought a deposition was a dance move.)
All I know is this: good chiropractors are out there. Ones who listen, explain things, and use cutting-edge treatments to actually fix what’s broken. I’m walking, working, and sleeping better than I have in years—and I didn’t have to get a needle in my spine to get here.
If you're on the fence, consider this your sign. Go see the chiropractor. Your future, pain-free self will thank you.