I was pretty sick as a kid. My immune system was hardly functioning like it should. With life-threatening allergies and asthma, bronchitis 3-4 times per year, sinus infections every other month, and lots of trips to the doctor, it seemed hopeless that I would ever get better. I had many rounds of antibiotics to recover from each bout of illness, but nothing seemed to prevent me from getting sick the next time. At one point, I had 27 pills to take each morning and 21 at night. That was age 12.
At age 13, one of my dance teachers sent me to my first chiropractor to see if something was wrong with my hips. Sure enough, he adjusted me and I felt better. I didn't really understand what was occurring in my body but I knew it was working and I was dancing better. We did regular maintenance visits to keep my hips in balance and I felt less pain.
Fast forward 5 years: a big move to Seattle for college and a big boating accident sent me to find a new chiropractor nearby. I could hardly turn my head due to the pain in my neck. Dr. Rebecca Long was the first one to take x-rays of my spine, specifically measure the misalignments (she called them subluxations), and use those measurements to adjust my neck gently. The effect was immediate. Neck pain, gone! She explained to me that chiropractors are more than just neck and back pain doctors; that the real focus of chiropractic is to relieve pressure and interference within the nerve system. She had a poster that showed how each organ has a nerve connected to it, relating directly back to the spine. It was unbelievable to me how much sense that made, and I wondered why my doctors had never checked me for this nerve system problem before. It turns out that I had subluxations (these misalignments that were interfering with my nerve system) in my neck, mid back, and lower back. Here's the kicker: within 3 months of care with her, I had only 1 sinus infection. No allergies, no asthma, no bronchitis. My immune system wasn't perfect but it made a huge difference in my quality of life. My patients hear it all the time from me. Chiropractic changed my life.
After graduating summa cum laude (and valedictorian) from Life Chiropractic College West, I practiced in Silicon Valley and the greater Bay area for 5 years before finally returning to the Portland area where I grew up. I've seen firsthand how chiropractic has positively impacted my life, and the lives of my patients. The human body still fascinates me and I regularly spend time continuing my education to provide the best possible care for your spine and nerve system. Our patients regularly say things like, "Wow, I was able to do something I couldn't do before!" or "I feel better than I have in years." Come and see how chiropractic could help you. Who knows? It just might change YOUR life, too!