My First Chiropractic Experience

I was first introduced to the field of chiropractic as a 10-year old tennis athlete after suffering a groin injury. Everytime I took a step with my right leg, I felt a sharp pain in my hip. This made me very apprehensive to move and impacted almost every aspect of my life. Over the next two years I exhausted almost all treatment options (MD’s, physiotherapists, massage therapists, sports medicine specialists, etc) trying to find a solution, however none were effective and all eventually said “you’ll just have to live with it”. It wasn’t until a family friend recommended a chiropractor who specialized in sports injuries that I found the only effective treatment. Although I wouldn’t realize it until I was 19, this experience inspired me to pursue chiropractic as a career, hoping to provide that same support to future patients.

What was the problem?

My pelvis was slightly rotated/not moving properly and the arch of my foot had collapsed. This placed additional stress on my hip flexor muscle, which allows you to bring your knees to your chest, thus causing the pain. Structure dictates function. In this case, the structure (my pelvis and foot) was affecting the function of my hip flexor muscle and, without fixing it I would never get back to 100%. The chiropractor focused on my pelvis instead of the muscle, thereby getting to the root cause of the problem.

What was done to fix it?

I was adjusted (joint movement was restored), my hip muscles were treated using various techniques and I was given custom made orthotics. After 1 treatment, where my pelvis was adjusted and hip flexors treated using Active Release Technique, I felt significantly better. I continued to improve over the next 3 treatments and before I knew it, I was back playing sports full time. Ever since, I have seen a chiropractor for all my aches and pains that go with everyday living, and for any injuries I’ve experienced along the way.

Don’t get me wrong, chiropractic is not the end all be all. While we can do more than most people think, there are limitations to what we can do. The best approach to an injury is a team approach since everyone has their own speciality. Finding a practitioner who knows their limitations and has the humility to admit it when it is time to see someone else can be very tough. For me seeing a chiropractor was the last resort, which is the same case for a lot of people, and lucky for me it just so happened to work. If I was to redo it, seeing a chiropractor would be my first choice.