Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Back to Wellness

I have always been very open about my battle with Ovarian Cancer and the multiple surgeries that I have endured. What a lot of people don't know is that I have dealt with chronic neck, back and shoulder pain as well for as long as I can remember.

When I was 14, I was in a horrific car accident. What I was told when I woke up in the hospital, is that a drunk driver, driving a semi-truck, came barreling down a hill and hit the car I was sitting in head on. I hit the wind shield, and it was impossible for a skin graft to be done on my forehead as there was nothing to graft it to. I had to wait for it to regenerate naturally. The scars I was left with are easily covered with makeup and don't bother me, but I can still pin point the spot where the doctors could not remove glass that was buried deep. To me, its merely a piece of my childhood, no different than a scrape on the knee from learning to ride a bike. After the accident I underwent physical therapy, but to me it was nothing more than getting in a whirlpool and getting a massage The bare minimal was done to satisfy the lawyers that needed to sue this guy's insurance company. Years later I was in another, far less intense car accident, where a little old lady side swiped my car. It was totaled, but I got out of the car through the window and was perfectly fine... except that I developed massive anxiety and refused to get behind the wheel of a car for 10 years.

I dealt with my anxiety years ago through therapy, but one thing that remained was the chronic pain from the accidents. For the longest, I saw the most amazing Chiropractor in Beverly Hills. Dr Ty Essiegian is absolutely amazing. His reasonable pricing and jovial bedside manner allowed me to get past my fear of adjustment and start experiencing relief from constant aches and pains. Ty was the first doctor to tell me that what we had always called being "double-jointed" when I was a kid was actually hyper-mobility in my joints. He explained that the shoulder pain I was feeling and the pain in my neck was primarily due to my shoulders being slightly dislocated out of socket. I remember the first time Ty reset my right shoulder... it hurt so much I cried but the relief afterwards was amazing. He recommended that I seek physical therapy for my shoulder so I could prevent my rotator cuff from tearing later on down the line When I left LA for the Valley, distance and time made it more difficult to see Ty, so for the last 7 years I've received fewer adjustments even though my pain still persists.

Recently, I came to realize that not only was my pain increasing, but my shoulders hurt so badly that I could not practice certain yoga postures as I simply couldn't put pressure on my arms or shoulders without extreme pain. As my arms started getting weaker, I found myself exercises less. I have spoken to several personal trainers that simply don't know how to rehab an injury such as mine safely. This began my hunt for someone more qualified.

Yesterday, I started treatment at a wellness center that offers chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, pilates and massage. My session yesterday with the chiropractor brought some relief; I have more range of motion in my neck now and the massage certainly left me a bit sore much of today. The doctor created a treatment plan that includes chiropractic adjustments and massage along with 3-4 pilates sessions to start to begin to strengthen my core and begin to heal my shoulder. He also recommended a consult with the staff acupuncturist, to address not only my pain but other health issues such as my chronic allergies & bronchitis amongst other things. He feels that for now there is no reason to add a consult with the physical therapist but will re-evaluate later if we need to add her input.

I'm so excited to have found someplace that offers such holistic full body care. I'm back on Friday with the Chiropractor and Monday with the Acupuncturist for his treatment plan which may include herbs in addition to needles. Of course, my insurance doesn't cover treatment and its not cheap. I'm not asking for donations, but if you see something on one of my auctions, or want to book a cam show let me know. :) And yes, if you'd like to donate towards treatment let me know and I'll provide you with info on how you can help.

Thanks all!

Sinn