[Drache713]

Okay so as some of you may or may not know, I got in a car accident a lil ways back...well we have some med pay from insurance so i figured what the hell i'll go to a chiropractor, i probably need it anyways. I've always had back/neck/bone problems, but they heightened a little after my accident. So if I go for 3-5 weeks of treatment it should help to get rid of the increased symptoms.

But here's the major problem...looking at my x-rays, my neck doesn't curve back like it should (it kinda just goes straight up), and the lower part of my spine doesnt curve like it should either. Back when I was 16 or 17 my band I had at the time I gigged with a LOT, and worked and played very hard with that band...and I have no doubt that has contributed to this somewhat. But the chiropractor said I seem to have the onset of degenerative disk disease (i could see it on the x-ray, the pads between my vertabrae were thinner on one side than the other) and he basically told me i'll probably have to have chiropractic treatment for my entire life! And I'm only fuckin' 20 for God's sake!

I guess I'm mainly just curious to know if any of you guys have neck or back problems, or if there is a proper, "healthy" way to rock out - if that makes sense. This depresses me and shocks me, especially for my age.

[nitelightboy]

I was a competitive fighter for a few years. I have my problems

I have 3 or 4 slipped disks, can't remember for sure. A few vertabrae that've been cracked or knocked out of line. And a ton of other minor things that add up to some major annoyances. Especially when it rains.

Personally, I don't like chiropractors. But that's me. I wake up, crack as many joints as I'm able to move that morning and get on with my day. It sucks, especially since we're both pretty young, but most "major" joint injuries cause problems for the rest of your life....

[Nick1]

I have a pinched nerve in my neck and it hurts like a bitch! Docs say I play TOO much! He says stop playing. I said IT IS MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!!!!!!! QUITING IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!! He says Getting a cortazone shot "could" help. So I will soon go for it. ANYTHING to help kill this pain in my neck that Ive had for months!

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Nick1

I have a pinched nerve in my neck and it hurts like a bitch! Docs say I play TOO much! He says stop playing. I said IT IS MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!!!!!!! QUITING IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!! He says Getting a cortazone shot "could" help. So I will soon go for it. ANYTHING to help kill this pain in my neck that Ive had for months!

My boss is out recooperating from emergency back surgery for exactly this reason. Odds are it has nothing to do with your guitar - do you have any family history of this? Ask around, my boss never knew she did until she mentioned it to her mom, who'd gone through this twice in her youth.

Nerve issues are nothing to blow off - she was a mm or so away from beginning to lose range of motion.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Nick1

I have a pinched nerve in my neck and it hurts like a bitch! Docs say I play TOO much! He says stop playing. I said IT IS MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!!!!!!! QUITING IS NOT AN OPTION!!!!!! He says Getting a cortazone shot "could" help. So I will soon go for it. ANYTHING to help kill this pain in my neck that Ive had for months!

cortizone shots are not the answer tho.

[bostjan]

I have genetic back problems in my upper-middle back. My arms go numb every once in awhile, and it can make playing difficult to impossible. Stretching out helps a lot, low impact physical arts like tai chi or yoga might help slowly but surely, if you have time. A shot would be a quick fix, but won't last.

[Nick1]

Originally Posted by Drew

My boss is out recooperating from emergency back surgery for exactly this reason. Odds are it has nothing to do with your guitar - do you have any family history of this? Ask around, my boss never knew she did until she mentioned it to her mom, who'd gone through this twice in her youth.

Nerve issues are nothing to blow off - she was a mm or so away from beginning to lose range of motion.

I am the only one who has this problem.

Originally Posted by .jason.

cortizone shots are not the answer tho.

What do you suggest Dr. Jason?

[noodles]

Originally Posted by Nick1

What do you suggest Dr. Jason?

I don't think he's trying to be a dick. Cortisone shots are like a temporary fix: they knock out the pain for a while, but don't do anything to fix the cause of the pain. You're treating the symptom, not the problem. So, it will work...for a while. Then the pain will be back worse than before.

I don't think most people realize what cortisone is. It's a steroid, produced by the body in stressful situations (part of the fight or flight response). Using it in this way is suppressing the ability of the nerve receptors, so tha patient doesn't feel pain.

[eaeolian]

Originally Posted by Drache713

But the chiropractor said I seem to have the onset of degenerative disk disease (i could see it on the x-ray, the pads between my vertabrae were thinner on one side than the other) and he basically told me i'll probably have to have chiropractic treatment for my entire life! And I'm only fuckin' 20 for God's sake!

Now go get that opinion from someone with an MD hanging on their wall, preferrably an orthopedist.

Chiropracty has been proven effective (by real scientific trials) for pain relief, but nothing else. They can't "re-align your spine" by manipulation over time - there's no scientific proof of it. Every one I've gone to (save one, who's the only honest chiropractor I've ever met, and the one both my singer and my wife use) immediately tells you there's something wrong with you that will require their services for the rest of your life. It's part of the routine. If you really have severe degenerative disc issues, you need to have it diagnosed by a doctor, not a chiropractor.

</rant>

[noodles]

There is a reason my uncle calls chiropractors "bone breakers".