Also, how do you eventually stop seeing a doctor? I feel like I'm in a chicken/egg situation - I want help, but seeing so many doctors at the same time is seriously stressing me out, and you all know how stress is for us. I work full time, and between working, seeing all these doctors, and doing all the exercises that the doctors want me to do, I have about 10 minutes of free time each day. :( I'm currently seeing the following on a regular basis:
Pain management doctor
Physical therapist
Psychologist (who also talked me in to taking an 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course for 2 hours each week with an 6 hour Saturday included)
Chiropractor
Neurologist
Then there's the occasional visits to the massage therapist, primary care physician, dentist, eye doctor, etc. I really don't want to see the psychologist anymore but the pain clinic is making me go. I'm sorry I signed up for the MBSR class because it's really not my thing (lots of meditation) but I'm sticking with it, hoping I'll get something out of it. Not crazy about physical therapy but deep down I know it's good for me and I don't have a choice in that either - pain clinic is making me go. I'm just so stressed from all these appointments, one day I actually had 4 appointments scheduled in a single day! I physically can't keep up this schedule and feel like some of these appointments are doing me more harm than good.
How do you all keep up? And I don't even have kids! I just want to stop seeing some of these doctors but don't feel like I am "allowed."
I did probably the wrong thing and quit seeing them all, other then Dr. Oro for the eventual surgery that I will have. I couldnt stand all the meds that they kept moving me around on and nothing worked. The BEST thing that I have done for myself is going to the chiropractor, do not let him adjust my neck, but I do get on the decompression table once a week. I also go to the massage therapist once a week. Those two things are the only things that have made me feel any better. I feel it when I miss either one of those, my headaches get really bad again, the numbness and memory problems, well shoot everything is worse when I miss a week. I think this thing called Chiari is still so new that they really dont completely understand it. I think for each one of us it is just trial and error to learn what helps and what does not.
Keep going and find what is best for you!!!
I was told to stay away from the Chiropractor. It could do more damage than anything. This is just what I was told, but I think many people have been told the same thing. I also quit seeing everyone unless I need to. Currently I am still in contact with my neurosurgeon (not often and usually only by email), my neurologist, and my family doc. I have to drive an hour and a half to all of my docs offices so I try really hard to not book too many if I can help it. If I am going in it's only for a good reason. I was also told to go to PT and I stopped going to that too. Good luck!
Crystal
Just to clarify, I do not let an Chiropractor adjust me. Mommy.of.two is correct that they can do more damage. However, some of them now have a bed that you lay on that is a decompression bed. It gently pulls your head up slightly. I cant handle much of it so he does it on low, but it seems to work. Im not sure if the stretching is someway making a little more room, temporarily, or what but I notice a big difference when I miss going to him or the massage person. Both of those together has made the biggest impact on my health whereas none of the meds did a thing.