You need a doctor. Ask for one of those.

Went to a doctor in KS. Was told to wear wrist braces and it would heal up. Alternate heat and cold. That sort of thing. Tried it. It went away after a bit. Keeps coming back, though. Plus I notice the pain radiates from my spine, down my upper and lower arms. I keep feeling the need to crack my neck or get my back popped, which is a sure sign (for me at least) that I'm out of alignment. I've had back problems for years.

And frankly, I trust doctors LESS than chiropractors. Doctors are paid off by the pharmaceutical companies, who are capitalistic profit-mongers more interested in keeping you dependent on pills than keeping you healthy. I'll go to a doctor when I'm bleeding, have broken bones, or am expelling internal organs thru one of many orifices. Otherwise, no thanks.

Cracking your back just wears bone down and causes other problems. People that crack their knuckles get arthritis real fast. You can always get the really expensive surgery after 10-20 years of agonizing pain. I'd recommend Thailand. Very cheap doctors and surgeons.

Yes, US doctors are paid off. The entire health industry is that way. Dentist? Yup. Surgeon? They don't need to be. They'll cut into anyone, problem or no problem. If you want a good doctor, I suggest you talk to a nurse in your area. Nurses know ALL the bad doctors. Call up UW, find a nurse that's been around for about 20 years, and ask about all local doctors. Universities do have the problem of pharma reps, but not like established doctors do. Universities are at the forefront of medical knowledge and charge less. I'll be taking my yearly teeth cleaning to a college so I can get it done for free.

Your alternative is to get a common-law marriage in Canada and go there.

My back cracks anyhow, whether I go to a chiropractor or not. My problem is that it's moved the wrong way, and I need it back to normal

Remember the main post? Where I said don't try to sway me? Yeah, you weren't listening, were you?

Oh, I was listening. UW graduates physical therapists. As I've said, talk to someone that knows everyone else. UW staff probably knows all the chiropractors around Pudget Sound. They also have physical therapists that need guinea pigs on the cheap. All your potential questions and needs fulfilled in one place.

Ah, okay. Well, thank you for the advice, then. I'd prefer not to be a guinea pig, though, that's why I'm looking for a referral to a good, trustworthy chiro. A friend noted me with one, though, so I'm set. That teeth-cleaning, though... I may have to look into that. :D

I've been told by the Physical Therapists I worked with for two summers that cracking your knuckles doesn't really do much harm. Some say it does, some say it doesn't. I haven't had any problems with finger pain and I've been doing it for a decade with heavy computer use. For what it sounds like you might try an evaluation visit with a Physical Therapist, they'll get a little more specific and they're more about exercise and activities to fix the problem, the only drug they've ever given me was some Biofreeze, which is a topical angelesic.
I could ask my Chiropractor if she knows any good ones in your area next time I'm in, if I remember.

It's a myth that people who crack their knuckles will get arthritis. In fact, arthritis and the expulsion of the gas bubbles in the joints are about as synonymous with each other as drinking skim milk and getting cancer.

True!
However, I do have to note that people who crack their knuckles often may develop reduced mobility, due to overextension of the joints from cracking them - but the actual cracking doesn't cause that.

THIS is true.

I know about chiropractics, my family has been seeing chiropractors for generations. I know what it can and can't do. And thru painful experience, I've learned the difference between real pain and nerve pain caused by spinal nerve impingement. I've been to doctors about pains that I've had in the past. I've been given painkillers that make me sick, muscle relaxers that make me loopy, and bad advice that does nothing for me. I go to a chiropractor for the same issue, and it goes away immediately.

My ONLY problem is finding a good one now that I've moved. My old reliable is probably not willing to travel 4000 miles to see me, and I KNOW I'm not willing to go that far to see him.

Your icon is awesome.

say, did you ever find out what "Your stupid" really is? :)

at least you know how to spell. XD

Nerve pain you say? Have you considered acupuncture?

I've been going regularly and it does wonders for nerves. It's not as scary or as painful as it seems, but it does hurt :P

Chiropractic can alleviate poorly positioned bones but for soft tissue you'd really need acupuncture or a combination. In order to prevent it from happening again the only solution is exercise :P

The main problem is, I think the pain is stemming from my poor posture at my little office area. It's coming from my back, so I need my back fixed.

I'm afraid the best chiropractor I know (knew) died about 7 years ago. He was in his eighties.

Other than that, I'd recommend using the Yellow Pages for your local area. In my experience, generally the bigger the ads, the more business-like the facilities. It depends on if yer lookin' for standardized machine-like service or hometown healthcare as to which you should choose.

Yiiipes, I've had that before- carprel (caprol? AGGHSHSUHDSUHFFS SPELLING) tunnel, its NO GOOD.

Do they honestly fix things other then backs 8D; . Gawd that is nooby. Sorry I dont know of any in your area o_O.

Yeah, the spinal cord that runs thru your back controls the rest of your body. If you have poor posture and/or crack your back/neck regularly, you can pinch a nerve and it will radiate pain to another part of your body.

My back and neck crack easily and regularly. And I've been using REALLY poor posture lately. And I can tell it's a nerve because the pain is spiking and throbbing, and seems to randomly hurt anywhere from my shoulders down my arms to my fingers. That means probably a major nerve is being impinged.

Carpal is similar, but it's a nerve being impinged in the tunnel area of the wrist, when the tendons get inflamed and press directly against the median nerve. So it's the same TYPE of pain as carpal tunnel, but all down my entire arms.

Eep! That's no good! I've actually had quite good posture all my life (I'm the master of balancing books) But hurting your spinal cord is seriously bad news D:. I hope something can be fixed with it! *hug*

Talk to the chiropractor and ask him to explain what he is doing. If "nervous energy" or "energy flow" are a part of it, walk out. Those are sure signs of hookum and flim flam.

Also, you are in charge of your body. No doctor can force any sort of treatment on you (except in cases of deadly communicable diseases then you can be ordered into quarantine ). If these guys can talk you into weekly treatments they will, it's steady income for them. You are the boss and treatment starts and stops only with your consent or when you are cured.

If only you could reach your own back, there's probably a massage technique that could alleviate some of the pain in the mean time. And of course correcting your posture might prevent it from getting worse. (I've had a pinched nerve in my shoulder, they showed me in physio how to massage it to improve blood flow there and help the nerve to heal.)

Poor, ol' tigress, you sure have it hard. I hope you can find a good chiropractor.

Sorry. Only in the Southern California area. I wish I could help.

I am a chiropractor myself, actually.

I know one in Centralia but I don't know how far away from you that is. As far as recommending what you should do and what you shouldn't do, I would definitely attempt to find someone who's going to do soft tissue therapy like ART or some form of advanced myofascial therapy. Spinal manipulation will likely not help your issue one bit. And I would highly recommend having an NCV study or MRI if you have medical insurance and/or can afford it, just to ensure there's no spinal pathology or other issue that's ultimately causing your symptoms. It sounds like you may have already gone the medical route and they just gave you conservative therapy anyway, so finding the right doc to address the soft tissue component of your injury could certainly be helpful. Here's the address and number of that chiro.

Unfortunately, other than that, I know an absolutely amazing physician in The Dalles, Oregon; he's an osteopath, but performs a highly effective method.

John Bridges, DC
Bridges Chiropractic
709 Harrison Ave.
Centralia, WA 98531
Telephone: (360) 736-4321

Centralia is about a 2-hour drive from where we live in Redmond. That's in decent traffic, which is not the usual for that stretch of expressway and when the new I-5 construction begins in 3 weeks? That 2-hours will become 6-hours on the return trip. =/ I've seen MANY chiropractic clinics around here, the trouble is knowing which of them are GOOD and which are AFFORDABLE. And then hoping to find one that's both.

As for the medical route, no we haven't done any pathology yet. K'sharra hasn't had medical insurance since she moved out here and I don't think she even had it before then. One of the best MRI centers in the region is 10 miles from where we live, but damn is it expensive... =/

Yeah, that's the problem with MRI's. You can do what a lot of people do in this case- go the conservative route first and if there's no relief, you've got to up the ante and see a medical specialist (in this case probably a neurosurgeon).

There are a bunch of chiropractors up in Washington who also practice something called "Pettibon technique". You can google it and get their number, and maybe find a practitioner close to you.

Hmmm... cyropracter eh?

*put my hand on my muzzle and thinking about my spinal structure*

If it wasnt for the advanced Institute of Cyropractic I'd have rods in my spine and wouldn't be able to sid down or lift ANYTHING.

The only chiropractor i know is a local one, but that's WAY FAR from where you live (i live in Wisconsin). I had a back problem about two years ago. Everytime i sat down, it would hurt, and when i stood up, it would hurt worse. it was two days before i felt better. but DAMN! I couldn't even walk up and down the stairs at school without my legs and back twitching in pain.

I hope you feel better soon, though...*hug*

Chiropract...ery...does indeed work, when it's dealing with back-related issues. It's just these crazy guys who think it can cure colds that you've got to watch out for. ;p

Ive been going to a chiropractor for the past half year and its really helped.
My hands and even my feet were very tingly and even painfull after basic use.
I got to a point were I couldnt type for more than an hour or two without getting a buncha pain in my hands. I knew it wasnt arthuristise since I read that the whole hand isnt supposed to hurt or tingle. The pinky and the half of the finger next to it are supposed to be spared from the pain.

I had a hunch there was a nerve in my back being pinched or something, plus my back jsut didnt feel right to me.

So I went to the chiropractor's office my dad went to and got my Dad's chriopractor's son.
All he did was crack my back and realign it little by little.
At first I had to go nearly everyday, then eventaully it went down to twice a week, then once a week, then finally twice a month and now once a month. (Wich reminds me that I may have missed an appointment again >.>)

The tingly numb like pain finally went away and I was able to return to my martial arts practice after awhile.

My chiropractor only uses back cracking and re-alignment and even told me that any that prescripe drugs or use it as a crazy cure all dont know what their doing.

Their method was to re-aline the back and let it heal itself.

For me my back was out of alignment from either carrying too much when I was in middle school and highschool (never did the work, but I brought every last book and supplies I could have possibly needed anyway. I dunno, I thought it was like an honor thing or somehting)
There was also a small accident I had from falling off the top of a slide right onto my back.
Wich in some cases your body can ignore and got used to. But when you get into your twenties you start to slow down some and you dont have all the energy to ignore those sorta things.
I also had some parts in my neck that tried to grow into rib pieces but stoped. Wich could be why I get a stiff neck that doesnt go away easily when my sinuses act up alot.
X-rays are fun xD

Anyway, I had a god expereince with em.
I was very skeptical but I went in there and it seemed to help after a few ajustments so I came back and thought Id finish the treatments. (I still get a numb hand after popping something after a good punch or kick.)
Also I actually stand up straight now too, wich I couldnt do before but never really thought my back was bad.

So ya, was alot of help for me.

I hear though that its sometimes best to choose your own time to quit the treatments if your feeling good enough.
My chiropractor suggested that sometimes.

I live in california so I cant help you too much on suggesting a good one.
Though if you want another address and number to cal and hlep look for a good one I'll just give you mine.

David Ellyson
Ellyson Chiropractic Office
605 E Street
Marysville, CA 95901
(530) 743-2093

Maybe they might knew a chiropractic office in the area you can look into.

Hope that helps, and good luck finding a good one.

I used to have quite a back problem myself then one day I realized the obvious, my trifold wallet. I have about 10 credit cards, gift cards, and various other CC sized items plus business cards, numbers, small notes whatever. I was packing a good 1.3 inches under my left butt cheek. This coupled with my habit of holding my pen/pencil really tight and leaning while I draw/write gave me pains for over a year. I have since ditched the wallet and carry only the essentials in a nice super thin bi-fold and I have been practicing drawing with only my arm, no paper contact and no wrist cramps... I haven't had back pain in months.

I don't have the big huge wallet, but my sitting habits are atrocious. About as close to the fetal position as you can get while working or being on the computer. I think I need to rethink my little art space.

I go to see a chiropractor, but probably not as often as I need to. x_x; I'm not sure which ones you could find in your general area, though.

The only good chiropractors I know of are doctors Jim and Steve Abeler up here in Minnesota. I've known them for 18 years. They do great work... that is, if you ever come visit Minnesota. >_>