This story actually starts like 7 years ago, so I’ll start there.

I remember the day vividly. I was sitting in a computer chair at TBWA\Chiat\Day (the advertising agency I was interning at during my junior year of college). As I was sitting there, I felt a twinge in my lower back, and all my lower back muscles tightened up. For the next 5 years, every couple months it would do the same thing, and I’d end up lying on a bed in pain.

This leads up to about 2 years ago when I decided to go to a chiropractor to fix it, and it worked. Between the adjustments and traction (they strap something around your waist and pull, stretching the spine) I felt a ton better. It’s been almost 2.5 years since I first went, and in that time I haven’t had any problems with my back. As part of my visits though, I would also get my mid-back and neck adjusted. It felt good, and for a long time I had no problems.

But back in April or so I started to have some pain in my neck. You know that tension you get in your fingers that makes you feel like you need to crack them? Well I had that in my neck…and bad. It was to the point that I was always moving my neck around trying to make that feeling go away. Something wasn’t right, and for a while I kept going to the chiropractor hoping she could fix it.

Now I don’t know for sure if going to the chiropractor caused my problems, but after a few months I stopped going to see if it would get better. Some days it would start to feel better, but then out of nowhere it would start up again. Finally about 2 months ago I’d had enough and went to my doctor.

He gave me some pain pills and muscle relaxers (which have helped), but I also started going to physical therapy. Here I am, a “healthy” 20-something guy in a room with a man recovering from a stroke, and mostly people who are easily over 60. For the last two months I’ve had my neck stretched, learned stretching exercises, and gotten mini-massages…and I can finally say I am feeling better.

I’m not 100% yet, but for the first time in many months I’m feeling good. It’s actually been kind of scary. I’ve had this pain for so long that I started to think it would always be like this. Chronic neck pain for the rest of my life? That would suck. I did have some x-rays taken, and all they found was “mild arthritis,” but I’m finally headed in the right direction.

If anything it has given me an appreciation for good health. I’ve always told myself that I don’t want to be the 90 year old guy that complains how much everything hurts, but I wanted to share with everyone.

Post like this on facebook? Never!