Racheal's Story
Three years ago I was suddenly awakened by an electrical shock going up my neck into my head and stopping behind my left ear. The pain just stayed there and throbbed. As one might imagine, I was very concerned by this event and grew even more concerned when the feeling did not go away. Over the next few days I continued to feel all sorts of electrical shocks going from my neck into different sections of my head. Sometimes I would feel hot and cold sensations at the same time, like getting hit in the head. Other times my head just felt numb. I soon made an appointment to be seen by my primary care physician.
My visit to my physician was very disappointing. He reassured me that I was just having "weird headaches, most likely migraines." I had no history of migraines and I intuitively knew that his diagnosis was incorrect. I was essentially told to go home and wait until these "weird headaches" stopped. Over the next year I decided to keep a journal of my neck and head pain. I wanted to have this information so that if I did return to my medical doctor he would not be able to dismiss me as being nuts. One year later my symptoms were still present. I decided to return to the medical office but chose to see a different doctor. Because my symptoms had persisted for a year the new doctor thought it best to refer me to a neurologist for a more thorough evaluation.
The neurologist told me exactly what I wanted to hear, that I was not nuts! All of my symptoms were consistent with a condition called occipital neuralgia. This condition is caused by an irritation of the occipital nerve and is characterized by pain at the top of the neck, back of the head and behind the ears. An MRI was ordered to determine what was causing the irritation of my occipital nerve. Unfortunately, according to the neurologist the MRI was inconclusive as to the cause of my occipital neuralgia. The neurologist gave me three options. One, I could "wait it out" and see if my symptoms would disappear. This option was unacceptable, as I had already tried this approach for over a year with no improvement. The second and third options consisted of cortisone shots into the base of my neck and/or surgery. These were even less appealing. I could not imagine having a needle stuck in the back of my neck. The surgical option made no sense because they could not even tell me what was causing my problems.
I was not happy with the recommendations suggested by my neurologist so I inquired about other healing options, specifically massage and chiropractic. My neurologist said "Yes" to massage therapy and "Absolutely not" to chiropractic care. At this point I did not know what to do. I left the office very discouraged with no care plan that made sense to me. I felt hopeless.
I went another year recording my seemingly unending symptoms before a friend, Trina Marshall, convinced me that I should have a consultation with Dr. David Spear at Body of Light Family Chiropractic. I had never seen a chiropractor before so I was very nervous. It was also very scary for me to go against my medical doctor's wishes. However, after two years of headaches, pain, irritability, a lack of energy and patience, I felt that I had nothing to lose. I was amazed at the thorough consult I had with Dr. David. I felt that for the first time someone actually wanted to find an answer to help me. I met with Dr. David for two visits where he performed a chiropractic exam and then reviewed all my findings with me. Dr. David took time to explain things to me and proceeded with care in my situation. He seemed confident that he could help me, and at the very least offered me hope. Although I was unsure of what to expect, I felt good about his analysis and approach. I began care with Dr. David in June of 2007.
During my first few adjustments with Dr. David he explained to me how I might feel afterward and also gave me at home options to help myself. At first I did not feel anything when I was adjusted. I could hear the popping sound of the adjustment, but felt nothing. I had no idea how disconnected I was from my body. Over time I started to notice that my body was changing even though I continued not to feel the adjustments. By September I was able to feel my adjustments and also realized that my symptoms had significantly decreased. It was a huge eye opener to me to finally reconnect with my body and actually feel what was happening with me.
It is now four months since beginning care with Dr. David. I am fully connected with my body and feeling great. My headaches and pain are virtually gone. I have much more energy and am less irritable around my friends and loved ones. I am hopeful that my chiropractic adjustments will continue to allow my body to heal, and that my pain will be forever gone. I am still amazed everyday at the transformation my body has made. Thank you SO much!!!
Racheal Bryant