Editors Note: Here is another person's story, again from Dr. Margaret Banitch in Montclair, New Jersey.
Barbara's Story
My back problems began about 29 years ago, shortly after the birth of my first daughter. I was plagued by random bouts of sciatica that sent pain shooting down my right leg, and sometimes completely numbed it for a minute or so. The doctor said that I could expect temporary back problems after childbirth. My lower back pain came and went, sometimes I would "throw my back out" so badly that I was bent sideways and couldn't sit down because of the pain. I've had numerous cortisone shots, which helped temporarily; I've taken strong pain medication: valium & darvocet & percoset, during the times my back was "out". I lost a whole summer one year because I was all twisted up and in pain, and couldn't do much. I had my first daughter with natural childbirth, but my back pain felt worse. I had MRI's which revealed three herniated disks in my lower back, which were very thin, as well as some arthritis.
I've had lots of chiropractic adjustments: three different general chiropractors who don't do the Blair method. They helped a lot initially, but as time went on, the adjustments didn't do much any more. I had always been very physically active, and running was my favorite workout. My doctors & chiropractors told me "no more running", since it may have contributed to my problem. Every time I exercised my back felt so bad, that I exercised very little, and gradually gained about 25 lbs. (over the course of about 15 years).
I finally thought that my only option now was to have surgery. I decided that I would just live with the side effects caused by surgery so I could get somewhat back to normal again, and I made an appointment with a surgeon. Meanwhile, my oldest daughter kept begging me to try Blair (upper cervical). She was in a car accident years ago, which left her with mandibular (jaw) pain, migraines, and neck & upper back pain. Her boss was a patient of Dr. Forest, a Blair (upper cervical doctor) in our home town of Pleasanton, California, and he recommended Dr. Forest to my daughter. My daughter's jaw pain is gone, migraines, and all other symptoms are completely gone. She just goes in for "tune-ups" now as needed.
I kept telling my daughter that she just didn't understand: I had lower back problems, and Blair (upper cervical doctors) just worked on the neck area. How can the method possibly help me? Finally she persuaded me to try the Blair method before resorting to surgery.
I was impressed by the thorough explanation of how the Blair (upper cervical) method works, as well as by the fact that Dr. Forest actually gave me a timeline for when I could expect to be completely healed. No other (doctor) had done that. He took detailed x-rays and measurements, and showed me that my atlas, the bone that sits at the top of the spine, was twisted to the left side and downward, thus pinching the nerves that run from my brain to the right side of my body. This caused the muscles to cramp and pull up my hip on one side, causing the discs in my lower back to be squeezed in an unnatural manner. Each time I went in for an adjustment, he first checked to see if I even needed adjusting. If I didn't need it, he wouldn't do anything. He explained how once the nerves coming from the brain through the atlas are freed, the muscles and other body parts that they serve can relax and begin the healing process in stages. Each time I went in for a treatment, I was taught something new about the healing process, and told what exactly to expect next. Everything went exactly how Dr. Forest had said, and though it was too good to believe at first, I actually began to get better! I felt like I'd gotten my life back. I was able to begin exercising again, and have been able to lose 10 pounds so far, and looking forward to losing the other 15, plus skiing again, maybe tennis again too.
Shortly after beginning my Blair treatments with Dr. Forest, my husband's job required us to move to Connecticut. Dr. Forest recommended Dr. Banitch, and I have received the same quality of care from her that I received from Dr. Forest. I am steadily improving to the point that the chronic pain I used to live with is just a memory. I don't mind having to drive all the way from Connecticut to New Jersey for treatments, because it is worth it to me to feel like my old self again, after many years. I just wish I had taken my daughter's advice sooner than I did, because it would have spared me a lot of misery. I'm so thankful to Drs. Forest and Banitch for restoring my health and energy. And all this without any popping or cracking, or medicine! I'm soon going to turn 52 years old, and I feel better now than I did ten years ago.
Posts
