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Chiropractor- Feeling Worse...will This Get Better?


navyblue

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So aside from fatigue concerns I've been doing pretty well these past couple months - no dizziness. (I have POTS).

Until...last Thursday I went to chiropractor because I had heard that she did Lyme testing...however she did exam me and said the top of my neck was very out of alignment and that she wanted to do some quick adjustments. She said they would be gentle so I said yes.

She cracked my neck to both sides and then did something to my back.

I think it's made me worse. Not dizzy exactly, but sore neck, woozy pressurized head...it was pretty bad earlier today...also numbness down my left leg.

Is this worsening going to be temporary or did she really mess something up structurally? Does anyone have any experience?

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I do not have experience with chiropractors but I would say to give it a couple of weeks. I have had many strange symptoms, sometimes symptoms cause specifically from me doing something physically that I knew I shouldn't have been and I get the thoughts of "did I just mess something up that will keep me forever feeling like this" and usually after 2-3 weeks things tend to normalize to just my usual level of dysfunction. It might be good to just give it a bit of time and see how your body continues to respond, and obviously you know your body better than anyone so if something really feels off/ wrong you will know that best.

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Navyblue,

As far as mild aching and stiffness, that is something that was common for me when I saw a chiropractor if we worked on a new area.

However, one time my chiropractic adjusted my neck manually, like bending it to either side and cracking it. We normally made milder adjustments using a springloaded tool called an activator. I immediately experienced blurred vision and dizziness from the manual adjustment. My chiropractic said that that is not a good sign and we would not be doing any more manual adjustments. He explained that an adjustment can pinch a nerve or temporarily affect the blood flow in the veins in the neck. But he also said that if it happens that he won't manually adjust that area anymore as it can be harmful.

I did continue chiropractic care for a long time after that with no other issues. In fact, while the docs were trying to figure out what was wrong with me, I believe my chiropractor kept me going as I was having terrible joint issues which were ultimately from tick borne illness. It didn't help my POTS symptoms but because I had other things going on, I did find it helpful as maintenance, not a cure for anything.

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I agree with Katiebug, the chiro we see uses an activator and does manual adjustments. She has learned to approach my daughters with great caution, but since we have been going to her for a while, she has really learned what to do and what to just leave alone. Sounds like the response of your chiropractor was that the maneuver was too much for you and you wouldn't be doing that again, was a good response. Probably will need a lot of ice or heat, whichever helps you get through this.

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Hey navyblue, I had said I did not have chiropractic experience, but I've had other symptoms since having POTS that sometimes stayed for weeks until things got back to normal, sometimes caused by physical things I did that pushed my body too far. Sometimes I had weird migraine like aura/ brainfog episodes for a few weeks, vision issues for a few weeks, odd bloated sensations in my head for a few weeks, fatigue problems, etc.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I would definitely bring up your post-adjustment reaction with your chiropractor. I have found regular chiropractic adjustments to be incredibly helpful, but I have not reacted well to some more heavy-handed manual adjustments. My chiropractor has told me that I am much more sensitive to adjustments than the majority of his patients (based on my body's reactions to adjustments). He does mostly manual adjusting but will also use an activator at times when I am more sensitive than "normal." He once performed a manual cervical (neck) adjustment as you described and I did not react well - immediate vertigo and vomiting. He will not adjust my neck in that manner anymore and instead is either very gentle with his hands or uses an activator.

I do not know if any of this is due to POTS or not. I saw him before my diagnosis and was not always this sensitive. My body does tend to be more sensitive to adjustments when my POTS symptoms are flaring and we both suspect that it is the POTS that causes my body to react this way. Gentle adjustments though have been incredibly helpful for me.

I would definitely bring this up with your chiropractor.

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