I was never a believer of chiropractic care. I only considered coming to one when I went to get a massage at Heaven On Earth and the massage therapist recommended I go because according to her, my neck was scrunched into my shoulders. What kind of friends do I have that they don't tell me I'm walking around looking like Uncle Fester from The Munsters?!
In any case, being a researcher by nature, I asked everyone I knew if they had any recommendations for Chiropractors. I heard horror stories about people being told by Chiros that they needed to sign up for multiple treatments, anywhere from once a week to every other day. Seriously? I'm not walking around at a 90 degree angle so I doubt I need THAT much treatment! So when I received a recommendation from my girlfriend and she said that there's no set time frame that she needs to go see him and books an appointment when she feels the need, I knew Dr. Joe was the one I wanted to try. (No, I really don't have commitment issues, more like wasted money issues.)
Dr. Joe's office is located in a parking lot I typically frequent when I eat pho at Hale Vietnam. It's in the same parking lot but closer to the Harding Avenue side, nearest to the gas station across the street. (I believe it's a two story building but don't quote me on that.) It's on the first floor, to the right as you walk in through the building doors. The entrance faces 11th Avenue so walk in at the Ewa end of the building.
When I first got there, a receptionist was there to greet me and Dr. Joe was standing behind her. Both very friendly and welcoming, I had no idea what to expect. I was led into the treatment room, where I was asked what's troubling me. I started to get into my sorry dating life and how there are no good men out there that are 5'10" or taller that have a decent job and have no drama. OH! You mean physically? Nothing. Dr. Joe gave me a puzzled look and wondered what I was doing there. So I told him the recommendation from the massage therapist, my extensive word of mouth research and there I was. He massaged my shoulders a bit, said that I was tense in the shoulder and neck area and made me lay face down on the table / bench and placed some electrodes and a heating pad on my back. He said he would be back and as I tried my hardest not to start giggling uncontrollably from the tickling of the machine, I eventually fell asleep (I'm a sleep ho...anywhere, anytime, anyplace). I know now that it was about 15 minutes that he had left me alone until he came back in. Let the cracking begin.
He tells you to relax, breath out, CRACK! Woo, kinda scary sounding but the most wonderful feeling of looseness. He proceeds to crack your back as you lay on each side, he cracks your neck (this part was a bit scary, kind of reminded me of assassin movies where they crack someone's neck to kill them but I lived through it!) and 5 minutes later, I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I asked him when I should come in for my next appointment and he responded, "when you feel the need for it." AWESOME!
I figured out that my tightness occurs every 3 months or so and saw him for about 3 years at that interval. But since I've started doing yoga, I noticed I haven't had to go in as often. I made an appointment out of habit and Dr. Joe immediately knew that I was doing something different. "I swear, I'm not cheating on you! Just exercising." He said that he could tell that my muscles are not gripping around my vertebrae anymore. Yeah, he is THAT awesome.
Since this is an elective treatment and it's not medically necessary for me, I pay out of pocket. It's about $50 a session but the effects of it lasts much longer than a massage. After I get a massage, I may have felt good that day, but typically felt tense again the next day. With getting my back cracked, I didn't feel tense for a while. SO worth the price and perfect to use with my company's flexible spending plan!
I've recommended Dr. Joe to other friends who have given up on other Chiros and even they have become a believer of chiropractic care again. Even if you've lost all hope, just give Dr. Joe a try. He won't disappoint you. I haven't gone to see him for about 9 months now so I'm thinking of going, just to make sure he doesn't forget about me...and to make sure I'm not walking around like Uncle Fester again, just in case. *picking up phone and dialing* read more