gagracie,

I agree with Lizard and Peter. For now, forget all the Chiro bit. Don't even bother with one. The bottom line is you hit your head, have severe headaches and your arm is going numb. You didn't say if you are seeing a Neurosurgeon or a Neurologist. But in either case they can order the MRI's for your brain and cervical spine and will rule in or rule out whatever may be causing it. A Chiro is NOT trained to detect the subleties as a spine doc is. I don't care if they have the best credentials in the world; they do not have the training a NS or an OSS has. Let the Neuro; whoever that might be, go over your MRI's and THEN tell you what you should be doing or not doing or what they see. I talked to my spinal PM once about Chiropractic care. He is NOT against them. But what he told me was...NO SPINAL MANIPULATIONS OF MY NECK EVER! He DID say that they were helpful for releasing spasms but there is NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE out there proving they can realign your spine. His words were...physical impossiblity...the only way they you can realign your spine is to have rods put in. And that was just an example. He said he had patients that swore by them. But he wants the scientific proof and it just does not exist.

So, what I did was to go ahead and make an appointment with a VERY REPUTABLE Chiro. And I only made it to help with muscle spasms. Keep in mind I already knew EVERYTHING that was going on in my spine. OMG! What a bill of goods that Chiro tried to sell me. Everything he said about my spine was so off the mark it wasn't funny. Plus, he wanted me to sign a contract. Wrong answer! I wasn't about to be hooked into that. So, I took everything he had said BACK to my spinal PM. And my spinal PM about had a heart attack! And he told me...good thing you didn't proceed! And I agree! My brother and my brother in law both have been seeing a Chiro for their backs for a long time. Well, guess what? It was just last year they were both referred to a spine doc. Why? Because the chiro care just made them much worse.

I am sorry but it is such a big waste of time and money UNLESS a SPECIALIST orders it. I haven't known a spine doc yet that has referred anyone I know to a Chiro. If anything, it is PT not chiro care. Or maybe sports medicine therapy, aqua therapy, light massage, etc. But nope, no doc of mine has ever mentioned or even suggested chiro's.

Hi I'm Donna and I have a little more to say and I can totally relate to all thoughts.

I'm a recovering yes, recovering PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome) I hit
my head and shoulder all two years ago. It took lots of work from a
Physical Therapist, to get my neck to release the stress.

Now I have had just recently a shoulder with bursitis, but its just now
being figured out its probably not been really that. It worked the things
that we did for that. Yes, I saw a orthopaedic, that my primary sent
me too. He did xray's to rule out other things. Found nothing sent
me for physical therapy, I was already there any way for other reasons.

But the pain, then moved to my neck, and it was such that I couldn't
move my neck, so I called my primary told her nurse, what was going
on. Explained that the PT I use for all neck, shoulder, and someother
things. Has always questioned whether I had ever had x-rays of
my neck, because there was tingling and numbness and other things too.

And now my neck was stiff and I had a headache all the time. I thought
I would just ask what she thought. I got a call back in 5 minutes or
so, go for x-ray. And I went next day. And within 2 hours. I got a
call something there, go for MRI. I'm scheduling when can you not go.

I went the friday. Got call the next Monday, and wow, I was in with
a pain management doctor the next Wednesday.

I have bulging cervical and I've had one epidural to help with pain.
I do PT with my favorite, and she wont do things if its not safe.
And then I'll have another eqidural. And if that doesn't work
I have another plan.

I hate to think about the 3 rd plan. But if I had listened to some
of the people in my life that said, go see a chiro practor. With out
asking my PT friend that I really thought a lot of. SHe told me, that
I needed to really wait it out. And to try all the things that the professionals
in my world came up with first. BEcause in my case it was definate damage.

And she didn't want me to have more damage, that she could n't help me with.

Donna