Putting my money where my mouth is: NUCCA

Actually, if I understand correctly, they are both from Toronto. Maybe cousins? Of course, no one has ever seen them together either.

 

I'd say we are kindred spirits.

 

I am interested as well, as I expect many are. Heck, maybe we all just need to exercise more! Knowing Wino, he will have a systematic method to try and uncover the source of his wellness.

 

tm53....I did ask him that question some pages ago and this was his reply.

 

"So, I saw the NUCCA chiro yesterday at 3:00 and then again this morning at 9:00."
Wino, I am just curious as to why you had to be seen twice within 18 hours or so?
Was this due to your persistent leg length discrepancy?
Did you see him today too? Has your gait pattern improved since you have received all these treatments??
What about all those x-rays? do you think it is safe?
I am glad to hear that you are improving though and I am enjoying reading your progress with multiple treatment modalities.

 

Great Canadian stock perhaps? I am honoured to be thought to be related to Nassman.

 

Sorry for not updating sooner, folks, but the rigors of work and family have made me a bit inaccessible of late. Nevertheless, I wanted to pick up with this question:

The reason I saw the chiro twice in 18 hours was a matter of sheer practicality. His treatment plan is to see me 3 times per week for the first 4 weeks. That would be great if I had a predictable job, but in my career I rarely know what's going to happen from one day to the next, so committing to treatment times can be rough. What happened last week was that I had to go to Colorado on Monday and returned Wednesday afternoon. The chiro's office hours are such that he's open from 1:00 - 6:00 on Mondays and Fridays, 9:00 - 2:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9:00 - 6:00 on Wednesdays. Therefore, I got back in time on Wednesday to see him in the afternoon, but could only see him in the morning on Thursday and in the afternoon Friday. Ideally, I would set up appointments every other day. But in order to keep to the schedule I simply go whenever I can.

As for progress:

I have remained almost completely symptom free since July 2 (Friday). That was the day I woke up feeling close to normal -- before the NUCCA visit -- and got better throughout the day. Since that time, I have only had a couple of episodes of very brief fullness (lasting no more than 20 minutes), and they occurred sporadically. I do feel an "odd" sensation (like the onset of fullness) from time to time, but each time I have totally knocked out the symptom by exercising. I still haven't gone back to Diet Cokes, and keep drinking 2-3 cups of green tea per day (caffeinated). I have partaken occasionally of salty foods like chips without effect (though limited amounts), and I am still limiting my alcohol intake to the occasional beer or glass of wine (maybe one every few days). I did drink a little more while watching the World Cup final with friends -- for which I cooked up my best batch of paella to date -- but had no ill effects.

I went back to the chiro this morning at 9:00 AM. Today, he measured my leg lengths and told me they appear to be completely even now. He then palpated my upper cervical spine and told me that it appears to be in alignment. Therefore, this was the first visit where I did not have a NUCCA adjustment. I did, however, tweak my lower back yesterday while traveling and putting my suitcase in the overhead compartment on the plane, and again when my 3 year old wanted me to carry her all night I told the doc and he gave me some activator adjustments to the L-spine and lower T-spine. This was followed by 15 minutes of muscle stimulator therapy to the low back and neck.

I go back tomorrow at 9:00 for a follow-up. I haven't had follow-up x-rays yet. To be frank, I have not personally been able to correlate any direct effect of the NUCCA adjustments to any improvement in symptoms. At least, not in the way it is so obvious to me when I exercise. I cannot rule out that improvements in circulation may incidentally be boosting the effects of exercise. But in any event, I won't know if my structural abnormality (straightened neck) has been "cured" until the follow-up x-rays. We'll see how that goes.

 

Great that you are doing well!

You know an oto would say it's a no brainer, it's the caffeine elimination. Just keep doing whatever it takes and let us know.

 

I'm not sure I would agree with the caffeine, though. I still drink a cup of coffee with breakfast, and in addition to the green tea I will drink unsweetened ice tea with meals. So it's not like I'm caffeine-free here, so much as I have swapped out my caffeine sources with things that seem better for me than artificially flavored sodas. Plus, considering the volume of caffeine I used to consume, I would have expected to have constant symptoms. I really never had that. I would have a week-long or days-long episode followed by months of remission. I never altered my caffeine habits before.

 

Time will tell. Keep us posted.

My oto told me to keep it to one cup of coffee a day. From that I take it to be a quantitative thing rather than qualitative. It does affect me I know whereas salt doesn't seem to. I find it has taken me literally years to sort out the real issues from the red herrings but eventually you do. And I do believe it varies from person to person.

 

Definitely agree with all that. It's part of the reason that "good" advice is hard to come by when dealing with MM, because what is "good" for one person may not translate to another. But what I like about this forum is that folks can offer insight as to what worked for them, and give other people at least different avenues to try.

 

Yes, I always felt like there was 'one more thing' I could try and that means alot and sometimes they actually work!

 

Well, nice update Wino! great to learn that your leg lengths are now normal! must be easier on you while you are using your eliptical.

 

You would think, but I, personally, haven't noticed any difference in my gait. My neck does feel less "tight" than before and I have better range of motion. The soreness I was getting after the first few treatments has also subsided. He has helped with some aches and pains in my back, too. Other than that, the chiro is a nice guy and the visits are relaxing, but I remain curious about the next set of x-rays.

 

Thanks, Wino. It would be extremely unlikely that your straight neck will have been made normal. It took two decades to get like that. By now, generally, certain signs of arthritis should be evident. That works against the curvature restoration. If one stays in adjustment, then over time some curvature may redevelop. But restored curvature has more to overcome than just a few weeks can give it.

No, I can't say that, with all you have had going on, any particular aspect of your all-encompassing treatment plan may be the ingredient that changed your symptoms. About the only thing we can say is that once you began everything you did, your symptoms subsided. Folks should take note of that, that you tried various non-invasive treatments that others have reported success with. You seem all the better for it. That is great, and is the overarching principle I wrote of recently concerning the use of results-based treatements.

So what now?

 

I think he is waiting for the x-rays. I just don't get this "staying in adjustment" principle. Your neck is a very dynamic body part and it was designed to twist and turn. I do not understand how you can keep an adjustment without placing your neck in a vise.

 

Folks should take note of that, that you tried various non-invasive treatments that others have reported success with. You seem all the better for it.

And one of the things that Wino seems to get the best results from of all is exercise. Daily moderate exercise is evidence-based for all sorts of disease -- including migraine. I don't buy this notion that because a neck is lacking curvature -- possibly for years -- that it means the person needs NUCCA for years to bring it back. That's bunk Hank. Muscle spasm in the neck can cause this and once relieved, there's no reason curvature will not return quickly once the muscles loosen up. My physio achieved this in 2 sessions and told me I didn't need to come back unless it flared up again which it hasn't.

Glad you're having a symptom free period Wino. Great to hear.

Scott

 

Lets' see the x-rays, Scott. Other than that, yours is but an anecdote. Give is the proof, good buddy.

 

No xrays Hank, just the words of a physiotherapist who has been in the biz for over 20 years. If she says my neck is fine and it feels fine to me (as opposed to how bad it felt before), I'll skip the unnecessary added dose of radiation to prove it. She knows her stuff.

 

No, no double standard here. We just need to find folks who know their stuff. As of July 15, 2010 10:28 EDT, proof for our contentions are no longer necessary. Got it.