Ever since a young teenager, I’ve been involved in risky activities like extreme sports that can cause nasty injuries. I would go skateboarding all around the neighborhood, I’ve been snowboarding, and my all-time favorite was riding BMX bikes. I haven’t been as active as when I was younger, but my body still feels remnants of past crashes and major falls. I have yet to break a single bone, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t felt pain before. I can recall many instances of where I got hurt pretty bad:

One day I was speeding on my bicycle what felt like 30 mph down a huge hill that declined for about half a mile. I pedaled as fast as I could, but there was a layer of loose dirt that caught my front wheel, and since I only had one hand on the handlebars, I was thrown off my bike tumbling for at least 15 feet. I had road rash and I felt numb. Another time I was riding around and I clumsily landed a trick, then landed flat on my tail bone on rough pavement. I’ve put myself through crashes that seemed like a tiny car accident, except without the car! Maybe I was just crazy, or that I just blocked out the pain. The endorphins from continuously attempting stunts coupled with a determination to excel helped me gain new skills despite any challenge in my way.

dr_bock_plate.jpgNow, I only touch my bike every now and then, and cruise around on my longboard, but now I do other exercises and activities, and use things like a punching bag to stay active. My back bothers me when I’m not distracted with other things, but I know that taking drugs (painkillers) won’t actually solve the problem, only the symptoms at best- not to mention that adverse effects.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a chiropractor and had an adjustment. Back pain is a tricky thing to treat, and technology has risen to the occasion. I am always on the lookout for techniques that make you wish you thought of it first. A special tech gadget is being used in La Jolla that they call the Chiropractic Robot, a tool that will detect and correct an unhealthy vertebrae, the bone that makes up the vertebral column and that also holds the spinal cord, part of the central nervous system. Your spine is integral for proper posture and body support. The robot measures the mobility of each vertebrae, and then proceeds to loosen up bones that are locked up by a painless pulsation, while in the hands of a qualified expert. Spinal manipulation improves acute back pain, and I’m sure this would only make things better and easier.