Pain in the wallet

It's delightful when there is a simple solution to a terrible problem. I had a pain in my lower back that was gradually getting worse. It got so bad that when I was tying my shoes two weeks ago, it took me five minutes to stand up straight, due to intense pain in my lower back. I also had difficulty getting in and out of my car. A quick Google search informed me about "wallet neuropathy," also called "wallet sciatica." My wallet has been growing over the past year because of accumulating receipts, membership cards and new credit cards because I'm in the process of switching from a big bank to a local credit union (I was provoked to do this by Arianna Huffington's "Move Your Money" campaign). The simple solution was to not carry my wallet in my back pocket (I've been carrying my wallet in my back pocket for year). The good news is that the pain has decreased to only barely noticeable, only two weeks after it was disabling. I'm thus sharing this simple advice to anyone else who has back pain who also carries a fat wallet: Think about carrying your wallet some other way. I'm also sharing this WebMD article with more straight-forward advice for taking care of your back. The section on computing and commuting was especially interesting to me.

Continue ReadingPain in the wallet

Getting jabbed with a hypodermic needle (sometimes) makes my body faint.

Sometimes, my body has a strong opinion with which I disagree.

Here’s a good recent example:  My body doesn’t like getting stuck with hypodermic syringes.  When I refuse to allow my body to leave the doctor’s office and when I allow my body to get jabbed with a hypodermic needle, it retaliates by fainting.  It’s one of those things that I completely forget about until I’m sitting in a doctor’s office overly aware that I’m about to be stuck again.  At such moments, my body reacts in a way that embarrasses and annoys me.

Here’s a bit of context. For the past few months, I’ve had some nagging back and arm pain.  On a lark, I signed up for some acupuncture administered by a chiropractor. Getting stuck with those little acupuncture needles didn’t give me big problems—not that I enjoyed the sensation of those tiny needles being pushed into my back.  After three treatments, I gave up on the acupuncture because it didn’t offer any long-term effect (although each treatment relieved my symptoms a bit, for a few hours).

My next step was to see my family physician, who arranged for x-rays. He told me that I had “arthritis” and suggested some physical therapy.  [Before going any further, anyone reading this should probably email me a HIPPA form].

I was hoping for more of a pinpoint diagnosis, though, so I visited a doctor who specialized in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He arranged for an MRI, resulting in some fascinating pictures …

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Continue ReadingGetting jabbed with a hypodermic needle (sometimes) makes my body faint.

A skeptic visits a chiropractor for acupuncture treatment

I have long been suspicious of chiropractors.  Why?  One reason is that the practice has a wobbly foundation.  In 1895, D.D.  Palmer declared that “95% of all diseases are caused by displaced vertebrate, the remainder by luck stations of other joints.”  His conclusion is that most diseases could be cured by adjusting vertebrae that interfere with nerve vibrations flowing from the brain through the vertebrae.  Recent studies have shown that while spinal manipulation can be helpful to treating some back pain, “there appears to be little evidence to support the value of spinal manipulation for non-musculoskeletal conditions.”  (Shekelle, P.G. “What role for chiropractic and healthcare?” New England Journal of Medicine 339:1074-1075.) 

Another reason for my skepticism regarding chiropractors is that I’ve heard too many tales of highly suspicious sounding chiropractors.  I’ve heard, for instance, about the “need” to be treated two to three times per week for years on end for nebulous sounding conditions.

I’ve never before been to a chiropractor. Five weeks ago I would’ve assure you that I would not likely ever go to a chiropractor.  That was before my pain got bad, however.  For the past five weeks, I’ve been suffering from a pain on the left side of my upper back.  It comes and goes during the day, ranging from a dull ache to a severe stabbing pain that makes it hard for me to concentrate anything else.  The pain sometimes borders on disabling.  Sometimes, lying down is the only thing that settles down the intense …

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Continue ReadingA skeptic visits a chiropractor for acupuncture treatment