Drs. David and Jennifer Cretsinger Amherst, New Hampshire

It all started when I woke up with a numb arm, from elbow to pinky finer, all along the outside. I ignored it, and went to my sister's housewarming party anyway, where I proceeded to spend most of the party stretched out on her bed, worrying. I was there so long they began treating me as part of the tour. "please note the vaulted ceilings, crown molding, and incapacitated sister." I thought it was just a pinched nerve. The triage nurse thought it was a stroke (at age 23?) and sent me to the emergency room.

Six hours, one CAT scan and paper gown later, and they told me to take Tylenol and referred me to a neurologist. After he gave me an MRI where he found a tiny lesion, I got the rare treat of a spinal tap, and this test where they hooked electrodes to my head and made me look at a checkerboard pattern. I'm not sure, but the last test may have been a practical joke. They didn't find anything else, so they listed me as "Suspected MS". I went home to tell my family. It's the first time I've seen my dad cry.

Meanwhile, my arm was still having numbness spells, and now I had a debilitating pain in my shoulder. I was buying so many pills that I'm sure the local police have me earmarked as a Crystal meth manufacturer, and using so many muscle rubs that I smelled like a refugee from a nursing home.

The epiphany finally happened when my boss caught me desperately looking up "Voodoo Priestesses and Witch Doctors" in the Yellow Pages. She traded me the phone book for a pamphlet, told me to try something that would really work, and sdhe sent me to the Spinal Corrective Center.

After two years of pain and fear, it took one week of alignment before the pain was gone. Flare-ups are rare now, and usually happen after a week of work using my right arm (I'm a graphic artist, and it's my dominant hand). I've even gotten rid of a negative curve thanks to regular alignments and use of the foam wedge (affectionately nicknamed "Wedgie" by my family). The muscle rubs and heating pads have been retired, and I haven't had an occurrence of numbness since beginning treatment.

It's been almost six months since I've started here at the SCC and I'm constantly amazed at how good I feel. I also get the same degree of relaxation from an adjustment that I used to from an hour massage, only without the sore muscles or public nudity. As I've told people before, I wasn't expecting miracles, I was looking for hope - and I got both.

P.S. My Ear, Nose and Throat specialist was going to schedule surgery for my deviated septum because it was leading to chronic sinus and ear infections and once, memorably, to a burst ear drum. However, he's decided to hold off. For some "mysterious reason" I haven't had a problem in the last six months. Hmm, I wonder why?

Kathleen T.