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.