Chiropractors / spinal specialists australia



Dr. Yil Yildrim, Perth, Australia

TRACY'S STORY

In 1996 while I was living in Sydney, I injured my upper back and started a cycle of daily pain. Lots of scans and x-rays later my GP told me that I would never be pain free unless I had a steel rod inserted into my back. As I could not tolerate anti-inflammatory tablets or the prospect of surgery, I did my best to work around the pain.

I am a nurse and at the time of discovering my injury I was lucky enough to be in a non-bedside care position, but at the age of 34 I was concerned that I might have to give up a job I loved. Physiotherapy did help and taking parecetomol became a common occurrence. As I write this, I realise this was the year I stopped dancing and started to take up hobbies of a quieter nature.

I did return to bedside nursing but did "pay" for it in a lot of ways. I had arthritis in most places and put on a lot of weight. I couldn't put petrol in my car without using two hands. My beautiful godchild always thought of me as reading her books because of my inactivity.

Luckily for me I was working in Canberra and a nursing friend I was sharing a house with, saw my struggles and talked to me about chiropractic. I was very resistant as I had a concern that I would be damaged if anyone messed with my neck, and no GP I had visited, suggested a chiropractor. My friend talked to me for many weeks and even offered to pay for three adjustments to see if that would convince me.

One day my friend returned home from work with a migraine and booked in for an adjustment. I drove her to the appointment and was amazed how well she recovered from her migraine. It prompted me to at least go for an appointment. I went with much concern and I did not have an adjustment until my third visit. Apart from alcohol, it was the best pain relief I had experienced.

Two months later I was heading overseas so I only had limited chiropractic care, but I was able to dance at my leaving party. I was even asked if I'd started to take illegal drugs as I was a different person! Whist I was overseas for 18 months, I had no chiropractic care and I slipped back to having back pain and leg pain, and no more dancing. When I flew back home, I spent a week in Canberra to see my godchild - and my chiropractor who had me smiling after one visit.

Perth is now my home and my chiropractor in the ACT gave me Dr Yildirim's name. Thank God I now have a huge improvement in my day to day quality of life and I do all the things I've always wanted to do. I have been having regular chiropractic care for 18 months now. My visits to my GP have gone down from bi-monthly previously to four times in a year and a half. Since starting care, I no longer have to take up to six paracetomol a day, I dance at every occasion and I am bedside nursing with no restrictions. I can do my own housework in one day, garden and I went swimming with my godchild last summer holidays - who no longer thinks I am too old! I can tell when I am subluxated, because all of the old signs come back. I have no doubt that with long term Chiropractic care I can have positive impact on my health.

My GP is non-committal about my improved health, but my mum says that I had my childhood bounce back after 3 months of adjustmets and although she doesn't understand how it works, she knows it does. I feel all young people would benefit from an assessment and I wish I had this knowledge 20 years ago. I have seen my spine change with the use of x-rays.