My aching back

I'll just start this by saying that when I recently told my midwife that my lower back was really starting to hurt, BADLY, her response was, "oh nooo, already??"

Yeah. Already.

So anyway, apparently I'm having severe back pain a bit early in the game. I had battled low back pain before but only when I was on my feet for an extended period of time, not the daily dose that I've recently gotten to experience.

Well after some investigation I found that my insurance is marvelous and I'm allowed 26 annual visits with NO co-pay! I received a referral from my OB office and the next day made my first visit. Ahhh! Sweet relief.

FOR ABOUT AN HOUR!!!

I went back two days later and sure enough my low back problems appeared to have subsided and after having pretty regular visits I dare say we are on the mend! Now, here's the fun part: after my low back issue subsided I began to get really painful mid-back issues. My chiropractor (she's wonderful!) proceeded to focus on this area, having me rest on ice for 20 minutes after each treatment, etc. Then this seemed to subside. For about 10 minutes, all was right with the world (or the world of my spinal column at least). Then, the excruciating happened - I had a rib pop out of place. HOOOOOLY DISCOMFORT!! Yikes. You can't breath without wincing. And then I noticed that once one area gets messed up many others flare up as well(e.g. the low-back of yester-year and the mid-back that I thought I had seen the last of, etc.) so this particular evening I was wincing with pain, which nothing seemed to relieve. She warned me of this and, really, it makes plenty of sense - if you are irritating a bunch of muscles everyday, they're bound to rebel. I know I would and, frankly, I do!

GRRR. I went in the next day and she put the rib back in place - instant relief. But she warned me that that kind of irritation to the muscles around it will probably make it sore.... YES. She was right. It did. So the rib back in place was really not any better than the rib OUT of place. This brings me to today, I'm currently having some pain where the rib was out but not near as bad as it was in the days immediately after the rib "replacement". I'm going back tomorrow and I'm hoping to either be NOT in pain, or to have this pesky rib put back in if it's, in fact, popped back out.

(On a completely RANDOM and borderline inappropriate note, why is it that all of this talk of ribs makes me only think about eating bar-b-que?)

Ultimately, I'm sure that my chiropractor will get all of this fixed up, I'm not too worried about it (for now). She indicated that over time I'll adjust more and more easily and the problems with my back, with regular visits can be eradicated fairly quickly. We'll see. And to be really honest, it's free. How many other "in preparation for baby" rituals can we say that about? I say, crack away, doc!

(Oh and on a side note Miss Baby loves going to the chiropractor. She has never missed an opportunity to make her presence known when mom's "on the rack"!)