As a psychologist, Melody was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders -- and stiffening up because of it. By mixing yoga and pilates with regular visits with a chiropractor, she's found a path to prevention that feels just right.
Melody's Story
"I couldn't raise my arms."
I noticed when I was doing pilates and yoga that I had trouble raising my arms forward. My shoulders were very, very tight, and I also had a lot of tightness in my upper back and pain in my lower back. I talked to an orthopedic physician about a wrist injury and was told I needed physical therapy. That's when I learned that I have frozen shoulder syndrome.
"I saw how much trouble my 75-year-old mother had walking, and I have the same body type as she."
My mother is in a lot of pain, especially in her back. I know she has difficulty, and when you see people who can hardly walk, that it's is a significant stressor in someone's life and it really affects the quality of life, that is something I don't want. I was aware that if I didn't start working at it I would be down that path myself. I wanted to do something preventative.
"I knew somewhat I chiropractor did. I knew it was manipulation of the spine, but that was it."
My husband has gone to a chiropractor when his back hurts, and he finds that it helps. His issues are a little different than mine, but he has a lot more flexibility in his shoulder muscles than I do. So I thought, "I am just going to try this." I remember the chiropractor looked at the way I stood. I remember laying down on the table and getting my spine and neck manipulated. I also remember being sore afterwards, but I just sensed it was working.
"I think you notice the results not immediately, but more long term."
I've been getting adjusted for a couple of years now. One of the things I have noticed is my back muscles. They were as hard as a brick and they are softening. I still can't raise my arms up when I am laying on the floor, but I can tell in some of the yoga poses and pilates that I am able to stretch more. I don't feel as tight. I also don't have any back pain. I am more conscious of my posture. I am significantly more flexible. I feel like I am in better shape, better conditioning. The reason I keep doing this is prevention, keeping my body more flexible and limber. For me, it is not that I experience 100 percent immediate relief, but that it is helping me to counteract some of the stiffness and the tightness that I have carried in my body for many, many years.
"Now I see it as a form of body therapy."
I am a psychologist, and in my line of work I hear about a lot of pain. I am not immune from what I hear affecting me, so I take it on my shoulders. I lock stress in my back and my shoulders. As a result of working with a chiropractor and doing other things like yoga and pilates, I am able to unleash some of that tension and stress.