Does Your Back or Neck Hurt?

I remember the day back in 1997 when I was at my business and I picked up a pen and my back went out.  I remember saying to myself like a dork.  “That was odd.”  I had been training in Jiu-Jitsu for about 4 years and my back hurt ALL the time! Especially from all the neck injuries I acquired.  This was the day my back rebelled against me.  

I walked out of my business and decided to go home.  By the time I got to my car I couldn’t get into it!  I went home and laid down and then found I couldn’t get up!  The sad part is I had to return to my business and it took all the strength I had just to get there.  I was literally dragging my foot on the ground like an idiot. 

I had a chiropractor student who took one look at me and asked if he could help.  I said “Sure if you think you can.”  He suggested I come down to his business right away and let him work on me. I went right then.  It was a slow process but over a couple weeks my back got amazingly better.  I decided to keep going and I haven’t stopped going to a chiropractor since (Well almost). I have had a few problems but nothing that kept me off the mats.

Some of you are reading this calling B.S. on Chiropractors.  I understand.  Let me just say that without Chiropractic I would NEVER have gotten my black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The interesting thing about your spine is that all the nerves run through it.  Your vertebrae will start pinching on those nerves like pinching a hose.  They call this a Subluxation.  Those nerves control all your pain, your movement, your internal organs, your immune system, your reflexes, your flexibility and even control your mood (happiness, depression).  In my specific case it controlled how I walked and how I could no longer pick up much with my arms. If you do nothing the vertebrae WILL right itself (maybe) but eventually you will be out of alignment again and the subluxation will happen continuously, along with the pain.  

Chiropractic will absolutely help in correcting this problem freeing up the impingement on your back and helping your movement AND your health.  I am convinced.

The only problem is that is not an immediate cure.  We Americans want a cure RIGHT NOW.  People go to the chiropractor and after one or two treatments they say. “This sucks.  It’s not working.” Chiropractic is a PREVENTIVE procedure not an instant cure after the fact.  You need to make it a part of your Jiu-Jitsu life style and training to see the best results.  But that cost money!  Yep…Sorry.  The alternative is to live with it and I want to say right now.  I don’t want to live with back pain!

Not all Chiropractors are good chiropractors.  My suggestion to you is to contact a sports chiropractor and see if they have a plan where you can pay a small amount every month for “preventive” “ongoing” treatment.  Give it six months and then look at the results instead of just 2 visits. 

You might say “I tried it and it didn’t work.”…..  Sorry, I am merely giving you MY results.  You might have a SEVERE  injury that really only surgery can help.  This costs way more money and the problem with back surgery is that it works but typically only for a number of years and the problem comes back.  This means you’re out of training and could end up right back where you started.   It should be a last resort.

Remember when I said I never quit seeing a chiropractor since (almost)? Well I quit teaching martial arts for a couple years and moved to Las Vegas where I trained Jiu-Jitsu and taught firearms.  I didn’t have a lot of money at that time and Chiropractic got put on the back burner.  I trained hard and my back and neck hurt ALL the time.  I remember laying on the floor and wanting to cry because I was in so much pain.  I haven’t quit since then and I have never had that serious of a problem (knock on wood). 

The last thing I want to mention is that many major sports figures boxers, football players, baseball players, MMA stars have chiropractors ON STAFF.  They see the benefits of chiropractic and that is what gives them the edge.   

I’m giving you some good advice.  Many of you won’t take it.  Living with back pain will take the joy out of life.  Many of you already know this.  I know I am glad to be a black belt.

This is my friend, my chiropractor and one of my students.  http://www.drwoolner.com/

Sign up with your email at www.bjjmoves.com for more helpful BJJ info and videos.  Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keithowen