I won my first competition!
(But then made many mistakes which lead to my injury)
WHY DID I CHOOSE CHIROPRACTIC?
“Of all the professions I could have chosen, why did I choose chiropractic? Was it the easy route to take? Was it a cheap education? Was it for the money? The answer to all of these questions is an emphatic NO! My journey into the chiropractic profession was surely an unconventional one, but I’m happy to say I took the journey and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“After competing in and winning my very first strongman (I guess it would be strongwoman?) competition, I fell in love with the competitive weightlifting scene. Just days after my competition, I began training heavy again (mistake #1: not deloading and taking time off). I struggled with the deadlift portion of my competition and wanted to make sure that I did not get embarrassed at the next one. So naturally, I focused on deadlifting… and deadlifted everyday… until the point of exhaustion (mistake #2 and #3: not allowing my body time to heal, and lifting while exhausted causing bad form). At the time of my injury, I didn’t feel a pop, sharp pain, or “zing.” I just felt a tired, dull, tightness in my low back and left upper glute region (known as the sacroiliac joint), and over the next few days, it really began to bother me. It starting aching this dull pain and then progressed to the fast, shooting type of pain that takes your breath away when you move in a certain direction. Even after stopping all exercise, the pain was still very present and effected every aspect of my life. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t sit and I couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes. I thought time would help me heal, but the pain persisted.
“Having no insurance, I was reluctant to go to the doctor. I also did not want to pursue the route of pain medications, steroids, or injections, as I had seen pain medication addiction first-hand, and had seen a few unsuccessful injections. I certainly didn’t want to go to the chiropractor, as I envisioned an old man burning incense, chanting, and making tinctures (yes, I actually thought of them as witch doctors).
This is the not-so-witch-doctorish
Dr. Steinbar
(see joke in text)
“I met a normal, non-scary looking chiropractor during a local marketing event in Frederick, MD, and decided to talk to him. He convinced me to come into the office, and promised no fees without first talking about them. He assured me that my condition was treatable, and set me up with a very affordable cash plan (which has been the best investment I have ever made thus far). Dr. Brandon Steinbar‘s office was like no other doctor’s office I went to- it was highly technologically advanced and professional, yet it wasn’t “stuffy” and uncomfortable like other doctors offices I’ve been to. He gave away free apples, had an office mascot (Bali the dog), and had the most welcoming, accomodating (and sometimes silly) staff. After two months of chiropractic adjustments, modalities, and progressive rehabilitation exercises, I was pain-free and as good as new. Chiropractic gave me my life back.
“Elated and stunned at the effectiveness of my treatment, I made it my life’s mission to change people’s lives the way my life was changed. I interned at a local Frederick chiropractic office and enrolled in chiropractic school that same year. Once I finished school, I decided to come back to my Ballenger Creek Chiropractic family in Frederick, MD, and have been there ever since.
Since starting my chiropractic journey, I have seen chiropractic help the following: low back, mid back, and neck pain; disc herniations (acute and chronic); plantar fasciitis ; sciatica; butt and groin pain; whiplash and related accident injuries; peripheral joint pain (elbow, knee, wrist, ankle); head aches; fibromyalgia; pregnancy pain; sleep issues; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (aka BPPV); recurrent ear infections in children; colic; and TMJ dysfunction, and am convinced that I will see much more exciting healing in the future!”