Her Pain in the Neck was more than a Pain in the Neck

By Dr. Beth Blakely

A few months ago, an attractive young lady gingerly walked into our office and it became obvious that something was terribly wrong. Her neck and head were twisted at an L-shaped angle and the look of anguish on her face said more than words could express. While it was painful just to look at her, I knew I could make a difference.

During our initial exam, she told me she was injured while lifting a heavy object. She heard a loud pop in her neck and knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. She started having severe symptoms shortly thereafter, which included migraine headaches and agonizing neck pain. She said she had initially chosen the conventional medical route and they eventually did an MRI, which revealed two bulging discs.

For several weeks, she had merely managed the unrelenting pain with large quantities of ibuprofen and Vicodin. Her doctor also suggested cortisone pain injections, but at that point, she was tired of just managing the pain and wanted to get to the root cause of the issue. That’s when she decided to give chiropractic a try.

After a thorough initial examination, I took x-rays of her head and neck, which didn’t reveal any other damage. From there, I started working on her regularly and she started seeing the benefits in about a month. In addition to regular adjustments, I offered her some botanically based anti-inflammatory supplements that really helped.

Now, nearly four months later, I continue to give her regular maintenance adjustments and she has seen a dramatic improvement. She’s living life to the fullest and is free from the chronic pain that had tormented her for way too long. Best of all, she was able to get to the source of the problem while avoiding those painful and dangerous injections!

The Holistic Chiropractor

By Dr. Beth Blakely

My patients often ask me why I became a chiropractor. I’ve had a lifelong interest in taking care of the body naturally. As a kid, my grandmother and father both enjoyed great success with regular visits to a chiropractor in the small town where I grew up. My dad was injured in several auto accidents and his chiropractor was the only person who really helped him. The difference it made in my father was huge. He had vision problems and all kinds of issues that were corrected with an upper cervical chiropractic technique, which is one of the techniques that I do. That’s what really pushed me into chiropractic. Here are a few other frequently asked questions.

Q: How did your interests evolve from chiropractic to also include holistic care?

A: What I’ve seen over the years is an obvious change in our environment. We’re exposed to a lot of toxic chemicals that are really affecting our immune systems and our digestive systems. I realized that for some patients, treating the spine was all they needed but there were always those few people that just didn’t seem to get well. Those were the ones that bothered me and I just felt like I had to figure out why.

Q: Can a toxic environment deplete or destroy a person’s health?

A: Absolutely! We know now that so many health issues are caused by depleted immune systems. Another area of the body I pay close attention to is the digestive system and how it affects our immune system. I saw a huge void in treatment protocol with other doctors. I’ve made that my focus so that I can tailor treatment protocols to patients and their needs.

Q: What happens during the first visit?

A: The initial visit takes about 45 minutes to an hour. I like to sit down and talk to the patient, get to know them and have a thorough understanding of everything that’s going on in their life. I have a thorough questionnaire and I request records from other facilities because most patients have been everywhere else. Unfortunately, I’m the end of the line for some people.

Q: How is your approach different from conventional medicine?

A: Conventional medicine wants to give you pills and perform surgery. I don’t want you to have to do that. I want you to get well and let your body heal on its own. I always do a thorough consultation, examination and x-rays if they’re indicated, along with the health appraisal questionnaire.

Q: What are the main things you look for when you do a holistic evaluation on a new patient?

A: There are four things I look for: 1. Undetected Nerve Damage. 2. Nutritional Deficiencies. 3. Hormonal Imbalances. 4. Toxicity. I’ve treated many people that have undetected nerve damage after they have been injured in automobile accidents. They think they’re okay, but they can suffer years down the road from the degenerative process that started with the accident.

Q: Do you offer specific help for people that are involved in auto accidents and personal injury?

A: Yes. I treat a lot of personal injury cases with great success.

Editor’s notes: Dr. Beth Blakely is a chiropractor that specializes in holistic health care practices. She can be reached at (916) 944-1444.