Chiropractor

Well, it doesn't look like I'll be seeing a chiropractor regularly anytime soon.

As great as I felt after seeing one this week, I just can't swing the $50 per appointment fee it's going to cost me to get my spine in order. When I had good insurance, I only had a $10 co-pay for each visit. I did not anticipate my out of pocket costs would be so high paying on my own.

I'll back up a bit. After I posted my intentions on Monday, I found a Groupon deal for a new chiropractor in my city that included an initial consultation, x-rays, and a second appointment with an adjustment. I purchased the deal, called the chiro's office, and they were able to get me in right away. I spent about an hour discussing my goals and literal pain points with the doctor. He took the x-rays and then performed a series of tests I didn't remember going through at my last chiropractor.

The first test involved rolling what felt like a back massager down my spine to perform a thermal scan, as high temperatures show where stress is building up in the body. Then, he used an electromyography device along different areas of my spine to measure how much energy my body is using to retain my posture. Finally, I was asked to place my hand on a device that measured my heart rate variability.

When the appointment was complete, the doctor scheduled me for a follow-up visit on Tuesday, and shared he would be emailing me the results of the tests to be discussed during the second visit. He shared that I shouldn't be alarmed at the overall "score" I was given on the test, and that we'd discuss appropriate treatment after he had a day to digest the results.

I shouldn't be alarmed? Just how badly did I do on the test? When I got home, the answer was already waiting in my Gmail inbox:

My overall score was a "55." That's a pretty solid "F." Apparently, I'm "Very Challenged."

Now, I know I'm in poor shape, but come on. I asked Google to see if anybody else had posted anything about "CoreScore." My initial thoughts were that these tests are designed to ensure that everybody "fails," putting the consumer in such a dire state of mind that they'll pay anything to get healthy again. But the few blog posts I found about it demonstrated that people do get results in the "Very Good" section, so my theory was voided.

So I went back to see Dr. Chiro on Tuesday, and we discussed his overall plan of care. The biggest surprise of the day?

My "rotated hips" are fine. The issue that drove me to go see a chiropractor in the first place doesn't even exist anymore, according to the x-rays. Hmm.

Still, he put me through a few adjustments, as well as some stretches and a little bit of traction to help my neck. He commented that my flexibility was pretty good, which was surprising to me because I've always felt a bit tight, but I'll take some positive news where I can get it. And I have to say, I felt so much better afterward. I still feel great two days later. Better than a massage, and I only needed to spend about 15 minutes on the chiro table.

So maybe there's a chiropractor out there who can help this "Very Challenged" individual for a lot less than $50 per appointment. Anybody in the Tampa Bay area have a recommendation?