chiropractic care shifts since taking testosterone

I’ve been going to a chiropractor about once a month for over 5 years.  I have mild scoliosis; my back goes out of alignment in a way that always throws my hips off.  Plus, working as a janitor requires a lot of repetitive motions – I try to alternate between right and left as much as I can, but I know I’m skewing to the right anyway.  I want to do whatever I can to prevent ever having a back injury.

My doctor noticed the scoliosis when I was 13 and treated it by having me wear a lift in my left shoe.  Is this really a treatment for scoliosis?  I’d been wearing the lift my whole life right up till seeing this chiropractor.  He immediately said I didn’t need it.  He was definitely right.  The appointments always go the same way.  He uses the same motions and tools to put me back into alignment.  It is a very short amount of time.  I can feel the improvements every time I walk out.  Sometimes I’m doubtful about how long the effects last though, when I’m going right back to the same tasks every day…

I had an appointment two weeks after starting testosterone, back in April.  The routine seemed slightly different, and he commented I was looking good.  I wasn’t planning to, but I mentioned the testosterone.  I figured he might have some questions – at least ask me why I was taking it.  I’ve never said anything about how I identify to him; he’s totally cool though.  I imagine he’d totally take it in stride.  He didn’t ask though.  All he said was, “testosterone will do wonders for muscle mass, but we’re looking at your whole system here.  Your spine works in tandem with muscles, joints and ligaments – it’s also connected to every single internal organ.”  I think he went on, but I didn’t really catch it all because it sounded like jargon of the profession to me.  He was just laying the groundwork to let me know it is important I keep coming.

I am really debating though.  I’ve gone 3 more times since then, and I don’t seem to be nearly as far out of alignment as I was before the testosterone.  I can’t know for sure because I can’t quite see what he’s doing and I don’t know enough about it.  But I’ve been feeling like it might not be necessary.  And he’s said more things to the effect of, it’s important to keep fine-tuning your body.  Like one time he told me an extended metaphor about not even Yo Yo Ma being able to play well with a shitty, out-of-tune cello.  Or something.

I never thought testosterone would change anything about my back, but it does make sense.  If I’m developing some muscle strength to balance things out, I might be able to hold the alignment better.  I do think my core muscles have shifted, so that if my back is a lever, it has become a slightly more efficient lever than it was before.  That is so cool!  I’m still going every month in the meantime, but I’m trying to figure out whether I want to continue or not…