Cianci Chiropractic Center Success Stories

From the very beginning, there is a special bond between a daughter and her father and mother. And while that connection is strongest in those first fragile years, the urge to keep their child under their wings is a lifelong desire for caring parents.

After more than 40 years Barbara Christopher still feels the benefits of that protective wing extending from her father, Harold Hutchinson. It was due to his guidance, even insistence, that led his daughter to seek relief at Cianci Chiropractic Center with Dr. Chris Cianci.

The journey began nearly 20 years ago when Barbara was working as a cook. The condition deteriorated, leading to surgery in 2008.

“My disc bulged so they went in and took some of it out,’’ Barbara said during a recent visit to Dr. Cianci. “I didn’t have any pain after that, but then the disc above and below started collapsing and shrinking. It’s just one of those things.”

“I was simply losing my mobility. It was just really hard for me to get up, walk, move, I couldn’t bend over, I was really down to minimal function. The surgeons said there wasn’t anything else they could do for me.’’

That’s the point where Harold’s “Daddy gene” kicked in with the desire to protect his daughter. And Harold had an ace up his sleeve — Dr. Cianci. Three years ago he played that high card.

“My Dad was coming to Dr. Cianci,’’ said Barbara, “and he said ‘you have to come here, we’ve got to try to get you better, and if it doesn’t work, what have we lost? Nothing.”

“Barbara’s history,’’ said Dr. Cianci, “was that she had severely injured her back 10 years before seeing us. She had received three cortisone shots. She was becoming more and more immobile and had trouble lifting, standing, or walking without pain. And she had sciatica with pain and numbness in her legs.’’

It wasn’t a one-time, magic touch fix for Barbara, despite the wishes of everyone involved. But a father’s advice is something to be listened to… and Dr. Cianci’s too.

“I really noticed the difference after about six months, to where things were working,’’ Barbara explained. “I’d get adjusted and then get on the machine. It will sort of stretch you and put you back in place.”

“When we came here, I was a little skeptical myself. I was like ‘what is this machine really going to do?’ But it worked, I have more mobility. I’m still not bending over the best, but I’m doing pretty good now.’’

Having the Decompression Table was the perfect fit for Barbara’s treatment. And Dr. Cianci put it right to work. The machine looks like a padded table that has been divided into sections, with props and computer screens and science-fiction looking elements.

“It doesn’t hurt or anything like that,’’ explained Barbara. “You just get on it, they strap you down and the table will move. It’s not like it’s hurting you, you don’t even realize it’s moving. The longer you are on it, the more it spreads apart. It feels like it lubricates your back.”

“The ‘machine’ to which Barbara refers is a Spinal Decompression Table,’’ explains Dr. Cianci. It is a computer-controlled table with movable sections. The patient is secured to the table with a specialized harness — the upper and lower sections then move in opposite directions as directed by the computer. This provides very gentle yet effective traction on the discs and spinal joints. Over time, this helps decrease swelling of herniated discs, removing pressure on the surrounding nerves. “In more than 20 years in practice, I haven’t seen a more effective way to rehabilitate discs and help spinal arthritis. This machine can be adjusted to really isolate the affected spinal levels. Its results have surprised
and impressed me.’’

“Barbara had already undergone surgery and the decompression table helped her greatly. In her case, she really had run out of options. Many of my patients haven’t yet opted for surgery. More and more patients who come here want, if possible, to avoid surgery. Often, like Barbara, the discs above and below the surgically repaired area fail over time, and this is often referred to as ‘Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.”

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high. They said after the surgery you’d be back to normal, and for while I was. But I’m glad my Dad knew Dr. Cianci and he asked me to come.’’ And that protective wing has also extended to Emily Christopher, this time coming from Barbara, a parent for the last 11 years.

“My daughter comes and gets adjusted, we all come to Dr. Cianci,’’ added Barbara. “She’s been hurting. I don’t know what the problem is, we may have bad backs or bad bones. She was just complaining that her back hurt and we found out it was a bit crooked. Dr. Cianci has a great rapport with her, they trade jabs back and forth.’’

The three generations of Christophers are all benefitting from visiting Cianci Chiropractic, seeing an increase in their quality of life… none more than Barbara.

“We had tried some other places, but they said they wouldn’t touch me because I was under a ‘doctor’s care’ from the surgery,’’ Barbara surmised. “I tell everybody that needs a chiropractor that they have to go see Dr. Cianci. He is so good. He just puts you at ease and it’s almost like he can sense your apprehension and he knows just how to push you, which is good too.’’

“For most people, family is more important than anything else. It’s rewarding, seeing the children and grandchildren of so many of our patients. We’ve truly become a family-based practice,’’ said Dr. Cianci with a smile.

Cianci Chiropractic, located at 8737 Brooks Drive in the Easton Industrial Park can help keep you on a healthy path.
Contact Cianci Chiropractic at 410-820-4070. You can also find Cianci Chiropractic online at www.drcianci.com.