Question
Hi,
I am a 23 year old college graduate with a number of back, hip and shoulder problems stemming from numerous years of wrestling and football.  I recently visited my old chiropractor from my freshman year of high school and found out my spine was extremely out of alignment.  The doctor took several x-rays and found a number of problems with my neck and hips as well.  Apparently, my spine curved to the right and then back to the left.  My pelvis was also higher on the left side by about 9mm.  He has begun resetting my back, neck, and hip.  He also has me wearing a heel lift in my right shoe to shore up my hip misalignment.  I was wondering if this is correct?  I've been an avid weight lifter over the years and stay very active but my lower back pain has got to the point where I can not do much anymore.  I've seen him two times in the past 8 days and my back seems to feel much better besides a little soreness.  I would like to start training for a triathlon in the next couple of months and wanted to know if my chiropractor has me on the right path or if I should consult another doctor.  I'm really concerned about the heel lift in my right shoe.  When I stand, it seems like my right hip sits higher than my left but the x-rays showed the opposite.  I asked him about the heel lift on my second visit and he said it was in the correct shoe and that it will help level out my hip.  Any suggestions on my problems or can you recommend a suitable chiropractor in the Des Moines, IA area.    
Thank you in advance,
Tyler

Answer
Tyler,

I would caution you against the heel lift.  If it is not exactly on target in alleviating joint strain from imbalanced load, you will have worse problems.  Heel lifts have been a problematic method.  They will change the disc pressure and stress on your last vertebrae, for better or worse.  They can change the position of your jaw.  They can cause knee problems.  They should not be a first line of therapy if other methods work.  X-ray of the spine in a 23 y.o. goes against all current treatment guidlines for treating back pain.  There is no validity to the outdated "misalignment" theory: everybody has misalignment, but not everybody has spine pain...    The hands-on joint manipulation does not create alignment.   It changes joint function and movement, it is stimulating and feels good, it reduces pain in many cases.  It does not change alignment of the vertebrae, and the x-ray analysis is fruitless.  If you sit up straight you will change alignment...   Unless you have a significant leg length discrepancy caused by a femur or tibia bone being shorter than another (and not by looking at an x-ray of your pelvis), heel lifts should not be considered.   If you are an athlete, go to www.acbsp.com and search for the DACBSP degree doctors.  There are three, including Larry Kintner, DC, DACBSP, who is an excellent doctor, but I don't know how close he is to Des Moines.  

Good luck,

Dr. G