I was in San Francisco a few weeks back and, on a whim, I decided to walk up the Lyon Street steps. These are a beautiful set of steps at the end of Lyon Street in the Marina that ascend rather steeply while passing beautiful gardens and large expensive houses. They’re actually a favorite exercise spot for many people. As I climbed the steps being passed by spandex clad 20 and 30-somethings running up and down the steps, I noticed an elderly couple making their way gingerly down the steps. They were well dressed and obviously out sightseeing. I was impressed with their fortitude, but I was really struck by the condition of the woman’s spine. She had a classic tortipelvis.
This is a condition, if you can picture it, in which one half of the pelvis twists backward and the other half twists forward. In the woman’s case, this resulted in the left side of her pelvis dropping down and back with the spine above it twisting around to compensate resulting in a high left shoulder. As she walked, I could see the restriction in her pelvis and spine which affected her overall movement. I can only imagine that she must have been in some type of chronic pain and yet she trudged onward.
I was tempted to approach her and recommend chiropractic. I might know someone close to where she lived. But I held back because in situations like this in the past, when I’ve approached perfect strangers, they sometimes tend not to be too receptive. And still, I regret not saying anything. Even if she thought it odd that this tall person she had never met was giving unsolicited advice, it might well have planted a seed that could have resulted in her getting help. She might have asked a friend about chiropractic and gotten a good recommendation. And, of course, I think of so many people like her who don’t know that there is a solution to their chronic pain or limitation of activities. Since most people take the advice of friends and family, rather than strangers, these are the people we can help most. Patients reading this have seen the benefits of chiropractic first-hand so I encourage you to tell those around you about chiropractic.
I’ll always be grateful to the friend of mine who, 20 years ago after I complained about low back pain, said that I should see her chiropractor. That’s a seed that definitely took root for me.