Dear Esther,
I atteneded your workshop in Atlanta a year ago and it's been very helpful for improving my posture. I went to a chiropractor this week and they did a X-ray of my spine. The results showed that my cervical spine is straight, even slightly curved in the wrong direction. The chiropractor sugguested that I should try to ''restore the curvature'' through use of a cervical pillow and traction, ect. I remember seeing the pictures in your book and people all have very straight neck. I was wondering if we X-ray them, will their cervical spine be straight like mine or do they actually have a ''healthy curve'' the chiropractor was talking about. Is it nessaray to get a curve for my neck?
Thanks.
Leylop
16 hours 39 min ago
09/10/2008 - 8:36pm
Hi Leylop,
I remember you well! It's true that even if the surface contour of the neck looks straight up and down, that doesn't mean the bodies of the vertebrae are stacked in a line (since the posterior processes of the vertebrae have different lengths). However, based on my experience, some chiropractors are very insistent that the surface contour be curved - hence the recommendation for a cervical pillow. And sometimes some pretty violent adjustments to "get the normal curve back" - I strongly recommend against this. Show your chiropractor the pictures in the book and ask them how come these people don't have curves in their necks. And then please let us know what the answer is.
7 months 3 weeks ago
05/28/2010 - 3:03pm
I was wondering about this also--I followed chiropractors advice for years and no improvement (in fact worse because my neck became unstable). I read Esthers book and then took the workshop--straightening my neck as is taught has done more to improve my neck pain than anything else! Massage and acupressure help also but could not correct the problem as long as I had poor posture and used cervical pillows. I am now trying to convince a friend to take a workshop or at least get the book ( I guess I will have to buy her one for a present!). Her chiro is scaring her with the x rays ! I have showed her the pictures in the book and asked do you want a pain free neck or one with the curve the chiro thinks you should have!?
5 years 3 months ago
02/11/2017 - 7:35pm
Hi Deb,
Thank you for sharing your experience with improving your neck using the Gokhale Method. In Lesson 2 of the Foundations Course we teach how get to the root of neck problems by untucking the pelvis. Nice work giving your friend a nudge. I hope she listens.
Best,
Laura