My Mabuhay Chiropractic Center Experience

Witty, huh? Chiropractic is more than just cracking backs. According to Mr. Wikipedia, "it is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of muscoskeletal system, especially the spine." This field believes that these disorders affect the overall health of a person.

I was invited by Awesome.ph to visit Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinic to meet Dr. Michel "Mike" Tetrault, DC and know more about this practice.

I have recurring back pain, especially in my left shoulder blades, for more than year now. The pain comes and goes but it becomes worse when I'm very stressed. Because of the recurring pain, I resorted to getting a spa massage every other week.

Recently, though, I observed that a massage only minimizes the pain and not eliminates it totally. Because of the increasing frequency of recurrence, I was seriously contemplating seeing an acupuncturist to eliminate the pain. So the invitation of Awesome.ph was definitely a welcome for me.

Last Monday, I paid Dr. Mike a visit in his clinic at 2F Room 25, San Antonio Plaza Arcade, Forbes Park, Makati City. I was greeted by his gracious and pretty receptionist. She asked me to fill up a form, which basically asks for my contact details. The bottom half of the paper is for the doctor's notes, much like his assessment for my condition.

Dr. Mike Tetrault, DC has more than 30 years of chiropractic practice. He is author of several professional articles and publisher of the book "Chiropractic Headaches." He is also director of the Diplomatic Corps and coordinates professional and humanitarian outreaches. He also represents the chiropractic profession at the World Health Organization and other international activities.

When you talk to Dr. Mike, you can see how passionate he is with his profession. We talked for close to two hours as he shared with me what the field of chiropractic is about and how he is pushing for the development of the practice here in the Philippines, including the dream of having a school that offers the study of chiropractic.

Unlike the practice of medicine, chiropractic deals with the holistic health and well-being of a person. A medical doctor will prescribe medicines to ease your pain but it doesn't necessarily address the root cause of that pain.

Chiropractic is about restoration and preservation of health. It is healing without the use of drugs. It can help you deal with different kinds of pain like neck, mid-back, lower back, hip, ankle pains, etc. The practice also deals with headaches, migraines, sports injuries, hand numbness, etc.

People also seek the services of a chiropractor for alternative care of sinus headaches, stomach troubles, energy loss, scoliosis, allergies, asthma, stress, and obesity. In short, chiropractic can help you address your health concerns.

After briefing me on the practice, Dr. Mike asked me some questions related to my back pain problem. I shared my observations like how my shoulder blade hurts when I'm stressed and that I've always had bad posture.

Then, Dr. Mike led me to another room for the complete evaluation. First, he asked me to stand with my feet together, my eyes closed, and my arms spread like a T. For a minute, he looked at how I stood and observed that I have a tendence to sway to my left.

I was then ask to sit on the chiropractic adjustment table and touched some specific points in my neck and back. He noted that there were some sections that felt tensed. I did some stretching exercises, too, and Dr. Mike that I have problems with flexibility. Yeah, I feel stiff in many parts of my body.

I then laid down on my stomach as Dr. Mike checked my feet. He said one foot seems a little shorter than the other. This is the second time that I've heard of it. The therapist I used to see many years ago said the very same thing.

After some more pinch here and there, Dr. Mike has identified that I have tense points in my neck, pelvic bone, and left shoulder. I knew what he was pointing out because I could feel those pains, too. In fact, even when he put a slight pressure on those points, I could feel the pain.

Normally, Dr. Mike would request for a full x-ray to confirm whether there are other misalignments in the spine. In my case, though, Dr. Mike didn't find it necessary to do so. To relieve the tense points, he applied some chiropractic techniques. I don't know how to describe this to you but the best I can say is that "lumagatok ang mga buto ko."

Have you ever tried popping your knuckles? It's a lot like that but applied to my neck and pelvic bone. The idea may seem daunting but the process was ABSOLUTELY PAINLESS and I felt great afterwards. Dr. Mike asked me to do the stretching exercises again and I could tell that these problem areas improved significantly.

Dr. Mike said that his clients usually come to his office for an "adjustment" especially when they feel that energy is low or that they are not their usual self. For maintenance, he recommends a monthly visit. Each session is PhP3,000.

You may think that this is quite a steep price to pay but like I always say to my friends, it's better to invest in prevention because hospitalization would cost so much more.

The good news is that I heard Awesome.ph will be coming out with a deal with significant discount for Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinics. Once it's up, I intend to buy several vouchers because I am going back for maintenance adjustments.

As for my back pains, I'm feeling so much better after that one chiropractic session. It's been two days since I visited Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinics and I'm doing well, so far. I'm also considering bringing the Dark Lord here because he's been complaining of hip problems.

I left the clinic more informed about the practice of chiropractic and what it can do for people. I do hope that more people take the time to invest in their health to prevent illnesses and I'm glad that Dr. Mike and his clinics are doing their fair share of promoting great health.

For more details about Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinics, you can visit their two offices:

San Antonio Plaza Arcade

2F Room 25, Forbes Park, Makati City

(632) 381-4545

(632) 812-6903

SM City Bacoor

Wellpoint Medical Clinic

Bacoor, Cavite

(046) 686-1430

(046) 970-1850

I would also like to thank Riza and Jeff from Awesome.ph. This was a totally great experience and you just made a convert out of me.