Dr. Merkling's office got me in the same day I called. After being treated by him I was out of pain in about 1 1/2 weeks. Than he started treating me for sinus issues and I also have Asthma. I normally had sinus infections about every 6-8 weeks and bad large bags under my eyes. My nose was never clear which caused sore throats because I could not breathe out of my nose. After a few treatments my nose was clear, bags under the eyes cleared up also. My allergist even noticed and asked what I had been doing because in the 3 years she bas been treating me she had never seen me without the bags under my eyes. She than did my routine exam and found my nose clear and my breathing better than it had ever been.I must say I was not sure in the beginning that with Chiropractic procedures I could get rid of these problems but it is working. My allergist has agreed to start cutting down on my medications. What a feeling to be pain free and breathing normally all thanks to Dr. Merkling and his staff.
-J.P.
As a patient, at Doctor Merklings office I feel the need to express the benefits I have experienced with the chiropractic treatments. I'm eighteen years old and have been diagnosed with schuarmanns kyphosis (rounding of the spine) and scoliosis when I was about fourteen.
My curvature was first seen in a school physical by a local doctor. The doctor recommended that I see a specialist for the problem. The specialist mis-diagnosed me with a leg length disparity and recommended a lift for my shoes. So about a week later I started wearing the lift and I began having muscle pain in my mid-back. The pain got to the point that the things I loved to do were left behind (swimming, bike riding and basketball). At one point, I even was experiencing problems with my breathing so my mother and I decided to try something new. We went back to our local physician and he suggested we go see a specialist at Childrens Memorial.
Upon arrival at Childrens Memorial, I received a full exam and was correctly diagnosed with the kyphosis and scoliosis. Within a month the surgeon had me in a back brace and extensive physical therapy. The brace was fitted from the lower back to almost my neck and was to be worn at night. After a couple of months I was finally able to get a full night of sleep and started to see some results. Over time my back started to relax while in the brace and again the pain started up. Slowly, my curvature started to take a turn for the worse for a second time. I was heart broken that I had gone through almost two years with the back brace for results that wouldn't last. At that time my mother and I felt like surgery was going to be my only option. While considering surgery, we kept asking questions, and worked with more extensive therapy and exercises with no change. Then my therapist recommended Doctor Merkling. She said that one of her other patients had been seeing him and she was getting amazing results.
As soon as I got home from therapy my mom was on with Doctor Merklings office scheduling an appointment. Within a couple of days I was in for an exam. Now, at this point I wasn't ready to trust any doctor again. I walked back with the doctor now almost seventeen, thinking this won't work, what a waste of time. Well, he proved me wrong. The first thing I really noticed is that he took the time to listen, he wanted to know everything. I had a full exam and came back for the report a couple days later.
Doctor Merkling reported that my kyphosis measured about 61 degrees and that we needed to start working on it together right away. He started me up with warm ups in and out of the office, a head weight to help re-train my spine, and the posture-med for balance and stability. After only a couple of weeks of coming three times a week my pain began to decrease. I was more willing to go back to my every day activities and I was all together a better person. After about a month I started to see a difference in my appearance. My back looked better and continued to feel better. Doctor Merkling did a re-exam not to long after that, and the x-rays showed the curvature had improved with the office adjustments and the exercises both in and out of the office. I went from a 61 degree curvature to a 38 degree curvature in a matter of about 6-8 months.
I'm now able to do all activities with little or no pain. Once in a while I have some trouble but usually that's when I'm slacking on my exercises and stretches!!! I can now say I feel healthy (both mentally and physically) thanks to Doctor Merkling and his team. I have to admit that it did take time and work but in the end it was all worth it. I continue routine checkups even if I don't have pain to maintain what we have worked so hard at.
-S.S.