Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, The Liberal, Copyright January 25, 1989


Dear Readers:

In response to my Dec. 14 column, I received this letter in the mail.

Dear Dr. Horowitz:

“Exercise and diet made a new man out of Santa, he had 12 kids, just ask Mrs. Claus.’’ That’s why Mrs. Claus sees a chiropractor at least 12 times a year for the next 12 years. Oh, and doctor, Santa didn’t have the kids, Mrs. Claus did.

Signed: “A Mother.”

In response to my column a few weeks ago which discussed lingering lower back and leg pain after a woman in labor received an epidural injection, I received many phone calls and letters. I also had many comments from patients who never previously mentioned the fact that they thought their back pain began after they received an epidural injection.

They never told me because they thought I would “think they were crazy”.

I was also told of one call which was received at The Liberal offices from a woman who identified herself as a registered nurse. She said I was trying to scare people away from having these injections and “what did I know about them anyway, as I was just a chiropractor.” When Liberal news editor Kevin Sheehy asked her to write a letter so that I might respond to her concerns she indicated to him that she had no intention of doing so as she “didn’t have time for that.”

My first task is to reassure women that if they or their doctor wishes them to have an epidural injection to alleviate some of the pain associated with childbirth, then I suggest they have the injection. When one stops to consider how many babies are born each day, and that a great many of these women have the injection, and that the side effects we are discussing are relatively minor, it makes sense to listen to your doctor’s recommendations.

If, on the other hand, you think you can withstand pain, and your doctor sees no reason why you require the injection, then don’t have it just for the sake of having it. In no way did I mean to suggest to readers that they should stay away from these injections, and in fact I never even came close to implying this.

I simply asked women to write to me in care of The Liberal to tell me about their experiences with epidural injections, and the after effects, if in fact they experienced any.

I will print a few of the letters I received in next week’s column, and if I receive any other interesting comments I will be glad to respond to these also. I also ask the registered nurse who called The Liberal offices to take some time out of her busy schedule and write a letter. I appreciate her interest in the column, and I appreciate that she feels some people might misunderstand the information I presented.

If she is still concerned, I ask her to write to me so that I can address her concerns in a future column.

Allan Horowitz, D.C., is a chiropractor and writes this public service column. He will attempt to answer readers’ questions on a variety of topics including back pain, headaches, nutrition, sport injuries and preventive medicine.

Address your questions to Allan Horowitz, care of The Liberal, Box 390, Richmond Hill, L4C 4Y6.