Chiropractors...Your Experience-Good or Bad?

FP4HSharon

Know some people go to chiropractors on a regular basis, & some just for a particular need/injury then stop. Some people feel they're very helpful, others feel it's a rip off. Although I haven't heard of anyone injured by chiropractic treatment, I was wondering if it happens? I used to work for a neurosurgeon who dealt w/back injuries, & some manipulations just look like they're an injury waiting to happen. BTW, my neurosurgeon was the only one in town that would accept referrals FROM chiros.

My Limited Experience...went once for a nasty sinus infection (finally took heavy duty antibiotics to get rid of it, almost hospitalized). He took x-rays, said it was back issues, did one manipulation session. One thing that made me very nervous was when he "cracked" my back one way & tried to do it the other, I told him that my back didn't usually crack in that direction. It made me nervous how much he was trying to "force" it, until he finally gave up. I didn't notice any improvement, but it was only one session.

So...for those who have gone to them...good results, bad results/injuries, no results/rip off?

Bekahmardis

I have that same issue with the "cracking" of the back. My chiropractor uses a tool called an Activator. It is WONDERFUL and can really focus in on the trouble issue. I have had serious back issues for a number of years and go to my chiropractor at least once, sometimes twice a month, to prevent surgery. It works great. But I HAVE to have him use the Activator tool or else my muscles clench up and it won't work no matter how many times I go.

peleroja

Go to a physical therapist, not a chiropractor. I know chiropractors are accepted as pretty mainstream these days, but they are actually alternative medicine and the science they rely on is shaky at best and really just hocus-pocus at worst. Do some research and you'll see what I'm talking about. There is no medical reason for them. Some are better than others, true, and have a clue and aren't harmful, but I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases, relief is completely psychosomatic. Chiropractic medicine is pseudoscientific nonsense.

tavenne323

I've never gone, but I have heard great things. Like all medical professionals, make sure you find the one that will work with you and listen to you. I work in orthopedics and often refer people with lingering foot injuries to a chiro. I'm not sure I believe that they can cure problems related to organs. But, I think there is some science behind sinus problems. One bone shifted in the wrong direction, even just a hair could cause problems. I do think that more than one session is needed because our bodies tend to adapt to the way we put them. Leave a bone in a wrong spot and the tissue around it will strengthen in that way. But I also think a good chiro will give you a home exercise program to supplement the treatment.

Astacia74

I LOVE my chiropractor! For years, I suffered horrible back aches and headaches. Did massage therapy once a month for a while, which helped; then it had to be twice a month, so on and so forth. Got a referral for a free X-ray and consult with a chiropractor from a friend and decided what the heck, the only other option was a regular doc that would just give me drugs. Found out I have scoliocis and my neck curves in the wrong direction. After a couple months of regular (3xweek) manipulations, the pain was completely gone. I go in every couple of months now just for maintenance and have been pain free for almost 5 years. :happy:

Susan_fessler

I have had back issues for over 20 years, I have scoliosis and degenerative disks. I have went to a chiropractor many times but really when my back is super bad and I have trouble walking. I think they are a quick fix but a fix. I do not let them "crack" my neck no matter what. I will also say I for the past 3 years while I was playing roller derby it was free or I most likely would not have went. I also think they can only fix back problems and the claims that they can fix kidney, sinus, and other problems is a bunch of humbug. I more went for the E stim treatment but i have my own machine now.

I will also say that I had a very bad experience with experience with a specific chiropractor. I had not been in while and went in and he wanted to do X Ray which he did and then said my lower back was very bad and I was lucky I came in when I did because my disks were about to fuse and that would mean constant pain and nothing could be done one that happened. I did some research and there was a surgical fix but I wanted to do it sooner. I went to my physician to talk to him about it and he did some better X-rays and said that my degenerative disks were not that bad and was nowhere close to fusing. My chiropractor wanted to scare me since I did not go in for regular appoints and just went when I had trouble. That experience brought a lot of things people say about them to heart and I don't trust most of them as much anymore.

FP4HSharon

I AM a big believer in GOOD physical therapists & have a great one, who I had amazing results w/for a knee surgery & neck issues. I might have given the chiro more of a chance, but the final (4th) antibiotic they put me on had the side effect of causing tendonitis & sometimes tendon rupture. So I was advised not to excercise at all for the month I was on it, plus 9 months. I did have severe tendonitis w/it, & wanted to avoid tendon rupture. I felt the chiro stretching could lead to tendon injury because of the med.

Phrick

My chiropractor is a gift from the heavens to me, I swear. She managed to keep me out of surgery over a back injury three years ago that is now completely healed and she fixes me right up whenever I have a migraine. I love her to pieces and don't have anything bad to say about chiropractic in the least.

Catjag

I love my chiropractor. I have used them since I was a child (my grandfather and great grandfather were both chiropractors). Mine has helped me through various injuries over the years as a pro athlete, two car accidents and one separate incident that left me in a wheelchair for a bit. All without surgery or drugs.

susanmc31

I love my chiropractor as well. I had been going to a massage therapist for years for my back pain and constant headaches. When that didn't help my headaches I was referred to a chiropractor. I've been going to him for a year and a half and my headaches have completely stopped and I am not in any pain. I do use massage still once a month and I find my quality of life is so much better now. Now I do strength training and I feel fantastic. The 'cracking' part at first was a little weird but you get used to it. He cracks my neck when i'm lying down instead of sitting up and I feel really comfortable with that.

tigerlily8045

I had one that had me coming in 2 times a week for months that did nothing for me. I switched and now I only have to go to her when I have an issue. I go a couple of times then I am good for months. I have issues with my hip/pelvic bone that are reoccurring. I think that you have to find one that works for you. Just like any other doctor.

Bantams29

My chiropractor is great. My wife has had a very positive experience as well for controlling headache, back and sinus issues. The fact of the matter is that medical doctors have not been able to do anything to control her issues beyond testing and pumping her full of drugs. Call it psuedo medicine if you want, but they fill a gap. For my part I have moderate lower back disc issues and some pain in the back of my shoulder that is secondary to a rotor cuff repair and the only thing my orthopedist has done for any of this is prescribe pain meds (no thanks), muscle relaxers (which, in my case, are only effective for really acute back spasms) and physical therapy (which is great, but only takes me part of the way). But if you are not comfortable with a chiropractor that is fine too ... because no one should follow through with a treatment that they are not comfortable with.

Tubbytucka

I had a trapped nerve a couple of years ago that meant I couldn't lift my left arm. (a bit scary) I went to a chiro and after a few weeks i was able to lift the arm a bit further every week. I could lift it to horizontal one day, then a few hours after treatment, I could lift it to vertical which was a real surprise.

I kept going for a while but eventually stopped, but now I am much more careful with sitting and posture. I think they are a good option for some things, but I am not convinced they can cure all illnesses as some chiros claim. So, yes, good experieance for me.

dbmata

Chiros and ducks make the same sound.

Quack.

OwenEvan

I thought Chiropractors were snake oil salesman for the longest time until last year. I was training for a triathlon and had a pain in my lower back that made it nearly impossible to drive a car much less swim, bike, or run. My wife urged me to see her Chiro but I stayed stubborn in my dislike of what I though was smoke in mirrors. Finally the pain was preventing me from sleeping and I went. Within weeks I was 100% pain free and with routine visits (every 2 months) I have not had any issues with my back since. I now drink the Chiropractor Kool Aid.

soldier4242

Go to a physical therapist, not a chiropractor. I know chiropractors are accepted as pretty mainstream these days, but they are actually alternative medicine and the science they rely on is shaky at best and really just hocus-pocus at worst. Do some research and you'll see what I'm talking about. There is no medical reason for them. Some are better than others, true, and have a clue and aren't harmful, but I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases, relief is completely psychosomatic. Chiropractic medicine is pseudoscientific nonsense.

I have to disagree. I was once knocked out of place in high school while wrestling and I was put back in place by a chiropractor in one visit.

Years later I was in a car accident and all the army doctor did was toss on a neck brace. He even wanted me to keep doing PT. I went to a chiropractor and he took X-rays and showed that not only did I have whiplash I have a ton of off set vertebrae. He told me that I should not be doing PT. I knew that of course because I was in agony. It took about 2 months of visits but my X-rays after the fact were perfect and most importantly the pain was gone.

Years later I went snow snowmobiling and fell a very long distance. Fortunately it was snowmobiling and not four wheeling because when you fall that far and land in snow it doesn't kill you. I went to a chiropractor and again I was fixed in one visit.

I don't know how chiropractors got such a bad reputation but all of my experiences have been positive and supported by imperial evidence.

cwolfman13

There are good ones and bad ones just like anything. I have a pretty good one...I don't see him often, but he's been a life saver. I used to think they were just full of ****. I changed my tune when I had a slipped disk in my back that was pinching the nerve going down my arm. My arm was completely numb from the elbow down...I did a couple months of physical therapy and nothing...decided to try my dad's chiropractor and he had my disc un-slipped in about 2 sessions.

Some of them really do suck though and it can be difficult to find a good one.

peleroja

Go to a physical therapist, not a chiropractor. I know chiropractors are accepted as pretty mainstream these days, but they are actually alternative medicine and the science they rely on is shaky at best and really just hocus-pocus at worst. Do some research and you'll see what I'm talking about. There is no medical reason for them. Some are better than others, true, and have a clue and aren't harmful, but I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases, relief is completely psychosomatic. Chiropractic medicine is pseudoscientific nonsense.

I have to disagree. I was once knocked out of place in high school while wrestling and I was put back in place by a chiropractor in one visit.

Years later I was in a car accident and all the army doctor did was toss on a neck brace. He even wanted me to keep doing PT. I went to a chiropractor and he took X-rays and showed that not only did I have whiplash I have a ton of off set vertebrae. He told me that I should not be doing PT. I knew that of course because I was in agony. It took about 2 months of visits but my X-rays after the fact were perfect and most importantly the pain was gone.

Years later I went snow snowmobiling and fell a very long distance. Fortunately it was snowmobiling and not four wheeling because when you fall that far and land in snow it doesn't kill you. I went to a chiropractor and again I was fixed in one visit.

I don't know how chiropractors got such a bad reputation but all of my experiences have been positive and supported by imperial evidence.

I think you mean "empirical" evidence, as in evidence supported by observation, rather than "imperial" evidence, as in evidence from an empire?

As for the rest of it, I did say that some are better than others, and some chiropractors do use mainstream physical therapy techniques as well as their "innate intelligence" and "vertebral subluxation" quackery. That doesn't change the fact that none of that garbage is medically supported. It is just not real science, period. Anyone thinking of trying it should do some serious research, which should lead to choosing another therapy with some basis that's not magical in origin.

ETA: I live in a province with the global high of people who use chiropractic care. It's super common where I live, obviously, and that's why I've done a lot of reading on it and am subsequently so against it, just in case anyone was wondering. I don't have a grudge or anything, just curiosity and a suspicious mind.

welly5

I've had a troublesome back for most of my adult life and it would often go out. I also went to physio because I felt that chiro wasn't as regulated and full of quacks.

After a huge huge back blow-out/injury I was doing physio constantly but was really scared a lot of the time that my back was going to suddenly go out again. About a year after that, my friend convinced me to see her chiropractor and he sent me for x-ray and they discovered some scoliosis around my hips that had been causing the pain. No physio had ever bothered to do that!

I never get my neck cracked, and its just my lower back that gets adjusted. I use it in conjunction with strengthening/physio excersize and stretching and my back is finally finally normal. It wasn't a quick fix but for my back it was really necessary because it was the actually bones and pelvis out of place.

I believe you still need physio to build up the right muscles to keep the bones in place once they've been adjusted.. otherwise your weak and tight muscles work against you and pull you right back into a position that needs to be adjusted.

Alwayssohungry

LOVE my chiropractor. You do have to find the right one, just like any Dr. The first one I went to wanted to get me on a wellness plan and buy all these vitamins from her and that was not what I was looking for. But she did help my husband who was in agony for three years with back pain that all sorts of Dr's even a nuerosurgeon could not cure. They all told him to find a new line of work (he's a landscaper and loves it) and prescribed mucho mucho pain pills.

We found another chiropractor and we love him. He doesn't push the stuff he sells, but if you ask he will tell you all about them.

All the physical therapy in the world won't help if your back is out of alignment, in fact it will work muscles incorrectly to compensate.

bookworm_847

I went for several weeks to one chiropractor, and my experience was both good and bad.

I have bad hips and went for a while. I'm not sure if I had a bad chiropractor, if it's just my reaction, or if this is what generally happens, but I used to get the most wicked headaches after I went to see him. It helped my hips and back not hurt so badly, but I had to stop going due to the headaches.

yvonnecjones

BAD!!! I went to one for months to supposedly help my bad back. Not once did he suggest going to the doctors, until the pain got so bad I could not walk and was bent over double in pain. A visit to the doctor promptly referred mw to a specialist, MRI scan and diagnosis of a slipped disc, something the chiropractor was adamant I did not have - for 6 months whilst enjoying taking payment from me!

misskerouac

I got to a point once where my hip was out so bad I couldn't even breathe without being in pain.

4 trips to the Chiropractor and I was back to normal. He showed me a few stretches I could do to keep it where it should be and I've never had to go back.

dewsmom78

Great! I have a great lady that my whole family ooes to. We travel 3 hours to see her for maintenance basically once a month or every other month. She is the best. She does all her adjustments by feel. She takes her time to figure out where you need an adjustment, and she even does your wrists and elbows.

She's not one of those chiro's that makes you take a million xrays, ask you a 100 page questionaire, and then insists you come back 3 times a week for 8 months. No time for those people.

kittyhasclaws

I personally won't have any work done because of my family's experiences. My mom was injured many, many years ago in a nasty car accident (Mustang vs Logging Truck, you can guess who won), and she was told to have regular appointments. At the beginning, she felt better, but as time progressed, the chiro appointments actually started making it worse. My husband has had a similar experience. He was injured in Iraq had had a lot of damage done to his peripheral nervous system. It makes his back spasm, so he was given the opportunity to get chiro work done. He'd feel great for a while, but it got to the point that within a few hours of his appointments, his back would be seizing up even worse.

HOWEVER!!! I recommend massage therapy. It's a much more natural way of loosening the muscles to help realign everything, and the process more than likely won't make you feel like "HOLY CRAP THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO MOVE LIKE THAT!!!" Depending on where you live, you can get a good massage for about $60 an hour. Make sure they are an actual massage therapist as opposed to a masseuse or masseur.

gdrmuzak

Are they for everybody? Can't say...but for me? ABSOLUTELY!!! I have had several major issues as teen and adult where chiropractic care resolved my issues and I could walk out of the office straight AND taller and within 3-6 weeks I was fine.

There was only one time when they could not help and it was because of the back injury I had and complicated by the weight I was carrying.

sijomial

Had one course of treatment with a Chiropractor and it was good to a degree, very good assessment techniques (including X-ray), good/effective treatment for my neck and lumbar spine. However, they were unable to mobilise the seized joints in my T-spine.
I found the short but frequently repeated appointments caused a fair amount of soreness.

Ultimately I find that the longer treatment sessions by an Osteopath far more effective. I've been fortunate to find a brilliant Osteopath who has made an incredible difference to my back health.

auria17

Hi,

My Chiro is an awesome guy he has been in the biz for over 40+ years. He also uses the machine and feels that it is much better for his physical health(it hurts their bodies after awhile too) and is much more accurate then manual manipulation. I was in a car accident years ago and started to feel tingling in my right hand and didn't know why, when he took an X-ray he found that I was 18 degrees to one side and my spine was starting to pinch my nerves. Within a few visits that had stopped completely, I still have to go once a month and I am mostly a little out in my neck every time. But I am very thankful that he was able to get my spine back into alighnment before it had gone too far to bring back to full health.

If you go to one practitioner and things don't feel right, keep looking till you find the right fit. There are many different types of thought processes in Chiro do some research and ask questions of yours during your assessment. Try not to judge a whole field because of one experience.

juli_jones

I used to think that Chiropractors were quacks - after a back injury I changed my mind. I LOVE my chiropractor and I still go every once in a while when my back starts hurting again. Even my medical doctor says they have their place in medicine - but not for everything. For example, someone suggested I take my son for his frequent ear infections - infections need antibiotics and tubes - not an adjustment.

lithezebra

I gave up on chiropractors when the one I was seeing to have adjustments pronounced me able/unable to eat various foods by some sort of voodoo called "muscle testing." That was also the day I started drinking coffee again, having realized what a lot of nonsense the chiropractor had been feeding me.

soldier4242

Go to a physical therapist, not a chiropractor. I know chiropractors are accepted as pretty mainstream these days, but they are actually alternative medicine and the science they rely on is shaky at best and really just hocus-pocus at worst. Do some research and you'll see what I'm talking about. There is no medical reason for them. Some are better than others, true, and have a clue and aren't harmful, but I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases, relief is completely psychosomatic. Chiropractic medicine is pseudoscientific nonsense.

I have to disagree. I was once knocked out of place in high school while wrestling and I was put back in place by a chiropractor in one visit.

Years later I was in a car accident and all the army doctor did was toss on a neck brace. He even wanted me to keep doing PT. I went to a chiropractor and he took X-rays and showed that not only did I have whiplash I have a ton of off set vertebrae. He told me that I should not be doing PT. I knew that of course because I was in agony. It took about 2 months of visits but my X-rays after the fact were perfect and most importantly the pain was gone.

Years later I went snow snowmobiling and fell a very long distance. Fortunately it was snowmobiling and not four wheeling because when you fall that far and land in snow it doesn't kill you. I went to a chiropractor and again I was fixed in one visit.

I don't know how chiropractors got such a bad reputation but all of my experiences have been positive and supported by imperial evidence.

I think you mean "empirical" evidence, as in evidence supported by observation, rather than "imperial" evidence, as in evidence from an empire?

As for the rest of it, I did say that some are better than others, and some chiropractors do use mainstream physical therapy techniques as well as their "innate intelligence" and "vertebral subluxation" quackery. That doesn't change the fact that none of that garbage is medically supported. It is just not real science, period. Anyone thinking of trying it should do some serious research, which should lead to choosing another therapy with some basis that's not magical in origin.

ETA: I live in a province with the global high of people who use chiropractic care. It's super common where I live, obviously, and that's why I've done a lot of reading on it and am subsequently so against it, just in case anyone was wondering. I don't have a grudge or anything, just curiosity and a suspicious mind.

I did misspell "empirical" and I am sorry for that.

I am an atheist. I do not believe in magic or anything supernatural. I do not even believe we have souls. I don't believe things because I want to our out of wishful thinking. People like Peter Popoff and John Edwards and the like are con-artists that steal from people when they are in a vulnerable state. If what you are claiming about chiropractors is true I would lump them in with the faith healers and call them con-artists. Let me assure you that is not the case. I did not go to a chiropractor that was actually just a physical therapist. I needed real adjustments and it really did work.

Furthermore I have spoken with faith healers and I have spoken with a nice old women who thought crystals could heal people and I have spoken with chiropractors. It is a very different conversation with the chiropractor. They are professionally trained and regulated. They really do have to support their treatments with actual evidence. I have never heard a chiropractor tell me that I have to believe in his methods for them to work.

You could just take the position of "agree to disagree" and drop this all together. In fact I am sure most people would. I hope that you don't however. I hope that you continue to apply your skepticism. I know I will. The truth has nothing to fear from investigation and know that going to a chiropractor can be the best option in many cases. Try to understand I am not arguing for the sake of arguing and I do not think you are stupid or anything like that. I just think that you are wrong about this one point.