chiropractors!
nancyinfernley
Posts: 66
i haven't been to one since the 70's. but i'm really thinking of checking them out. i hear they have tons of new techniques and are helpful to those with fibromyalgia. anybody have good, bad and other comments about them? also what treatments worked or didn't work for you?
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Never been to a chiropractor but I do like to go for a deep tissue massage. It is typically excruciating while getting it but it really loosens me up. Even the next day isn't so great, but I fell way better by the third day and I usually feel better for about a week or so after that.
My biggest challenging as a FM sufferer is to get just the right pressure in the right areas. Often it is just too light where it feels good but doesn't have lasting benefits. Or worse, you get Helga with Popeye forearms that make me want to scream out when she hits those trigger points. I also tell them I have FM, but some are better at getting the pressure right.0 -
i cannot stand massages. they either hurt and still hurt later or they just don't do anything for me. i used to give great massages. but that of course is a thing of the past.0
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My son has just started getting messages, he also has pain issues. He has been very pleased with the way he feels, even tho it is short term.0
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that is great. i wish i could afford them. i wonder if medicare pays for massages for ppl with fibro.0
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MY SON SAID THE CHIROPRACTOR HE GOES TO CHARGES $35 TO PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE. iT CAN'T HURT TO CHECK WITH MEDICARE. SORRY FOR CAPS, I GOT LAZY THERE!!LOL0
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n/p. they actually said that they only pay for it if the dr proves it is needed for somebodies health problems. i also have a Rx for physical and aqua therapy. but medicare says that the dr has to call them to arrange it blah, blah, blah. so on my next appt i will have them set that up and get me a referral to a chiropractor. i have medicaid as backup. i just have to find out what that entails.0
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they did deep pressure treatment before they diagnosed me with fibro. I will never willingly do it again. This past year Ive developed chronic bursitis in my hip. I can't take anitinflammatory meds so injections are my only relieve. Finding the spot to inject is more painful then the shot or having my knee cap locked up. ( it does that) The less Dr's poke me the better. I use to see a Chiropractor for my TMJ but it just made it worst.0
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I had my knee worked on about 7 years ago. Dr said i need to get it worked on asap, its going to keep locking up ( last time it was 5 full days) and im sure its not helping my hip. Its Jan I live in Maine and i have a 14 yr i need to drive. So i know i should get is done but spring would be better then winter. I have to just plan things out. Thing i worry about is my caloire count. Hate having someone else cook for me. shhhh i get all ocd
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My Chiropractor is amazing! I have Fibro, Lupus, and Hashimotos. When I began going to him, I was on 23 daily medications, and have 6 prescribed pain meds to take as needed. Within three months, I was down to 16 meds, and had reduced dosages on 4 others. I'm now down to 12 meds, and 6 with lowered doses. I sleep better, I have more energy throughout the day, and my flares are not as terrible. He does spinal adjustments on me, but also has me on a PT regimen that I do in his office 3x a week as well. It has helped me immensely!0
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I used to see one for neck problems and when he used the heat and the tens (sp), it felt awesome. I'd love to try that on other body parts! The only thing I didn't like was the rollers built into the beds. Someone had told me it was awesome for fibro. but I found it excruciating and couldn't tolerate it.
I don't think I could handle massage unless the person doing it understands fibro. I think I'd spend the entire time telling them not to rub so hard and I'd never relax.0 -
The TENS UNIT is my life saver. I use it everyday for up to 8 hours, and I highly recommend it to anyone.I use alot of moist heat too, and it helps. Everything is always short term, but that is better than no help at all.0
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I go to a NUCCA chiropractor. He has a website here: http://www.brooksspinalcare.com/ -- there's actually a section on his website about fibromyalgia. He has had a lot of success with fibromyalgia patients. Personally, he gave me my first pain-free minutes in a decade when I started seeing him, and I have now continued as a patient there for almost 5 years. I used to have to go twice every three weeks or so, but now with things pretty well managed I can go just once every couple to three months.0
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I'm a Chiropractic Assistant. I also have Fibromyalgia/Neuropathy. If it were not for my Chiropractor, I don't think I would get along as good as I do. I consider every day a battle against Fibromyalgia, and every day I intend to win. Occasionally though, it will get me down. My Chiropractic adjustments and therapy really help me in my quest to not let Fibromyalgia and the Neuropathy beat me. Our office still does muscle stimulation (TENS), heat, and traction tables, (the moist heat is my favorite) He has also be vital in helping me understand ways to help combat it. I know Chiropractors can be expensive, and that in my case he is readily available, but if you have these conditions a Chiropractor can at least help alleviate some of the terrible and debilitating symptoms it causes. An at home TENS units can help greatly as well, I highly recommend them and they are fairly inexpensive. I am also checking into the CES (Cranial Electrical Stimulation) I hear these are very under-used, have no side effects and are pretty effective.....but that's another post!! Good luck to all in search of help!0
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I just wanted to add my two cents in on this subject
I started seeing a chiropractor a year ago for migraines and he was also the first one after muscle scans to mention he thought I should be evaluated for fibro. He was right. I was diagnosed late last year and he has continued treating me. He is what you could call a minimalist I guess, as he is hands on and doesn't do any of the physical therapy/massage therapy etc that some offices do. He sees me usually once a week though during flare ups or migraines hes been known to see me two or three times in a week. I credit him for helping me to continue on with life with fibro by helping keep the pain a little more manageable. 0 -
thanx for all your input. i went to a chiropractor wednesday evening. i'm not at all happy with the results or the way the office is run. i'm bruised, annoyed and totally flaring. ruined my whole weekend. i had an extra day without my grandson so i was going to make big use of it by scrubbing the house down and doing some work online. ALL THAT IS DOWN THE TOILET. headaches, back pain like i have been punched and sleeping a lot. dizziness also.
i don't know if this is what all chiro's do, BUT instead of giving me the deep tissue massage that i was waiting for to push my disks back into alignment and all, he took a hand held tool that looks like a big shot with a rubber tip on the end. this he punched me with all over my backside. it hurt, but not have as much as it did by friday and saturday. (this after he had me wait in the room for 20mins). when going over my history, he didn't want to hear about my healthy diet, exercise or my history. this annoyed me. then he gave me over to an massage therapist that had me lay down on my stomach so they could put little vibration disks (about the size or a nickel or quarter) on my back with hot wet towels on my upper and lower back.
because of my fibro i couldn't lay down without my lower back going into painful spasms. so i had to lean over the raised bed while sitting on a chair for 15mins with the things on my back with the wet heat over it. this felt very nice. but this i can do at home with my daughter and not have medicare pay for it (at a very outrageous price i'm sure). frankly i liked the sitting up better as i can't lie in one position for very long and i also get very bored. this way i could at least go online on my daughters phone or read a book if i had thought to bring one. nobody checked on me to see how i was doing until the timer went off. then she removed everything and took me to billing to pay my copay which was $9 per medicare.
when i came into the office (they have walk-ins, but asked if i could come at 5:15pm, as they close at 6pm) everybody was cheery, happy and chatty. when it was time to go (around 6:30pm) nobody had anything nice to say, no smiles, just lets get her the hell out of here so we can go home. the only thing i can say they did right was call me back the next day (thursday) to see if i was okay. but i was fine then. but as anybody knows with fibro, your flare can take up to a week to happen after an episode and boy did it hit me with a vengeance on friday morning. i'm NEVER going back to that office. if the dr is going to punch my back with a little punching machine all over my back, i could get my daughter or son to do that for free. i remember the deep tissue stuff that used to be done in the 70's, if this is what chiro has turned into, then they can kiss my big fat *kitten*!!!0 -
I go to a NUCCA chiropractor. He has a website here: http://www.brooksspinalcare.com/ -- there's actually a section on his website about fibromyalgia. He has had a lot of success with fibromyalgia patients. Personally, he gave me my first pain-free minutes in a decade when I started seeing him, and I have now continued as a patient there for almost 5 years. I used to have to go twice every three weeks or so, but now with things pretty well managed I can go just once every couple to three months.
i will check out the website. but if they use one of those handheld punchers forget it. thanx!!!0 -
I'm a Chiropractic Assistant. I also have Fibromyalgia/Neuropathy. If it were not for my Chiropractor, I don't think I would get along as good as I do. I consider every day a battle against Fibromyalgia, and every day I intend to win. Occasionally though, it will get me down. My Chiropractic adjustments and therapy really help me in my quest to not let Fibromyalgia and the Neuropathy beat me. Our office still does muscle stimulation (TENS), heat, and traction tables, (the moist heat is my favorite) He has also be vital in helping me understand ways to help combat it. I know Chiropractors can be expensive, and that in my case he is readily available, but if you have these conditions a Chiropractor can at least help alleviate some of the terrible and debilitating symptoms it causes. An at home TENS units can help greatly as well, I highly recommend them and they are fairly inexpensive. I am also checking into the CES (Cranial Electrical Stimulation) I hear these are very under-used, have no side effects and are pretty effective.....but that's another post!! Good luck to all in search of help!
is a TENS unit a machine with little attachments that provide vibration and stimulation right at the points on your back that need tissue massage? maybe i will see if medicare covers them. you would be surprised what they cover and what they don't. thanx!0 -
I went to one for the first time in years yesterday. He is a board certified chiropractic neurologist and I hope he can help. I go back Wednesday to see what plan he has devised for me.0
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Not going with this guy. He wants a large sum upfront. :huh:
On the bright side (sort of) I got a copy of an MRI I have done in 2008 when the Drs thought I had MS. Normally I ask for copies of all my test summaries but I was so anxious about the possible MS I forgot to.
Turns out I have scoliosis, arthritis in my neck and more discs in my neck and back have problems than not. You would have thought the neurologist would have mentioned that I might want to follow up on this. At least I know now.0 -
My wife has had pretty good results in reducing neck pain and headaches using a TENS unit. She uses it every day - some times 2-3 times per day. She LOVES it - like a massage with controls so you can make it exactly where and how you need.
A TENS unit is not expensive - I think we paid about $35 off Amazon. Works GREAT.
We also have a traction therapy device, lots more expensive (almost $300) but it also seems to help.
Terry0
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