Chiropractors against lifting heavy?
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Maybe your chiropractor is just telling you what's best for YOU. You say he's treating you for chronic back problems so he's probably giving you this advice based on your condition. He wouldn't necessarily give the same advice to, say, someone training for a marathon
I'm not trying to dissuade you from looking for a different specialist--as a matter of fact, I'm a firm believer in "get a second opinion"--I'm just making an observation.
Would your health insurance cover acupuncture? That might help with pain management, as well as being a drug-free procedure. My husband found it to be quite helpful in reducing pain before his hip replacement surgery (due to a very old sports injury as a young teen that left him nearly crippled, and with one leg an inch and a half longer than the other, for 30 years.)
Hope you can find what your looking for!
I think acupuncture is covered actually, though I've never really been crazy about the idea of it but I guess I'll try anything. As for my chiropractor, my mother's been seeing him for 25 years, and swears up and down that he's a good one...but she's also been seeing him for 25 years :ohwell:
Thanks for your insights!0 -
my ex is a Chiropractor... he also retired from professional power lifting . He benches 705 lbs. Is that heavy?;-)0
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I was talking to one not 2 weeks ago, and he thought I had a case of thoracic kyphosis, I told him, today was 'chest day', saw him again the next day, he said I had excellent posture, I said 'today was back day'. lol this idiot.0
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Thanks, I will find a sports medicine specialist. Too bad they aren't covered by my health insurance...
Unless you have some extraordinarily odd insurance, it will cover a sports medicine MD-they are generally orthopedists or GP's who also specialize in sports medicine. They bill for the same procedures and have the same credentials as any other MD-they just approach things from a standpoint of returning you to whatever activity it is that you do-vs a rest and/or stop and you won't hurt anymore. That may be the only option for some, but a sports medicine MD will understand that you want to keep lifting and will work with you to make that happen if possible. And they are covered under medical insurance (provided you follow your network & any referral rules and that jazz-but they are regular MD's doing regular MD stuff).
Really? wow, I should know these things. I just started on a limited insurance plan last week and didn't see 'sports medicine' listed when I skimmed the info sheet, but I'll check it again.0 -
my ex is a Chiropractor... he also retired from professional power lifting . He benches 705 lbs. Is that heavy?;-)
that's pretty heavy for a bench holy *kitten*0 -
My chiropractor is a heavy lifter.0
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My chiro and his wife compete in powerlifting so it's not what all of them think.
However, as was said your chiro would be giving you advice based on what he/she has seen with your condition. Never hurts to get a second opinion though.
The golden rule of anything exercise related is that don't do it if it hurts!0 -
They may be quacks, I just didn't know any better and needed the pain to stop :frown:
I guess I just needed my suspicions validated with this post. I'm going to stop seeing him.
I hear that a lot from others but it's not always the case. When I am in pain, the only thing that helps is a couple visits to the chiropractor. I can go months without further problems after an adjustment or two. I'm sure that some are more qualified than others but... I think that's the case with any profession. Besides, most of us aren't actually experts in the medical field :-) Thank goodness for second opinions! I can see where your doctor may have been giving you information based on your personal injury though. I have been wanting to lift heavy too but I have been nervous about making it worse!
I recently decided to take it a step further and enlisted the advice of a Sports Med Dr. My intent was much like yours. When he asked me why I was there I said, "I'm in pain and I'm tired of my back going out and I want answers as to what is wrong and how I can prevent further damage/ repair my damage. I want a few physical therapy sessions to get guidance on what exercises/ lifting I can or can't do, with proper form." So, an MRI last week revealed I have bulging herniated/ degenerative discs/ osteoarthritis and I am scheduled for physical therapy to learn how to deal with these issues before I look into surgical options. I suggest you look for a second opinion with a sports Med Doc or an Osteopath if you have any near you. Back problems are really debilitating at times :-(
I wish you luck and I hope that you get to pursue your weight lifting aspirations soon! Feel better!
editing to add: Weight bearing exercise is actually the BEST way to build bone, it's superior to calcium. There has to be some kind of balance for us!0 -
They may be quacks, I just didn't know any better and needed the pain to stop :frown:
I guess I just needed my suspicions validated with this post. I'm going to stop seeing him.
I hear that a lot from others but it's not always the case. When I am in pain, the only thing that helps is a couple visits to the chiropractor. I can go months without further problems after an adjustment or two. I'm sure that some are more qualified than others but... I think that's the case with any profession. Besides, most of us aren't actually experts in the medical field :-) Thank goodness for second opinions! I can see where your doctor may have been giving you information based on your personal injury though. I have been wanting to lift heavy too but I have been nervous about making it worse!
I recently decided to take it a step further and enlisted the advice of a Sports Med Dr. My intent was much like yours. When he asked me why I was there I said, "I'm in pain and I'm tired of my back going out and I want answers as to what is wrong and how I can prevent further damage/ repair my damage. I want a few physical therapy sessions to get guidance on what exercises/ lifting I can or can't do, with proper form." So, an MRI last week revealed I have bulging herniated/ degenerative discs/ osteoarthritis and I am scheduled for physical therapy to learn how to deal with these issues before I look into surgical options. I suggest you look for a second opinion with a sports Med Doc or an Osteopath if you have any near you. Back problems are really debilitating at times :-(
I wish you luck and I hope that you get to pursue your weight lifting aspirations soon! Feel better!
I had my MRI a few weeks ago L4/L5 prolapsed disc, I asked the specialist about weights and he told me to do cardio.0 -
Really? You are going to quit going to any chiropractor because a couple of folks on MFP called them all quacks? Now, that's whacked, imho.
I had a severe back injury in '06. The MRI showed extreme bulging discs (don't remember the L#'s off-hand but in my lower-back). MRI report said worst bulging discs he has seen without herniating. After a few visits with an orthopedic surgeon, he wanted to fuse my back which he said would give me very limited movement for the rest of my life but would take away the pain. Screw that. I know a few folks who have had that surgery and they have had to have additional surgeries because changing on thing in the back often leads to other problems. And they both live on pain pills. Nope, not going there.
So I then visited a chiropractor and was also seeing a physical therapist as recommended by my MD and orthopedic surgeon. Neither did a dang thing to alleviate the pain.
I changed chiropractors. Wow! Just wow! Saw immediate progress. He also gave me exercises to do and told me to stop doing some of the exercises the physical therapist was having me do as they would actually aggravate the back problem. Lots of good progress continued. Added in massage therapy and a couple of cranio-sacral therapy sessions. Wow, tremendous progress.
Now fully healed. No surgery. No limited movement for the rest of my life. No pain. It was a slower process but the trade-off was totally worth it, imho.
My chiropractor totally supports my heavy lifting as long as I listen to my body and stop what I'm doing or modify what I'm doing if it puts pressure on my lower back. Sometimes this means that I might not be able to increase a weight for awhile, just reps, but after a week or two of increasing the reps, I can then safely increase the weight. It might slow my progress on increasing the weights I'm lifting but it hasn't stopped it. And this means I can mix in some muscle endurance once in awhile and still get in my strength training. Not a bad deal.
Oh, I do go into the chiropractor once every few months if my hip is bothering me (my hip went out as well as my back) but these visits are few and far between the more I work out and the stronger I get. But if I go in and have noticed some kind of problem, he usually gives me some kind of additional exercise to help with that particular issue or, sometimes, it really means that I need to stretch certain areas more and he gives me specific stretches to do. It's all good.
You may have a chiropractor that happens to be a quack but it doesn't mean they're all quacks.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with switching to someone with sports medicine expertise either. You might actually find that this and a better chiropractor are a good combination. If you are in lots of pain, it does make sense to check out numerous options and get more opinions before deciding on a plan of action.
ETA: During the course of treatment while my back was healing, something like weights would have been out for me as well. I was only allowed to walk and do the exercises the chiropractor gave me. Yeah, that sucks but you wouldn't run on a broken leg, would you? Same concept.0 -
Really? You are going to quit going to any chiropractor because a couple of folks on MFP called them all quacks? Now, that's whacked, imho.
I had a severe back injury in '06. The MRI showed extreme bulging discs (don't remember the L#'s off-hand but in my lower-back). MRI report said worst bulging discs he has seen without herniating. After a few visits with an orthopedic surgeon, he wanted to fuse my back which he said would give me very limited movement for the rest of my life but would take away the pain. Screw that. I know a few folks who have had that surgery and they have had to have additional surgeries because changing on thing in the back often leads to other problems. And they both live on pain pills. Nope, not going there.
So I then visited a chiropractor and was also seeing a physical therapist as recommended by my MD and orthopedic surgeon. Neither did a dang thing to alleviate the pain.
I changed chiropractors. Wow! Just wow! Saw immediate progress. He also gave me exercises to do and told me to stop doing some of the exercises the physical therapist was having me do as they would actually aggravate the back problem. Lots of good progress continued. Added in massage therapy and a couple of cranio-sacral therapy sessions. Wow, tremendous progress.
Now fully healed. No surgery. No limited movement for the rest of my life. No pain. It was a slower process but the trade-off was totally worth it, imho.
My chiropractor totally supports my heavy lifting as long as I listen to my body and stop what I'm doing or modify what I'm doing if it puts pressure on my lower back. Sometimes this means that I might not be able to increase a weight for awhile, just reps, but after a week or two of increasing the reps, I can then safely increase the weight. It might slow my progress on increasing the weights I'm lifting but it hasn't stopped it. And this means I can mix in some muscle endurance once in awhile and still get in my strength training. Not a bad deal.
Oh, I do go into the chiropractor once every few months if my hip is bothering me (my hip went out as well as my back) but these visits are few and far between the more I work out and the stronger I get. But if I go in and have noticed some kind of problem, he usually gives me some kind of additional exercise to help with that particular issue or, sometimes, it really means that I need to stretch certain areas more and he gives me specific stretches to do. It's all good.
You may have a chiropractor that happens to be a quack but it doesn't mean they're all quacks.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with switching to someone with sports medicine expertise either. You might actually find that this and a better chiropractor are a good combination. If you are in lots of pain, it does make sense to check out numerous options and get more opinions before deciding on a plan of action.
ETA: During the course of treatment while my back was healing, something like weights would have been out for me as well. I was only allowed to walk and do the exercises the chiropractor gave me. Yeah, that sucks but you wouldn't run on a broken leg, would you? Same concept.
Nope, I'm not whacked, but thanks for the compliment :bigsmile: . I've never had an MRI, I was never told exactly what was wrong unless I asked specifically (my chiropractor looked surprised when I asked if my problem was in the sacro-illiac region). Some things my chiro said raised my eyebrows more than a few times, and I'm not writing off chiropractors completely (don't really want to get into that debate), but I don't have a lot of experience with chiropractors or sports medicine as my problems developed pretty recently. All of the responses here point to a second/different opinion, so that's what I'mma do. Glad you found solutions that worked for you before resorting to back fusion, I'm just hoping for the same!0 -
They may be quacks, I just didn't know any better and needed the pain to stop :frown:
I guess I just needed my suspicions validated with this post. I'm going to stop seeing him.
I hear that a lot from others but it's not always the case. When I am in pain, the only thing that helps is a couple visits to the chiropractor. I can go months without further problems after an adjustment or two. I'm sure that some are more qualified than others but... I think that's the case with any profession. Besides, most of us aren't actually experts in the medical field :-) Thank goodness for second opinions! I can see where your doctor may have been giving you information based on your personal injury though. I have been wanting to lift heavy too but I have been nervous about making it worse!
I recently decided to take it a step further and enlisted the advice of a Sports Med Dr. My intent was much like yours. When he asked me why I was there I said, "I'm in pain and I'm tired of my back going out and I want answers as to what is wrong and how I can prevent further damage/ repair my damage. I want a few physical therapy sessions to get guidance on what exercises/ lifting I can or can't do, with proper form." So, an MRI last week revealed I have bulging herniated/ degenerative discs/ osteoarthritis and I am scheduled for physical therapy to learn how to deal with these issues before I look into surgical options. I suggest you look for a second opinion with a sports Med Doc or an Osteopath if you have any near you. Back problems are really debilitating at times :-(
I wish you luck and I hope that you get to pursue your weight lifting aspirations soon! Feel better!
editing to add: Weight bearing exercise is actually the BEST way to build bone, it's superior to calcium. There has to be some kind of balance for us!
Sounds like you made all the right moves, you give me hope! :flowerforyou:0 -
The golden rule of anything exercise related is that don't do it if it hurts!
This is the annoying thing about my issues - it never hurts WHILE I'm doing the exercise, but the pain shows up a day or two later, and stays for a week. I'm not a total nutjob to do these exercises if I'm in actual pain :laugh:0 -
You have to be careful with lower back issues as to which they have the potential of causing arthritis soon enough. My recommendation would be to go see a physical therapist or a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Trust me I deal with patients who have developed chronic arthritis in their lower backs and its not pretty at all.0
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Really? You are going to quit going to any chiropractor because a couple of folks on MFP called them all quacks? Now, that's whacked, imho.
I had a severe back injury in '06. The MRI showed extreme bulging discs (don't remember the L#'s off-hand but in my lower-back). MRI report said worst bulging discs he has seen without herniating. After a few visits with an orthopedic surgeon, he wanted to fuse my back which he said would give me very limited movement for the rest of my life but would take away the pain. Screw that. I know a few folks who have had that surgery and they have had to have additional surgeries because changing on thing in the back often leads to other problems. And they both live on pain pills. Nope, not going there.
So I then visited a chiropractor and was also seeing a physical therapist as recommended by my MD and orthopedic surgeon. Neither did a dang thing to alleviate the pain.
I changed chiropractors. Wow! Just wow! Saw immediate progress. He also gave me exercises to do and told me to stop doing some of the exercises the physical therapist was having me do as they would actually aggravate the back problem. Lots of good progress continued. Added in massage therapy and a couple of cranio-sacral therapy sessions. Wow, tremendous progress.
Now fully healed. No surgery. No limited movement for the rest of my life. No pain. It was a slower process but the trade-off was totally worth it, imho.
My chiropractor totally supports my heavy lifting as long as I listen to my body and stop what I'm doing or modify what I'm doing if it puts pressure on my lower back. Sometimes this means that I might not be able to increase a weight for awhile, just reps, but after a week or two of increasing the reps, I can then safely increase the weight. It might slow my progress on increasing the weights I'm lifting but it hasn't stopped it. And this means I can mix in some muscle endurance once in awhile and still get in my strength training. Not a bad deal.
Oh, I do go into the chiropractor once every few months if my hip is bothering me (my hip went out as well as my back) but these visits are few and far between the more I work out and the stronger I get. But if I go in and have noticed some kind of problem, he usually gives me some kind of additional exercise to help with that particular issue or, sometimes, it really means that I need to stretch certain areas more and he gives me specific stretches to do. It's all good.
You may have a chiropractor that happens to be a quack but it doesn't mean they're all quacks.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with switching to someone with sports medicine expertise either. You might actually find that this and a better chiropractor are a good combination. If you are in lots of pain, it does make sense to check out numerous options and get more opinions before deciding on a plan of action.
ETA: During the course of treatment while my back was healing, something like weights would have been out for me as well. I was only allowed to walk and do the exercises the chiropractor gave me. Yeah, that sucks but you wouldn't run on a broken leg, would you? Same concept.
Nope, I'm not whacked, but thanks for the compliment :bigsmile: . I've never had an MRI, I was never told exactly what was wrong unless I asked specifically (my chiropractor looked surprised when I asked if my problem was in the sacro-illiac region). Some things my chiro said raised my eyebrows more than a few times, and I'm not writing off chiropractors completely (don't really want to get into that debate), but I don't have a lot of experience with chiropractors or sports medicine as my problems developed pretty recently. All of the responses here point to a second/different opinion, so that's what I'mma do. Glad you found solutions that worked for you before resorting to back fusion, I'm just hoping for the same!
As I said, you should seek other opinions before deciding on the best course of action. Just don't rule out a good chiropractor if that turns out to be a good weapon in your healing arsenal. FWIW, the one I ended up with who did me so much good refused to work on me without x-rays and looking at my MRI. He doesn't work on anybody without, at least, getting x-rays first. And MRI's if the problem warrants further data before treating. I know because I've referred many to him and they've all had to get at least the x-rays first, some both.
Best wishes.0 -
You have to be careful with lower back issues as to which they have the potential of causing arthritis soon enough. My recommendation would be to go see a physical therapist or a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Trust me I deal with patients who have developed chronic arthritis in their lower backs and its not pretty at all.
I feel like this will be my future, but I want to do anything I can to prevent it, thanks for the cautioning.0 -
been to two chiro's.
never again.
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You have to be careful with lower back issues as to which they have the potential of causing arthritis soon enough. My recommendation would be to go see a physical therapist or a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Trust me I deal with patients who have developed chronic arthritis in their lower backs and its not pretty at all.
I feel like this will be my future, but I want to do anything I can to prevent it, thanks for the cautioning.
Trust me, its my future as well :-(. Honestly its sad that people our age are already developing arthritis, but its happening more and more to our generation.0 -
You have to be careful with lower back issues as to which they have the potential of causing arthritis soon enough. My recommendation would be to go see a physical therapist or a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Trust me I deal with patients who have developed chronic arthritis in their lower backs and its not pretty at all.
I feel like this will be my future, but I want to do anything I can to prevent it, thanks for the cautioning.
Trust me, its my future as well :-(. Honestly its sad that people our age are already developing arthritis, but its happening more and more to our generation.
Well that's a bright look ahead :sad:
I just want my whole skeletal system replaced with titanium and diamonds. Teeth too. Is that too much to ask?0 -
You have to be careful with lower back issues as to which they have the potential of causing arthritis soon enough. My recommendation would be to go see a physical therapist or a physician who specializes in sports medicine. Trust me I deal with patients who have developed chronic arthritis in their lower backs and its not pretty at all.
I feel like this will be my future, but I want to do anything I can to prevent it, thanks for the cautioning.
Trust me, its my future as well :-(. Honestly its sad that people our age are already developing arthritis, but its happening more and more to our generation.
Well that's a bright look ahead :sad:
I just want my whole skeletal system replaced with titanium and diamonds. Teeth too. Is that too much to ask?
Just go for the whole Wolverine look...thats my goal in life also0
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