Chiropractor or no chiropractor

Osteopath

I had the exact same pain point and for a while they could not find anything wrong with me either. Where did the MRI focus? I finally had one on my lower back and they found slightly bulging and dehydrated disks - I have no back pain. I did go to a chiropractor - one my PCP recommended as a matter of fact. And after a very long time I am happy to report that I am feeling much better. I can go weeks w/o any pain at all and if I do have pain now it is so minor, I don't really count it...lol. The thing about that type of pain is it may not be in the back at all. You may just need to have your legs or feet adjusted. Ask your doctor if they have a recommendation for a chiropractor, it worked for me. Good Luck!

I'm not a doctor (yet) but honestly I would say go back to your GP and get re-assessed. Any unilateral weakness is a worry. You should be seen by an osteopath or neurologist.

Did you have a neuro assessment when you first saw your doctor about this? (They'll test your limb strength by asking you to lay down, bend your leg and push them away, that sort of thing)

Agree with tasharock, some are good, some not so good. Love mine. I have Sciatica which causes numbness running down my right leg and severe low back/hip pain. Could not walk/run without the occassional adjustment. If you are not comfortable with a Chiropractor, try a Osteopath.

I have almost identical pain/numbness in my left hip. I find that if I do a nice deep stretch every night before bed it helps; but I still go to my Chiropractor. I'm lucky enough to have one in the family so I'm not worried about having to do any research or getting caught up with quacks. I'd definitely talk to friends and co-workers to find one that's right for you but don't shy away from them. I love mine!!

Couldn't live pain free with my chiro. Mine is a sports specific chiro and DO. If you are worried, find a really awesome massage therapist that does therapeutic massage and they generally can refer you to a good chrio too. I get numbness in my feet from very tight piriformous, this can be caused from one leg being shorter than the other. Have that checked out too.

I used to think they were quacks until my mother was helped by one. It was her internal medicine doctor who referred her to the chiropractor. I thought that was interesting. My mother had several sessions with the chiropractor, who helped eliminate the pain in the shoulder. That was something even physical therapy hadn't done. The chiropractor did try to sell my mom on some supplements, but I told her to avoid those. After hearing about my mother's experience, I'm much more open to going to a chiropractor in the future.

Honestly, I couldn't live without my chiropractor. Before I started getting adjusted, I was actually suicidal from pain. I threw my back out on a number of occasions and had debilitating headaches and migraines for 15 years. After literally crawling to my sister's engagement party a couple years ago, my brother-in-law suggested that I pay a visit to his chiropractor (who also happened to be a family friend and was at said engagement party). Long story short, I'm a new person. And I'm no longer taking pain killers, sleep aids, and migraine medication that I was taking before I started seeing him, not to mention the anxiety and depression that I was experiencing from all the pain.

All that being said, my one major issue with chiropractic is the cost: he wanted me to see him 3 times a week for the first two months and then twice a week after that, and then 6 months later I was bumped down to once a week. If I hadn't had insurance to cover the majority of the cost, there's no way I would have signed up. Knowing what I know now, I would do it all over again in a heart beat, but at over $3,000 for that first year of care, there's no way I would have initially shelled out all that money from my own pocket. But, I also probably wouldn't be here today. I still go every two weeks, but I tend to lead a pretty stressful lifestyle and I choose to get adjusted rather than taking pain meds of any sort.


Edited to add: There are different kinds of chiropractors (mixers, straights, etc.). Do your research and if you choose to see one, choose the one that jives most with you. And it's best if you can get a referral to one from someone you trust - you don't want just anyone playing around with your spine...

I am not anti chiropractor, they are just way more limited in what they can actually fix and what they will actually recognize medically than most like to claim. Go back to your doctor and ask for a referral to a nuero and get a COMPLETE work up. If they still can't find anything, that is when I would go to a chiropractor.

Agree with tasharock, some are good, some not so good. Love mine. I have Sciatica which causes numbness running down my right leg and severe low back/hip pain. Could not walk/run without the occasional adjustment. If you are not comfortable with a Chiropractor, try a Osteopath.

I agree with this completely!

Proper athletic therapy is best. I have tried on chiros on several occassions to no avail.

A buddy of mine goes every week for chiro. I ask why. He feels better afterward. Symptoms treated but not curing the ailment. Cash grab.

Proper physical activity with corrent stretching and strengthening works best.

Some are good, some are bad. Mine happens to be very good and I rarely have to see him. He turned me on to yoga and stretching and I also started doing other forms of physical activity as well. I see him maybe once every quarter or so for a tune up as I tend to get my hips all out of whack. I originally saw him for a pinched nerve in my upper back that doctors couldn't resolve and were talking surgery.... I had a friend who saw this particular chiropractor and I finally said, "what the hell...nothin' to lose...the "real" docs are about to operate." He had that nerve un-pinched within one week and two treatments after 4 months of dealing with my regular doctors.

But like I said...it really does depend, just like everything.

Just like any dr., you have to find one that's good - and listens to you. I have a fantastic chiro that I love going to. She's gotten me through a half marathon and a Tough Mudder this summer. She understands what I do physically, and gives me stretches and tips on how to do things so I don't hurt myself again. Whenever I go in, it's "What event did you just come from?" She also knows enough to listen to me, I know where it hurts and usually what's out of whack and she'll work as long as needed to get it back in place. I never have to wait, and she's always told me that if it's an emergency to call her at home.

Get recommendations from people you trust. And if you have issues afterward, be sure to tell them. I used to go to another one when I lived somewhere else and the first time he adjusted my neck I was dizzy and nauseous that night and could hardly walk. My neck had had such limited blood flow for so long that when he adjusted it, my body had a hard time handling that. He marked my chart and from then on was very careful when dealing with that area. Our bodies are all different, and react to things differently.

I swear by it, I love my chiro! That said, some days I just have a bad adjustment, other days it makes me feel SO good. I go when I feel like I need an adjustment, but if you are having sciatica issues it's a good idea to stick with a schedule. That is why I started going in the first place, and was going 2-3 times a week for a few weeks to clear that up. Now I hardly ever have issues with sciatica!