Chiropractors, crazy charlatans or celestial being?

Some of their claims are just quackery - like curing cardiopathies, diabetes, colic in children [ffs, please don't get your infant "adjusted" for teething issues]. The biggest problem I see is that some use it as a cure all- and when the only tool you have is a hammer, every situation starts looking like a nail.

This is why Chrio is quackery. Practitioners think that Chiro cures practically everything. Chiro is predicated on pre-medical science notions of biology.

I had a friend of friend recommend chiro for my then infant daughters Billy Rueben. Really? Chiro cures jaundice? This is from a person who takes her cats to pet psychics. Crank-magnetism much? Sure sign of rank quackery.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Coming from a family of MDs, I'm biased against most chiropractors and I fully acknowledge it. Honestly I'd recommend you go to a physical therapist or a sports medicine doctor instead.

I am a physical therapist and I think you should see one too. Chiropractors do a good job realigning the spine but don't teach you any exercise to maintain the correction. That's why people have to keep going back sometimes for yrs. Some chiropractors have a PT in the practice with them which I would think was a good idea.

Good luck getting that massage!

Also, I have recently gotten some serious back pain in my lower back - still have been exercising through it - even had back day yesterday... but my back was killing me this morning and the Chiropractor seemed like an easy fix.

I highly suspect that your lower back pain is from using the Smith Machine for squats. The fixed bar tends to make you rest against it and the Smith Machine forces you into unnatural movements patterns. You’re pushing your spinal erectors & neck muscles more against the bar which means more back stress, especially with heavier weights. If your feet are too far forward it puts your lower back in a weak position and will tend to make your lower back round.

the pain started pretty much the moment I got off the smith from doing squats Ms. Holmes!

Seriously... uncanny insight.. :flowerforyou:


Ok... fine.. you pointed out on the other thread I also risk knee pain and I also recently have been getting knee pain on my right leg after using the smith.. I guess it's time to figure out how to do a squat properly.

Start with goblet squats. They are a very similar movement pattern to a regular barbell squat. Using the chiro money to invest in a trainer for a month would be a very good idea.

Also, I have recently gotten some serious back pain in my lower back - still have been exercising through it - even had back day yesterday... but my back was killing me this morning and the Chiropractor seemed like an easy fix.

I highly suspect that your lower back pain is from using the Smith Machine for squats. The fixed bar tends to make you rest against it and the Smith Machine forces you into unnatural movements patterns. You’re pushing your spinal erectors & neck muscles more against the bar which means more back stress, especially with heavier weights. If your feet are too far forward it puts your lower back in a weak position and will tend to make your lower back round.

the pain started pretty much the moment I got off the smith from doing squats Ms. Holmes!

Seriously... uncanny insight.. :flowerforyou:


Ok... fine.. you pointed out on the other thread I also risk knee pain and I also recently have been getting knee pain on my right leg after using the smith.. I guess it's time to figure out how to do a squat properly.

Start with goblet squats. They are a very similar movement pattern to a regular barbell squat. Using the chiro money to invest in a trainer for a month would be a very good idea.

I'm switching gyms soon and will be getting a freeeee personal trainger for 20 mins for 2x 2 weeks - I'll drill her with questions on 'goblet squats'.

thanks for the solid advice!

^seriously impressed you figured out exactly what exercise caused it off of hardly knowing my routine.

You talked about squatting 2x your body weight on the Smith Machine.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/03/03/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly/
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/goblet-squat

If you've had an injury for long enough, your muscles develop accordingly around that injury and can keep the injured disc out of place. Only repeat readjustment will change the disc and the muscles. This is why some chiropractors want to see you multiple times a month, not just once.

I didn't read every post here, but I worked for a chiropractor for close to a year. At that point I couldn't' take watching him take advantage of people any more. The interesting thing is I read someone say if a chiropractor doesn't take x-rays they aren't going to be good. The guy I worked for took x-rays of everyone for $$$. He used a Pro-adjuster that someone else mentioned too. He adjusted me 2-3 times a week the entire time I worked for him and I never felt a bit better. My headaches actually got worse. Shortly before I left he had a partner join the practice. That guy rarely does x-rays. He primarily does manual adjustments (although he has a decompression table he uses for some patients). I went to him ONCE after I quit and felt 100x better than when the other guy used his expensive machine over and over. (BTW it was a "perk" of the job to get the adjustments for free. I would NEVER go to this guy as a paying customer knowing what I know.)

I really want to go see the partner again but I dread bumping into the guy I worked for. (Who also pushed VERY expensive supplements and orthotics on more of his patients than not... especially those with good insurance or those who were clearly not so bright.)

So, I'm with those that say a good chiropractor can do some good. A not-so-good one will just help you empty your wallet and meet your insurance deductible.

Yes, indeed. As a licensed massage therapist, I have worked for several. I was also a patient of another for a short while. One gave masterful, MANUAL adjustments. The others phoned in some sort of spring loaded hammer bs (which took 30 seconds), and had us massage you for an hour, and took your insurance money. I left because it really began to seem unethical. The bulk of patients intimated that they came for the free (insurance covered) massages and felt like the adjustments were the price of admission. Not cool.

I am going to the chiropractor for the first real time today... I had gone to one as a child (5-11) for my ear but can't recall anything positive or negative, just that he would grab my ear and yank on it till something cracked :laugh:


Is this beneficial because it is sorta decent $$$ and I was thinking, it cost half as much as getting my hair cut so I'm wondering if it would be wise to blow decent money twice a month on myself yet again especially if this isn't extremely beneficial. - my monthly cost of living has just skyrocketed over the past six months and I'm having to be a budget stickler now - hydrafacials only once a month moving forward :sad: :sad:

Also, I have recently gotten some serious back pain in my lower back - still have been exercising through it - even had back day yesterday... but my back was killing me this morning and the Chiropractor seemed like an easy fix.

Also, if you are not in favor of the Chiropractor who would you recommend in their place? A massage therapist?

Chiropractic fixes mechanical displacement. it's physics. If you have something like a spine, when it goes out of alignment, the shock absorbing function of the curve goes all to pot, and the spaces between vertebrae cause pinchings of nerves. The trick and the reason for the whippy methods, is to send that curve back into position again.

If your chiropractor is good, 3 things.

1. you will be expected to have x-rays, standing, with special bits covered in lead, to get proper standing postural x-rays. They should not touch you without x-rays, but x-rays cost money. Expect to pay, then, for your standing x-rays.
2. you may start with 3 adjustments a week for 2 weeks, even. but eventually you will tick along with about 3 - 4 adjustments a year. To start with your muscles will be used to being in certain states of clenched tightness - and that needs some work. Get massages prior to adjustments and they will last longer, and you will get to that 'ticking over' stage quicker.

You should be given muscle work at an adjustment - either using one of those fabulous vibrating guns, or via fingers. It's painful but it unlocks spasmed muscles around the site of injury.
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3. when you get your next set of x-rays you will SEE the difference. Quite clearly, on the x-ray, you will see the difference.

It's not magic, it's not juju, it's not hidden. It's dead clear what's happening and is perfectly logical. The only time it's no good is when you're not dealing with bone alignments. It's not going to help you with a torn ligament.

The horror stories you are hearing are rubbish - i am left wondering if any of these 'chiropractors' in these stories have any certification? Ask about certification. also: if you don't like the crack, get them to use the little rubber gun.

I find the rubber gun best on my lower back, because I can easily go into an overloosened state, so tiny adjustments are best.

I am going to the chiropractor for the first real time today... I had gone to one as a child (5-11) for my ear but can't recall anything positive or negative, just that he would grab my ear and yank on it till something cracked :laugh:


Is this beneficial because it is sorta decent $$$ and I was thinking, it cost half as much as getting my hair cut so I'm wondering if it would be wise to blow decent money twice a month on myself yet again especially if this isn't extremely beneficial. - my monthly cost of living has just skyrocketed over the past six months and I'm having to be a budget stickler now - hydrafacials only once a month moving forward :sad: :sad:

Also, I have recently gotten some serious back pain in my lower back - still have been exercising through it - even had back day yesterday... but my back was killing me this morning and the Chiropractor seemed like an easy fix.

Also, if you are not in favor of the Chiropractor who would you recommend in their place? A massage therapist?

I have been to doctors, chiropractors and physios.

The doctors are the cause of me slipping so many discs they advised against foot sugery which has caused a major unallingment in my back.

The Physios haven't noticed that I'm not allinged properly until I tell them

The chriopractors have been the only people who have sorted my back out and the reccommended exercises have reduced the slipping of discs. So worth the money.