Chiropractors?

2

Replies

  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
    Knowing the history of chiropractic and what is still taught in those circles, coupled with the risk of injury, I won't go near one.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    I second and third the Palmer trained chiropractor. I do NOT do bone crackers. I have too many friends that have been injured by bone crackers. And a friend that had a stroke caused by a chiro. No way, no how, is somebody cracking my bones (especially my neck). But I swear by my Palmer trained chiro. He's been fantastic and like others have said, never recommends I come back unless I feel the need to. When you find that person, you've found a good chiropractor. I've used mine for quite a number of injuries, pain, etc. and my kids have too. We've been very happy with our Palmer guy. Ask around for recommendations from friends and look up Palmer trained chiros.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited April 2017
    I second and third the Palmer trained chiropractor. I do NOT do bone crackers. I have too many friends that have been injured by bone crackers. And a friend that had a stroke caused by a chiro. No way, no how, is somebody cracking my bones (especially my neck). But I swear by my Palmer trained chiro. He's been fantastic and like others have said, never recommends I come back unless I feel the need to. When you find that person, you've found a good chiropractor. I've used mine for quite a number of injuries, pain, etc. and my kids have too. We've been very happy with our Palmer guy. Ask around for recommendations from friends and look up Palmer trained chiros.

    Not sure if a Palmer trained chiro makes much difference. I went to one locally. As soon as they found out about my insurance, they mapped out a 1 year plan involving 30+ visits. This was before I even saw the chiro. Incredible douche.

    I tried another one, she popped my back and I immediately developed a case of dropfoot. I had several spinal injections from an orthopedic doctor to clear it up. I still can't balance as well on that leg as I can on the other.

    I did try one one other guy on recommendation of a friend. Went a few times, seemed decent, then my insurance changed and didn't cover chiro treatment unless referred by a family practitioner.

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    And a chiropractor will always say you need work done and to come back twice a week.

    This.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    I like the palmer trained because they don't do bone cracking. For lack of a better term they use computer aided muscle manipulation.

    Yeah, I've been to the ones that want you bc of insurance. It's frustrating. But like every other doc out there, there are good ones and bad ones. Definitely a person needs to do their research.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    I like the palmer trained because they don't do bone cracking. For lack of a better term they use computer aided muscle manipulation.

    Yeah, I've been to the ones that want you bc of insurance. It's frustrating. But like every other doc out there, there are good ones and bad ones. Definitely a person needs to do their research.

    It's been a while, but Palmer chiros (still in practice) did do bone cracking on me.
  • Lovely_Jennnn
    Lovely_Jennnn Posts: 2 Member
    I went to one after a car accident. I was skeptical at first, but the pain in my neck and low back after the accident was so much better after treatment. I sit at at a desk all day and I couldn't sit without pain for more than an hour. Afterwards, my back was much stronger and I can tell in my lifting techniques too it has made a difference. Now I go once a month for regular adjustments. I feel like they help with my very active lifestyle and release stiffness and tension from my desk job.
  • bizgirl26
    bizgirl26 Posts: 1,795 Member
    I love my chiropractor. I have also gone to physiotherapists, massage therapists , osteopaths etc. but find he does the most for me . I have excellent insurance coverage. It took me trial and error but I go on a as needed basis. Sometimes he has asked to see me and I don't need anything done and he doesn't charge me. He never cracks my neck. He has been a life saver and is great at sport injuries . I think no matter who your specialist is they have to fit your needs and be qualified
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    I think this greatly depends on the chiropractor. My chiropractor is amazing. He has a very small practice and keeps things simple. I go as needed when I need an adjustment or tweaks. He is a university professor in anatomy and biology, so he has a real passion for what he does and I trust him to know what he is doing. He is the perfect balance of gentle and strong.

    A year or two ago, I had some major neck issues (whiplash) and he had me back to mostly normal within 4 visits. I haven't been in about 6 months, but I love knowing I have him there if needed.

  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I went to one after an accident that hit my neck badly (basically I took the stairs on my bum all the way down)
    He got it right within 6 sessions and then I stayed on a monthly schedule for 3 months. I still recall that relief when the pain just went away after that first session for a little while. He even gave up his day off to do my neck as he saw in how much pain I was. He only did it the day after the intake as he wanted the x-ray to be developed (and that was the old way in his practice) and study it to make sure he did the right thing.
    He as amazing recommend him to anybody.

    After my 9 sessions (6+3) he basically said I was right but if I felt anything just to come back.I went twice in the year after and that was that.
  • robertsjm24
    robertsjm24 Posts: 9 Member
    I like the palmer trained because they don't do bone cracking. For lack of a better term they use computer aided muscle manipulation.

    Yeah, I've been to the ones that want you bc of insurance. It's frustrating. But like every other doc out there, there are good ones and bad ones. Definitely a person needs to do their research.

    Ah, your vertebral subluxations must be flaring up.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    I like the palmer trained because they don't do bone cracking. For lack of a better term they use computer aided muscle manipulation.

    Yeah, I've been to the ones that want you bc of insurance. It's frustrating. But like every other doc out there, there are good ones and bad ones. Definitely a person needs to do their research.

    It's been a while, but Palmer chiros (still in practice) did do bone cracking on me.

    Interesting. I wonder if they teach both methods then? I dunno. I just know I don't do bone cracking. :#
  • jarrettmeyer
    jarrettmeyer Posts: 4 Member
    It depends entirely on who you see. I have read so many horror stories of bad chiros, some in this thread. My chiro is incredible. She has always helped me with alignment issues, and I have always felt better after seeing her. Last time was Feb 2016 after my S-I joint was out of alignment from a nasty squat & leg session.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited April 2017
    Well... they do less schooling than I did and I'm not a doctor... so no. I wouldn't trust my spine, a main part of my nervous system, to them. If I had a medical problem with my spine, I'd see a medical doctor.

    What I like about doctors is they want to get you better. Seems like everyone I know who uses a chiropractor has a chiropractor that just want to keep them coming back for the rest of their lives.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    I am pro-chiropractor. AFter hearing my neighbor for years raving about hers, I researched the chiro's credentials, looked up patient reviews, etc. and finally broke down and went when I woke up one day not being about to rotate my neck. I was also recovering from a shattered kneecap and because I was overcompensating while walking, I threw my hips out of alignment. Within 3 treatments, I could move my neck freely and my knee stopped swelling and my hips were normal again.

    A side benefit of treatment was improved sinuses. I always had "full" feeling ears due to allergies that nothing will alleviate. I remember feeling a pop in my ears and sort of a rushing sound which I realized was sound! I could hear the arctic blast of the chiro office's AC. It was the first time in years that I could hear in what I would call hi-def! LOL
  • m4mobley
    m4mobley Posts: 1 Member
    Chiropractors, like all other professionals, run the gamut from poor to great. I have chronic pain, and the practitioner who helped me the most is my chiropractor. She is exceptional. She performs adjustment, is trained in and practices acupuncture, educates patients about nutrition, sells supplements from reputable sources. I found her through a friend who had severe foot pain and multiple procedures, braces , etc. and still could barely stand to be on her feet. A friend had recommended Dr. A, and she did a foot adjustment (which I didn't know was possible). The point of this post is to search for referrals from satisfied customers. Good luck.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
    edited May 2017
    Chiropractic is medical quackery and pseudoscience, and has been considered as much for decades. Study after study published on PubMed over the years has uncovered they have almost zero medical efficacy in their procedures above placebo. Making matters worse is that many chiropractors also engage in other forms of scientific nut jobbery and new age nonsense (anti-vax, for example) pushing them even farther to the fringes of anything even remotely considered science. Chiropractors are essentially the conspiracy theorists of Western medicine.

    Chiropractic enjoys the financial success it does in many Western nations mainly due to the fact that the general public is largely naive and impressionable. The medical community, however, operates on the empirical principle of evidence. Chiropractic has had more than ample opportunity to make their case and prove the validity of "innate intelligence", "subluxation", "SMT" etc. To date they have failed to do so.

  • sailrunner
    sailrunner Posts: 41 Member
    Add my name to those who have had mixed experiences. However I found one that was excellent - worked on my son who had had excruciating headaches and pretty much eliminated them. Worked with me on a number of sports related injuries - knees, back etc. He is Palmer trained, works with many serious athletes and uses applied kinesthesiology (is certified in it). Unfortunately I moved out of the state. Have found someone else I really like who has similar certifications. Based on my experience, I'd recommend someone who works with athletes, graduated from Palmer and has certification in applied kinesthesiology. None of the "duds" I tried had those and most told me it would take a package of many treatments.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
    edited May 2017
    sailrunner wrote: »
    has certification in applied kinesthesiology.

    That is roughly akin to someone saying that they have a certification in mental telepathy or telekinesis, which are also the product of folks with an overactive imagination. Chiropractors have an uncanny knack for attempting to use seemingly legitimate scientific principles and then twisting them in odd ways to suit their smorgasbord of crackpot gobbledegook. Please see the citation below, and note the footnotes and references to real medical journals and written by doctors with real medical degrees.

    https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/ak.html
  • Sarsysmiles
    Sarsysmiles Posts: 1 Member
    There is a fine line between really good chiro's and really bad ones. Unfortunately it's a trial by fire thing. I went to a really bad one that nearly destroyed me years ago. Then, I found one this past fall, that came highly recommended and he is the bee's knees! He fixed me up when all my general practitioner wanted to do was drug me up, have me rest for two weeks, and suffer needlessly.
  • givesometogetsome
    givesometogetsome Posts: 35 Member
    At the urging of family and friends, I saw a chiropractor regularly for several years (actually tried 3 because they were each "highly recommended"). None of them ever helped me. I really wanted to believe, especially when so many people around me are claiming all these miracle results. But all I got was lighter in the wallet. After reading the studies about the stroke/manipulation connection, I stopped going. Figured it wasn't worth the small risk when I didn't notice it helping me anyway. I started doing a gentle stretching routine instead and that has helped me greatly.
  • SeptemberFeyre
    SeptemberFeyre Posts: 178 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Love my chiropractor, but he is pretty good about letting me go by how I feel for frequency of visits and he doesn't try to sell me on any crap. He's patched me up and sent me out on a number of injuries.

    Same here. Some chiropractors can do a world of good on structural issues that cause muscle pain, u just have to find the right one. Ask around.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    sailrunner wrote: »
    has certification in applied kinesthesiology.

    That is roughly akin to someone saying that they have a certification in mental telepathy or telekinesis, which are also the product of folks with an overactive imagination. Chiropractors have an uncanny knack for attempting to use seemingly legitimate scientific principles and then twisting them in odd ways to suit their smorgasbord of crackpot gobbledegook. Please see the citation below, and note the footnotes and references to real medical journals and written by doctors with real medical degrees.

    https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/ak.html

    I have no bone in this, having never seen a chiropractor myself, but it seems odd that the equivalent to 'a certification in mental telepathy or telekinesis' is being taught as an advanced degree subject at a couple of major universities, including those that have medical schools.

    There seems to be some Departmental naming slop that may be causing confusion with a title used by some quacks (or the quacks appropriated a legitimate title). 'Applied Kinesthesiology and Physiology' and 'Applied Physiology and Kinesthesiology' appear to be interchangeable and equivalent departments according to the posted descriptions - name depends on university. Both versions have NIH-funded research and both Master's and Ph.D. programs. So, you might consider that some degrees might in fact be legitimate.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 654 Member
    I went to one who damaged my basilar artery causing a massive stroke. Almost died and spent the next year relearning to walk and talk. Highly don't recommend

    This right here. I have terrible migraines and my headache specialist told me NEVER to see a chiropractor because they have too many patients that have damaged blood vessels in their neck due to injury by chiropractor which increases the risk of stroke, especially in migraine patients. What I did find was an amazing osteopath who did manipulation. I started seeing him after I broke my back. I did 4 straight months of physical therapy, but I saw my osteopath for over 10 years. I wouldn't be walking normally if it wasn't for him.
    My headache specialist also said seeing an osteopath was fine, just not a chiro. I'll never go near one.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I was thinking of trying a chiropractor to see if my body needs work to be done to perform optimally.
    What are your guys thoughts?
    Is it a waste of money and time or is it worth it ?

    While I have been helped by chiropractors after car accidents and for chronic lower back pain, for your purpose I suggest yoga.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Like some others have said, it's mostly quackery and psudoscience, not backed up by any actual scientific evidence/studies. The placebo effect is a powerful thing. If I had a problem with my spine I'd go to a medical doctor, not a chiropractor. I follow scibabe on facebook - she's a scientist out to debunk woo nonsense. She's shared several videos with chiropractors doing adjustments on BABIES. Yeah, tiny babies, even newborns. Their bones aren't even properly hard yet and these guys were properly yanking on their necks. It was horrific. I couldn't watch all the way through. Several babies and children have been injured or died because of chiropractors, as well as many adults. If you want to go then go and I'm glad people feel like they've been helped, but I wouldn't personally touch a chiropractor with a barge pole.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    The chiro can be very good, however, it's not a magical cure for every ailment.

    Personally, for the money, I'd get a massage.
  • armchairherpetologist
    armchairherpetologist Posts: 69 Member
    Like some others have said, it's mostly quackery and psudoscience, not backed up by any actual scientific evidence/studies. The placebo effect is a powerful thing. If I had a problem with my spine I'd go to a medical doctor, not a chiropractor. I follow scibabe on facebook - she's a scientist out to debunk woo nonsense. She's shared several videos with chiropractors doing adjustments on BABIES. Yeah, tiny babies, even newborns. Their bones aren't even properly hard yet and these guys were properly yanking on their necks. It was horrific. I couldn't watch all the way through. Several babies and children have been injured or died because of chiropractors, as well as many adults. If you want to go then go and I'm glad people feel like they've been helped, but I wouldn't personally touch a chiropractor with a barge pole.

    I also like Science Based Medicine.

    Chiropractic is clearly and convincingly refuted for the quack pseudoscience that it it is.
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
    Well I see an osteopath when I get injured or feel somethings off. I see the osteopath as a cure but get deep tissue massages as the prevention.
  • mca90guitar
    mca90guitar Posts: 289 Member
    Waste of money imo, didn't help me at all, actually added pain to my lower back.

    Rather get a message, at least you will enjoy It