Chiropractors: Yea or Nay

[2D_mastur]

God, you fuckers must be old.

 

[Mr. Mort]

I went to a chiropractor for 2 years for chronic lower back pain. She'd twist my neck/back, put me on traction, and I'd be fine for a few days, maybe a week if I was lucky, only to have the pain return. I had to constantly see her sometimes twice a week. I threw a lot of money out the window. My doctor then referred me to a physical therapist who taught me exercises to work out the knots in my muscles and to strengthen my core & my back.

Now when my back hurts, I get back on the exercise program on my own, and in a few days, I'm feeling better.

I think a chiropractor may be alright for minor issues, but for moderate or serious back/neck problems, their treatment is temporary at best.

 

[100proof]

Chiropractors aren't all quacks but at best, they're masseuses who wear lab coats and don't give happy endings. There's minimal legitimate science behind what they do (beyond what a masseuse does) and nothing they do will ever cure you of an ailment. If you feel better, you could've gotten the same relief from a rub and tug and some basic stretching exercises and at least had an orgasm to show for it.

 

[IceStar3030]

Just last week I really hurt my lower back doing barely a bend, and as a desperate measure I made an appointment with a chiropractor near my work, at first she definitely eased the pain, but later on that night the pain happened again and was actually kinda worse. Saw her again last Tuesday, she fixed it again a bit and no more pain, but a bit of tension in the lower muscles. Saw her again today, and she did another quick readjustment, and I don't feel any pain or tension anymore, so it seems so far her approach worked, she just did about 5 different cracks to the hip and back/shoulders, not too many, only what's necessary, and I feel kinda better now. I'm gonna see her for another 5 sessions and I don't think it would do any harm, at least for my case. Other people at work think it's nice for a bit but they don't seem to experience any long term benefits. I don't really care about the "various ailments" part, I just want my back to be cracked and worked with properly.

 

[LoneSage]

Who wants to get jacked off by a stranger, honestly?

 

[Fritz]

Haha, those monitors are a bitch. I made the mistake of not removing the monitor, placing it down first then rotating and putting back in. I tried to do it all at once and injured my knee.

Is it your shoulder or back? I suggest going to a sports medicine office and seeing either a MD or DO, as they are more used to dealing with muscular skeletal injuries than some GPs.

It usually goes like this with a shoulder injury:

1. NSAID (aka aleve) + rest + likely an xray
2. assuming that didnt help -> MRI
3. Physical Therapy and/or a steroid shot in the joint
4. Referral to a shoulder surgeon
5. Surgery vs Non surgical treatment with continued PT and steroid injections depending on the specific injury.

 

[norton9478]

For lower back pain, there are about 4-5 stretches/exercises that you can try.

Some will will work, some won't , some will make you feel worse.

I suggest trying some and sticking with what seems to work.

 

[xelement5x]

I also think chiropractors are, well, pretty much quacks. I'm sure there are some that are better than others and maybe have more training that helps them diagnose better, but I've always tried to go it my own for a week or so and if the pain is still there go see my doctor.

 

[Endlessnameless]

I was about 17 or 18 and working at target when a "chiropractor" had basically set up an advertisement stand offering a basic consultation and xrays for a low price. I agreed made an appointment did all that basic stuff. My mother begged me to see a real doctor (those were her words first) before I went in for an adjustment. I agreed and took my xray's in to the real doctor and showed him my xrays. He sat and looked at them for a moment turned to me and said that the chiropractor had mislabeled the spine. And I never went back to the chiropractor after that. Being out of x-ray school for almost a decade now, I can't fathom how a "doctor" could mislabel something so easy to spot. I'm sure there are good and bad ones. I work with people who swear by chiropractors and have weekly/monthly appointments. But I tend to stay away.

 

[roker]

I think it helps, as well as massage therapists, but overall I have seen much better results from Physical Therapy. Usually they include massages either by hand or with electric stim or both!

I used to go to chiropractor who had a massage therapist as well, I do believe that in the end, it helped, but I don't think it was a cure or end all be all of treatment.

 

[Electric Grave]

DNSDies hit the nail on the head. Chiropractors can be useful, but it's more like physical therapy than a medical cure. If you've got something seriously wrong you need to see a MD.

I hate to admit but yes, DNSDouches is right. If it's a simple thing go do it and get it out of the way, don't wait to see a doctor and go through a bunch of bullshit if you need a reference form your primary doctor. If the pain comes back then it's time for a scan or an X-ray and go from there.

 

[GohanX]

You can't even agree with someone without insulting them if you don't like them, can you?

 

[Xian Xi]

I've been dealing with stubborn a twinge of stabbing pain in my shoulder for a couple of weeks now after rotating my Blast's monitor.

My father is a retired general surgeon and thinks chiropractors are bogus, everybody else is telling me this would be a routine procedure for a chiropractor.

So I offer this up to the board for opinion

chiropractors: quacks or bonafide healers?

Been there done that. I can tell you whole-heartedly Ken that I trust my chiropractor more than my other doctors. Surgeons are trigger happy with the scalpel. They can most times easily prescribe something to fix the problem non-evasive but would rather cut you up. And for stuff that they know nothing about that a chiropractor specializes in they would just throw medicine at you that won't fix the problem.

If you go to a chiropractor in your area, see which one is the president of the area of the chiropractic association, go to that guy. Also never go to a woman, they have space issues when certain adjustments would put their tits in your face, they'd rather do another less effective adjustment.

 

[wataru330]

They are not doctors. They are only official to other chiropractors. They are very similar to DO's.

Utter horseshit.

Doctors of Osteopathy are legit, full privileged, practicing PHYSICIANS.

The OMT and manipulation training they receive is an allopathic bonus, that MDs lack.

Chiropractors aren't even in the same sport, much less same league as a board certified, fellowship trained DO.

4 yrs med school
1 yr osteopathic internship year
3-12yr residency, depending on specialty and research year(s)
Fellowship 1-3yrs

I know a DO *very* well ;^) that trained for TWELVE yrs post college, before her 1st Surgeon job.

Vs. a 4yr DC degree.

I laugh in the general direction of DCs.

Want sound physical OMT/manipulation, by the best? Seek out a DO family practice doc.

 

[ahcmetal]

I've been dealing with stubborn a twinge of stabbing pain in my shoulder for a couple of weeks now after rotating my Blast's monitor.

My father is a retired general surgeon and thinks chiropractors are bogus, everybody else is telling me this would be a routine procedure for a chiropractor.

So I offer this up to the board for opinion

chiropractors: quacks or bonafide healers?

I get a sharp pain in my left shoulder every so often...and a chiropractor told me to sleep FLAT on my back for a few nights and see if it goes away...

After about 3 nights it's always gone away, might be a simple fix for you too before you start sinking money in doctors...

 

[Speed3]

Yay for getting your back popped and creaky bones

Nay for when they start talking about subluxation (quackery of the highest order IMHO)

 

[Electric Grave]

You can't even agree with someone without insulting them if you don't like them, can you?

I like you and I try my best to insult you fiercely so...

*Douchers???

 

[greedostick]

I work with hundreds of doctors and nurses, among others in a hospital. And the majority think chiropractors do more harm than good. But there is also the group who swear by them. It's a debate you will never get a good answer to. If they are cracking things, or putting parts back in place, then I would not go yet. You will become reliant on one your whole life.

How old are you?

One thing I can tell you, is that a few months, although it sucks, isn't that long. Especially if you have poor eating and sleeping habits. Like others mentioned, you need to make a family doctor visit first, and probably get some basic tests, like an XRAY and or MRI. To see if there is any real damage. The decide if you need any further treatment, surgery, physical therapy, etc..

I would say make an appt with a family doc, until then eat real food. This means vegetables, fruits, and protein. Baby that area, get a sling from the pharmacy, and keep ice on it, and ibuprofin. If you can take a anti-inflamitory, and it helps, you probably have some swelling, and all the movement is keeping it from getting better.

Seriously though, make a dr appt, and if need be get a REFERRAL to a specialist. This will help you get into a place covered by your insurance, provided you have any,

 

[greedostick]

I was about 17 or 18 and working at target when a "chiropractor" had basically set up an advertisement stand offering a basic consultation and xrays for a low price. I agreed made an appointment did all that basic stuff. My mother begged me to see a real doctor (those were her words first) before I went in for an adjustment. I agreed and took my xray's in to the real doctor and showed him my xrays. He sat and looked at them for a moment turned to me and said that the chiropractor had mislabeled the spine. And I never went back to the chiropractor after that. Being out of x-ray school for almost a decade now, I can't fathom how a "doctor" could mislabel something so easy to spot. I'm sure there are good and bad ones. I work with people who swear by chiropractors and have weekly/monthly appointments. But I tend to stay away.

No offense if there are any doctors here, but not all doctors are created equal. Normally the best doctors are the ones you hate with no personality. The thing is doctors make millions in their lifetime to make educated guesses. However, some are simply amazing, but this is really rare. Some are better than others for various reasons.

1. They're just good.
2. They have lots of practice

That's pretty much it. When you take into account most doctors work in small cities, you can come to a conclusion they don't have much practice, at least with serious stuff. That's why at our emergency room we get people from all over ohio. Some of which other hospitals have basically sentenced to death. A small hospital not in a large city = they will kill your ass if you have serious stuff going on.

I saw a guy once a outlying hospital sent, and they nearly killed him because he had steak in his throat, and the pushed it into his chest wall. I see almost on a daily basis trauma patients that come from small hospitals that have ancient xray files with them, that are not even readable. I see people who are said to have heart attacks or strokes and are not having one. I see people other hospitals perform cpr on who are not dead, and they break their ribs. Another thing I see a lot is people who said to need gall bladder surgery, who don't need it. This is so common.

I doubt that guy had a modern xray machine set up, and had shit films to read, or was just unexperienced.

I honestly have no idea why doctors are so highly praised. I do appreciate them, but the real heroes are the scientists, engineers, and software developers who create programs, technology, and machines that diagnose people. Except for a good surgeon. In my opinion surgeons are the real doctors.