OT: opinions of chiropractic treatment?

[CarlaVeg]

Originally Posted by Peggy T

I had debilitating SI joint pain despite 8 months of PT. My chiropractor fixed me in 3 visits. I always thought they were quacks, but I am a true believer now!!

Yeap me too. My chriro pretty much fixed my SI joint in 3 visits as well. I still have some residual pain but it's not bad. I am afraid of exercising though....

[toaster]

Sorry for the old thread; I guess I was one of the last ones to post before. When I posted over the summer, I did wind up going to see my massage therapist (who is also an Anusara yoga instructor), and it did help with the knot I was having in my shoulder that I'd been unable to work through on my own.

Since a few days after Christmas, however, I have been having low back pain. This time, I got a referral to a new chiropractor, someone who a friend of mine highly recommended, so I decided to try him out (even though my doctor had given me a referral to PT).

Unfortunately, I've gone for a total of 3 sessions since last week, and I'm rather disappointed so far. He is a re-post from my checkin about my experience:

I was a little disappointed in my 3rd chiropractor visit tonight. The appointment itself was fine, as I got the usual adjustments. (As I side note, I'm still getting a huge crack in my neck each time, and I could see how with all the tightness I have there, maybe regular adjustments would help; however, not only could I probably not afford to come in for as long as it would take to fix that, but also it's my back that's the main issue right now.)

Anyway, I asked the doctor some additional questions about treatment. He revealed that he only does adjustments--no massage, no ultrasound, nothing else, including giving patients exercises to do at home. This is kind of disappointing, not only because being a psychologist, I tend to view health issues from a holistic approach, but also because before I went to see him, I emailed him and basically told him I was looking for a few sessions to get me back on track and then continued self-care on my own. When he emailed me back, he said something to the extent of he'd have to see me in person before he could evaluate how many appointments I might need (which is understandable), but I wish he had admitted up front that he doesn't work the way I described, that he sees more ongoing care as important, that he doesn't give exercises, etc.

I did make another appointment, as I would still like to get some relief out of the investment I've made so far. I also asked him when I could expect to feel better, and although of course he said "everybody's different" (which I expected), he said that most people feel better within 3-4 appointments. So, next Wednesday will be #4 for me, and I think after that, I will wait to see how I feel before scheduling anything else.

I keep second-guessing myself--should I have done the PT instead? Should I have just gone back to my massage therapist, who I really like (she's also an Anusara yoga instructor) and who seemed to help me when I had my last low back pain episode?

I guess I should have been more specific in the questions I asked before I went in--if only I had remembered this thread! I probably would not have chosen this doctor if I had realized that he does only adjustments and nothing else. Being not just a home exerciser but also a psychologist, of course I want to be actively involved in my care & be able to do things on my own, but his attitude seems to be that the only cure is continued adjustments. (Even worse, according to the materials he has given me, I shouldn't even necessarily expect the adjustments to cure my symptoms; apparently, the ONLY purpose of chiropractic care is to fix subluxations, NOT symptom relief. )

Anyway, I just wanted to share an alternate perspective.

[MollyC]

It's not evidence-based treatment. If I had a back or neck problem, I'd see my orthopod.

[videofit]

There are good and bad in every field of medicine.

[toaster]

Originally Posted by videofit

There are good and bad in every field of medicine.

I certainly believe this is true. But here is another funny thing: my chiropractor gave me a handout specifically stating that chiropractic is NOT a branch of medicine and please do NOT ask him medical questions! Now, I understand that he is not an MD, but I would still consider him to be a health care provider...however, this same handout also says (and this is is a DIRECT quote) "despite their extensive training, great successes and good intentions, medical care is still very dangerous."

That's just the kind of thing that turned me off.

[eyefit]

Originally Posted by toaster

I certainly believe this is true. But here is another funny thing: my chiropractor gave me a handout specifically stating that chiropractic is NOT a branch of medicine and please do NOT ask him medical questions! Now, I understand that he is not an MD, but I would still consider him to be a health care provider...however, this same handout also says (and this is is a DIRECT quote) "despite their extensive training, great successes and good intentions, medical care is still very dangerous."

That's just the kind of thing that turned me off.

whoah, that would scare me off too! Are there other chiropractors in your area you could seek out? I had a not so great experience with one chiropractor but the ones I see now are absolutely wonderful (it's a husband and wife practice and I've been to both). I'm afraid some chiro's may give the profession a bad name and can be somewhat quacky, unfortunately. I got a good reference for the husband and wife team and they have a great reputation in the area. Like someone upthread mentioned, bad chiropractors are pretty bad but good ones are worth their weight in gold. That really is true.

When I go to mine, they don't demand I come back multiple times for tons of unnecessary adjustments. I had a problem a few years back where I did needed multiple adjustments, but now they just fix me when I have a pain in my neck (had some neck issues that caused some carpal tunnel symptoms down my right arm) and also with my low back (occasional sciatica and low back subluxation). They know I take good care of myself and will come back when needed. I wouldn't give up on the whole idea of chiropractic due to one bad experience but I think it is important to move on if you aren't comfortable with this one.

[toaster]

eyefit, I went to a different one before. I liked her, and she did a greater variety of things, but I never saw much improvement, so when my friend recommended this doctor, I thought that maybe I should try someone new, ironically.

Now I think that maybe chiropractic is just not for me, sadly; I just don't seem to get much relief that way.

[videofit]

There are so many different schools of chiropractic these days and not all work for all problems for all people. There are a couple of types where they barely touch you and that did nothing for me. I like a good crack!

[PrincessKick]

My chiropractor has saved me from constant headaches and neck pain. Love him. And I was very hesitant to go initially.

[GeekyGirl]

Originally Posted by PrincessKick

My chiropractor has saved me from constant headaches and neck pain. Love him. And I was very hesitant to go initially.

Ditto! I went to my chiropractor to get help with my migraines, & I have been amazed at how much the treatments have helped. The treatments & therapy have helped improve my posture as well.