Pain from chiropractor?

[dani0622]

I went to a chiropractor for the first time last Thursday on recommendation from my primary physician. I've been suffering from migraines for about a year now and he thought it would help.

He did one neck adjustment on me. It freaked me out so much I practically jumped out of the chair. And it hurt, not a lot but there was some pain. Fast forward to today, Tuesday, and my neck still hurts. The pain is radiating to my head too, all it could be me stressing myself out about it and a migraine forming. But my neck definitely is very sore.

Is this normal? I made an appointment to see my regular doctor but couldn't get an appointment until Monday. I'm a little scared right now that he messed me up and am considering going to a urgent care center. Anyone else ever been in this situation?

 

[Froggyswife]

Normally an adjustment relieves pain not cause pain. When you "freaked out" and jumped you may have strained the muscles in your neck.

 

[dani0622]

aha....it does feel sort of like a strain, kind of like when you sleep wrong. Plus, I'm sure my muscles were super tense before he adjusted me because I was nervous...

 

[7165red]

check out urgent care. I anything it might put your mind at ease.

 

[Tazicket]

Any time I've been to the chiro, they make sure my muscles are relaxed first (usually w/ e-stem and massage) and then do the adjustment. All I've ever felt from them is relief. I agree with Froggyswife- you might have strained it a little when you jumped.

 

[ForTheLoveofDisney]

I see a chiropractor and I see a massage therapist (who also happens to be my best friend ) for migraines.

Yes, you could indeed still be feeling pain after the first few adjustments. It could take a little while before you feel the full benefits of relief.

But, like a previous poster stated, it could have strained the muscles in your neck. I've had an adjustment on my neck and then he's gone on to adjust my foot that I twisted when I fell in an unseen hole covered by grass. The pain from the foot adjustment was so bad that he had to re-adjust my neck because I flinched and tensed up so bad.

Also, my friend the massage therapist ALWAYS says "Muscles always win". Meaning, if your muscles are tight they can litterally pull your spine out of line (or out of adjustment). If you strained the muscles in your neck you very well could be feeling pain from that and also it could have pulled your neck back out of alignment.

Also, there have been times when I get adjusted but (because I've been going my whole life and I'm 32) I know something is still out and he'll have to get it from a different angle.

I encourage you to keep up the treatments. If it weren't for chiropractic I don't know where I'd be.

By the way, I haven't been going all my life for migraines. My uncle and cousins are chiropractors so I go just for well visits but when I did start getting migraines (as a result of a car accident) I know it is the chiropractor that helps me overcome them.

 

[Chattyaholic]

I used to get migraines too, and had a prescription medicine to take when I got them but it made me very nauseous so I didn't know which was worse: the pain from the headache, or the nausea.

The last migraine I had was so severe that I went to the emergency room.

Then I went to the chiropractor, 2 or 3 times, for neck adjustments.

This was at least 25 years ago. I have not had a migraine since then.

I used to get the "aura" where I couldn't see out of half of one eye, or I would see lots of squiggly lines but didn't get the pain. But I don't even get the aura anymore.

I truly believe the chiropractor cured my migraines.

If I were you I would stick with it, and try very hard to relax so it won't hurt when they make the adjustments in your neck.

 

[cepmom]

I go to a chiropractor on a regular basis ~ not for migraines but for neck and back pain ~ you probably need to be adjusted again. It takes more than one adjustment to feel better especially in the beginning. Didn't he want you to schedule another appt?

 

[Deb in IA]

I just saw a child whose collarbone was fractured after a chiropractic adjustment.

 

[bananiem]

I had a chiro break what was left of the neck of my femur. He didn't do an x-ray and I thought I was having sciatic nerve pain. Turned out I had a bone cyst. Make sure they do xrays first to rule out any bone abnormalities in the area.

 

[dani0622]

Thank you all for your feedback. He did in fact schedule me for a follow-up, which quite honestly I am too scared to go back too. I was extremely nervous before the adjustment and like one of you mentioned, I am sure I tensed up my muscles as he did the adjustments.

I ended up going to urgent care. They took some xrays and said they were fine. They are saying it's a muscle spasm from tensing up.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

if it was your first time then yes, it's normal. and if you moved when you "freaked out" then it probably made it a little worse. when i first started going to my chiropractor i was kind of nervous about the neck adjusting but after a few times i was fine and i trusted her.

i do have a really good chiropractor tho, she's never hurt me not even once, not even my first time.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm seeing a PT right now for my back--but he does adjustments similar (if not better) than my chiropractor.

With each--one adjustment that I get--immediately causes other discomfort...it is very weird, but it means that other areas now need adjusting. Very hard to explain--but if I let them just adjust the one spot on my spine--I will be in a lot of discomfort if I didn't let them do other areas.

Yesterday I had my adjustments to realign my spine as well as some massage along the spine--then I had to do my exercises..well after my exercises--the same spot went out of whack again--and that time when he did the adjustment--a lot more "pops" took place than the initial time.


(for me it is b/c I am hypermobile it turns out--with a lot of core weakness--so we are busy trying to wake up all the muscles and strengthen parts so I won't require those adjustments--just offering it though since I do get pain from the initial adjustments and have discovered that additional adjustments that I didn't realize were needed until after the initial one had been completed).

For you, something is still out of whack--you can see him again--or try someone new...or try a physical therapist who specializes in manual therapy. My PT is excellent and if you lived in the area, I would recommend him in a heartbeat over a chiropractor for any kind of spinal issues.

I do hate getting my neck adjusted--but you do have to let go and let them do it if it is needed...you will feel a lot better over time.

Be sure they are adjusting both sides as well--my neck does a similar thing to my spine and they have to go both directions to make sure all adjustments needed are done. When my neck needs work--I prefer this PT to my chiropractor...he can fix it without freaking me out like he is trying to break my neck.

 

[dani0622]

My mother also suggested a physical therapist, I think that's my next step. The chiro did only adjust one side of my neck.

 

[Golf4food]

There is more than one way to do Chiropractic adjustments. I have seen a chiro who uses an "activator" that is basically a small spring loaded punching thing that they put again the vertebrae and release the spring so it pops your bones back into place. Painless. No twisting. No turning. I don't know how it can possibly work, but it has for me. I normally just get the good old fashioned grab and twist adjustments. But they don't scare me or bother me at all.

My mother worked as a receptionist for a chiropractor when I was young and I would hang out in the office after school or after t-ball games and get adjustments so I guess I am just used to it. Feels great. I have neck and back problems that I have only found relief from via chiropractic care. If I could afford it now I would gladly go at least once per week. Love it. Just relax and go with the flow - it is the only way to not get hurt. If you can't mentally handle the neck grab and twist, try asking if he can use a non-aggressive treatment method such as the one I described above, or find a different chiro who can.

But don't give up just because of one visit. If your bones are really out of whack, it takes much more than one visit to fix everything. Baby steps.

 

[IloveDMB]

Instead of going back to the chiropractor, you might want to look into going to a D.O. in your area who specializes in osteopathic manipulative medicine. If you are in southern Jersey, there is an osteopathic medical school in Stratford.

I go to a D.O. school in Florida, and there is an OMM clinic on campus where our doctor professors practice. I don't know about the one in NJ, but here the clinic is open to the public.

I had a friend who suffered from vertigo and headaches and went to a doctor on campus. He specializes in cranial manipulation and she has been headache free for a month.

Just some food for thought.

 

[aprilgail2]

I stopped going to the chiropractor. Every time they would adhust my neck I would have a headache for 2 days after it. Cause more pain that anything.

 

[JunieJay]

Thank you all for your feedback. He did in fact schedule me for a follow-up, which quite honestly I am too scared to go back too. I was extremely nervous before the adjustment and like one of you mentioned, I am sure I tensed up my muscles as he did the adjustments.

I ended up going to urgent care. They took some xrays and said they were fine. They are saying it's a muscle spasm from tensing up.

I just had a weird experience with one I was going to - she adjusted me fine, but then she started doing some other weird thing where she is manipulating my feet and counting and asking me to say I am deserving of divine health. Geez, just adjust me already. Anyway, long story short I do want to find a new chiropractor who WILL adjust my back (because the one time she actually did it I got relief from pain I have been having for the last year that no medical doctor or medicine could give me relief from) but she said she doesn't do adjustments regularly and practices this other hocus pocus instead. So its back to the drawing board for me trying to find a new chiropractor. If I were you, I'd definately NOT go back to this chiro who sent you to urgent care, doesn't sound like a good match to me. .

 

[KikiFan]

I just had a weird experience with one I was going to - she adjusted me fine, but then she started doing some other weird thing where she is manipulating my feet and counting and asking me to say I am deserving of divine health. Geez, just adjust me already. Anyway, long story short I do want to find a new chiropractor who WILL adjust my back (because the one time she actually did it I got relief from pain I have been having for the last year that no medical doctor or medicine could give me relief from) but she said she doesn't do adjustments regularly and practices this other hocus pocus instead.

That "Hocus Pocus" is called Kinesiology and it's a powerful tool that does work if you'll just be open to it. For two years my daughter's life was a nightmare. She developed one allergy after another, peanuts, red dye, sunflower , all of her asthma medicine, eventually it became a new allergy every week. It went from reacting if she injested it, to if she came in physical contact and eventually she couldn't even be in the same room with the items. Two different peds, three allergy specialists and no one could give me an answer much less do anything to control it. My daughter was on her way to living in a glass bubble.

About 6 weeks ago I started seeing a new chiro due to a car accident. At that point my daughter had had an outbreak of hives and whelts everyday for 10 days straight. So I asked her if she had any idea what could be causing it and if she thought she could help. She started treating my daughter - without even charging me - because her case was so serious.

For the first time in 2 years my daughters allergic reactions have reversed. She's no longer allergic to half the things she was before. And her reactions have gone from hives and whelts to merely itching. I can't even begin to describe the changes in my daughter. She's becoming healthier physically and emotionally. This Dr has done in 6 weeks what no other dr could do in two years. And it's all due to adjustments and Kinesiology.

I'm sorry to go all off-topic rant. But I think it's important that people see both sides of what you regard as "hocus pocus"

OP Speaking as a chiro patient and a massage therapist it sounds to me like the pain you're experiencing is a result of you tightening up. But that doesn't let the chiro off the hook. They should have prepared you better for the adjustment. Explaining how it would feel, massaging you to loosen you up and even using distractions.

My chiro often distracts me by telling me something random like "wiggle your toe!" and the adjustment is over before I realize it or tense up. I have had some adjustments that were painful. Particularly in recovering from the car wreck. BUT typically it's been a strange combination of pain immediately followed by a sense of relief and release. With one really major adjustment I went from yelling out to laughing uncontrollabley. It was weird but it felt amazing.

I'd either talk to the dr and explain what happened and your concerns or try to find another dr. But don't give up chiropractic med really works.

 

[JunieJay]

That "Hocus Pocus" is called Kinesiology and it's a powerful tool that does work if you'll just be open to it. For two years my daughter's life was a nightmare. She developed one allergy after another, peanuts, red dye, sunflower , all of her asthma medicine, eventually it became a new allergy every week. It went from reacting if she injested it, to if she came in physical contact and eventually she couldn't even be in the same room with the items. Two different peds, three allergy specialists and no one could give me an answer much less do anything to control it. My daughter was on her way to living in a glass bubble.

About 6 weeks ago I started seeing a new chiro due to a car accident. At that point my daughter had had an outbreak of hives and whelts everyday for 10 days straight. So I asked her if she had any idea what could be causing it and if she thought she could help. She started treating my daughter - without even charging me - because her case was so serious.

For the first time in 2 years my daughters allergic reactions have reversed. She's no longer allergic to half the things she was before. And her reactions have gone from hives and whelts to merely itching. I can't even begin to describe the changes in my daughter. She's becoming healthier physically and emotionally. This Dr has done in 6 weeks what no other dr could do in two years. And it's all due to adjustments and Kinesiology.

I'm sorry to go all off-topic rant. But I think it's important that people see both sides of what you regard as "hocus pocus" .

Glad to hear it worked for your daughter. It didn't work for me. Furthermore, she didn't refer to it as Kinesiology, but the B.E.S.T. practice.