slo’s WEDNESDAY poll - Chiropractors

[Kitty 34]

I went to one when I was pregnant with my 1st (40 years ago!!!) . They wouldn't even go near my neck that I broke in three places and had spinal surgery a couple of years earlier.

So never went again. Did go in my early 50's to a physical therapy center and had a therapist work on my neck for a couple of years. Learned some very good neck and back exercises from that gentleman.

 

[MainMom]

I voted “never had the need” since I’ve luckily never had to really decide, but the whole idea also makes me nervous, so I would have voted twice if I could.

For anyone who is nervous of the adjusting there is a technique with an activator which is a gentle instrument used to put the vertebrate back in alignment. DH uses this on elderly, patients who request it, or anyone who is really scared of the hand adjustment. He has patients who come in who say only activator and that’s what he does.

 

[MainMom]

Very well said - sounds like your DH is pretty awesome.
I honestly can't say enough about my doctor - he's pretty awesome too.
You mentioned your DH adjusting your kids, and my doctor adjusts my kids as well.
I tell people all the time that my doctor has put Humpty Dumpty (meaning my 17 year old for the last 8 years) back together over and over (she's an athlete).

Thank you! We like him! DH was just asked to work with a local sports team. He sees lots of student athletes.
He’s also been in practice so long that patients he’s seen since they were little are now bringing in their kids.

 

[cepmom]

Holy Moly.....there's a lot of negative reviews about Chiropractors.
Unfortunately, the bad ones ruin it for the good ones.
Luckily I've been blessed with the 2 different Chiropractors I've seen in my life (one when I was younger and then he retired and my current one).
They both have made an incredible difference in my life.

I feel the same way...I feel lucky to have met my chiro, have been seeing him for almost 30 years, and he has been able to relieve me of my back pain and headaches every time. Some ask why do you need to keep going back if it indeed works, and that's like saying why do you go to the dentist every 6 months for cleanings or go to have fillings etc lol it isn't a one and done type treatment. I have mild scoliosis, multiple car accidents (one where I was hit by a car as pedestrian) sports injuries, my time working as an xray tech in a busy hospital lifting and sliding patients,. pushing heavy xray equipment all around etc, old age you name it and no medical Dr would have been able to help with anything but referral for PT (which I have also done in conjunction with chiro care and that has helped) meds or surgery.

Call me crazy but I'd rather see my chiro regularly than pop pills forever or have spinal fusion....been working as an xray tech long enough and have spent way to much time in the OR for spinal surgeries to ever do that unless it was absolutely the last last option.

Oh 30 years with the chiro and haven't had a stroke yet so I'm pretty sure it's gonna be ok

 

[MainMom]

It's so weird really; this is what everybody "knows" about chiropractors. Do they really do it that much? The one I've seen never ever suggested snapping my neck and DH says he never has that done either.

Was your primary complaint your neck? Or was it your back?

 

[ronandannette]

Was your primary complaint your neck? Or was it your back?

Neither. I've only been 3 times and neither back or neck was involved.

 

[kymom99]

I go when I feel like I’m not moving well. I went when I was having some mild pain in my tailbone. He worked on it over several visits to get it moving freely. Now it’s just fine. I get some tightness in my neck/shoulder area that he gets loosed up. In general he just works on getting things moving more freely. I feel better after the visits so I go occasionally.

 

[MainMom]

Neither. I've only been 3 times and neither back or neck was involved.

Well, what I was getting at is if the neck wasn’t your major area of complaint they most likely wouldn’t adjust it. If you have US insurance the chiropractor bills by how many regions are adjusted on the body. A chiropractor can be flagged and then audited for having too many 3, 4, or 5 region adjustments because the more regions the more $ paid. Insurance only wants the chiro to work on the major complaint area and the expectation is that it’s typically one area, maybe 2 (of course there are exceptions like accidents.) The chiropractor would have to open a new case with your neck complaint to then begin billing for the neck region. Of course if you are paying cash you can pay the chiropractor to adjust as many regions as he feels is necessary.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I swear by my chiropractic adjustments. Was hit by an out of control semi in the 1980s.
My neck has no curve left in it- I stretch and do therapy at home. But sometimes it locks no matter what I do. Then I go to get snapped. I love it. It gets rid of the headache.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I love my Chiropractor. I see him once a month for maintenance adjustments. If I miss an appointment, my lower back will rebel.

 

[leebee]

I really like my chiropractor, which is amazing as for 50 years I said "no way, no how" to chiropractic. However, DD is a dancer who developed a variety of issues, including shin splints. Her chiropractor kept her on her toes all those years, so when my back (L5 disc issue) became intolerable and I was tired of taking ibuprofen, cyclobenzaprine, and Valium around the clock for several weeks, I visited her chiropractor. I went into the office hobbling, came out walking gingerly but upright. Of course it wasn't a "one and done" but over the next two weeks I saw the Chiro 3x a week, weaned off the drugs, and was fine. I don't think she's ever "cracked" me, but works with a stimulator gun like thing that loosens the muscles and relaxes the tightness. Right now I am having an issue with my knee. I spent 3 months working with my PCP and PT, and it helped a little but I was still hobbled, needed a cane to walk stably. I finally went to my Chiro two weeks ago and she worked it out. Warned me it would take several weekly visits, so I made the appointments. Missed the first one (last week- we were quarantined) but was doing fine until today, when the knee started kicking up again. Can't wait until Friday's appointment. I know Chiro isn't for everyone, and if they tried to crack my neck I'd draw the line, but so far it's worked well for me.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Nope. Never needed one.

I also can't tolerate the sound of joints cracking. I don't crack my knuckles and don't need someone to crack my neck or spine. Makes me queasy thinking about it.

My back is super messed up because, as I learned in a class back in college, everyone's back is super messed up. Animals that are strictly bipedal (a.k.a. humans) aren't normal and our bodies don't like it. I just try to get a massage a few times a year to work knots out of the muscles.

 

[superme80]

I used to go to one back in the early 90s. I was a competitive gymnast, and he helped keep me going. I have 2 friends who either are chiropractors or went to school for it. Both got their degrees before going to Chiropractic school one in biology, the other in genetics. I know there are some absolutely terrible ones out there, but I won't completely write them off.

 

[Kittyblue]

I've been to a couple. In my 20s I went to one for a few sessions after a car accident. I stopped going to him after the visit where I passed out when he adjusted my neck. In my 30s many coworkers were taking advantage of our insurance's chiropractic coverage - see the doctor once, get massages prescribed, boom weekly $5 massages. I only did it a couple times though.

 

[Fantasia79]

Anything a chiropractor can relieve, a regular MD can relieve without the risk of stroke.

wish I had seen this years ago (currently fighting to regain as much mobility as I can).

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I never had the need to go to a chiropractor. My Mom threw her neck out in the 70s and went to one. He did something to her upper back I remember. It went "crrrraaaack" and then she was fine. I wouldn't rule it out, but my back trouble is due to degenerative arthritis, so not much to do about it except soldier on.