What are your thoughts on chiropractors?

[disfan07]

I will NEVER go to a chiro ever again.

I went to one after my car accident last year. By teh time I finally stopped seeing him, I was in more pain than I was when I started seeing him.
This was 11 months ago. I ended up starting PT instead which has helped tremendously. I am still in PT for my back and my shoulder. I did PT 3x week for 3 months, than 2x week for 3 months, 1x week for 3 months adn now I got every 2 weeks.

So we paid OOP for some quack service that did more harm than good b/c our insurance does not cover chiros. Instead, I am gettign tremendous help from PT which is covered 100% by insurance.

The PT is 100x better than going to a chiropractor IMO

 

[momof5boys]

I have used Chiropractors in the past, after my last pregnancy I had such pain around my lower abd and pelvis, I could barely walk! My OB/GYN told me I could see the chiro anytime but I waited 3 wks. It never got better so I went in. Well I'll tell you what after 5 mins I had such relief! My last son was almost 10lbs and he had basically separated the front of my pelvis during delivery(we broke his collarbone as well, poor thing!) She (my chiro) had never seen one so bad! I was almost crying with gratitude when I left, I could walk and get out of a chair now with minimal pain. Also know that most DO (doctors of osteopathy) also are trained in manipulation. Many of your family docs are DO's instead of MD's. I have been adjusted by a DO as well, but to be honest the chiropractor had an easier time at it! I agree some are alittle strange in their beliefs, but if you don't agree with them find someone else!

 

[suejai]

We go to the chiropractor regularly - she saved DH from a very debilitating situation with pinched nerves which were causing severe dizziness. The doctors couldn't figure out what the problem was and just gave him prescriptions. Having said that -not all chiropractors are created equal. Some are just horse doctors. I would never go to one that did manipulations, especially on the neck. Mine uses a drop table which absorbs all the energy of the adjustments.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Love mine. I started seeing him when I was pregnant with DS9, my sciatica was so bad there were times I couldn't stand or sit, I was literally frozen in between and standing and sitting position.
Dr T got me moving again.
He also helps DH a lot. At first DH was seeing him 3 times a week but it gradually slowed to the point that DH had gone 7 months without an adjustment. Of course the next day we were in a car accident so we were back to more frequent treatment. The chiro right now is adjusting him enough to keep from having back surgery right now due to the accident. He'll need the surgery eventually but the chiro is helping us to postpone it as long as possible.
He's also seen the kids since the day they were born. No "popping and cracking" on them except for DS13, but he does gentle manipulation.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

They are like any other doctor, watch out for weirdos and quacks and you will be fine.

I have never used one but my dd was going for awhile and she loved it. It really helped her. She has a problem with one her legs and feet and it was causing everything else to be out of alignment and she was miserable. It helped a lot.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I think it really depends on the chiropractor. I went to one once (after my third pregnancy I had some really bad back problems) and he turned out to be a total quack. He had advertised a "free" adjustment and x-rays, but never even noticed on the x-rays that I have several vertebrae in my neck that are fused together. I ended up in pain for several days after the adjustment and never went back. Since then I have seen several of his ads that (to me) scream scam artist.

However, there is one chiropractor in our town that I have heard many people rave about and swear that he can help with back pain. My aunt is an RN and she loves him. I have been tempted to make an appt., but afraid to take the plunge after my first experience.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I love my Chiropractor She is so helpful to me. When I asked my family doctor (an MD) if it was okay to go to a Chiropractor she said she goes herself. So I gave it a try, and it worked great. Of course not all chiropractors are good, and everyone can make mistakes. I would never believe one who said they could cure cancer.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Voo doo, snake oil, smoke and mirrors. I prefer real doctors.

 

[holycow]

I'm a believer.

I had hurt my back and was in agony! I went to this guy ...HE TOOK XRAYS
which it sounds like quite a few of you didn't even have before your treatment.

He told me it would take a month to heal and it did. He was a godsend!
I thought if I had to live that way the rest of my life then life wasn't worth living.


BTW I went to my 'Dr" and all she gave me was muscle relaxers! How could I take those all of the time when I had a small child at home and needed to drive!!!

 

[LUVMYTINK]

My DH has had severe back pains for about 7 yrs and all his drs. would do, was give him motrin or muscle relaxers.
He went for his yearly physical and he told them that it was getting worse and they took an x-ray and told them that they were making him an appt with the chiropractor.

He went to the guy a week later and found out that he has several problems, all found on a MRI the chiro ordered. He sees him 2 twice a week and always feels relief afterwards.
He just started seeing a physical therapist this week also because they are trying to avoid back surgery.

 

[Geoff_M]

Our experience is that you should be fine as long as you stick to a chiropractor that practices "mainstream" chiropractics and stay away from ones that decide to throw in large doses of so-called "alternative medicine" and/or does things like suggest that all of your family needs regular "adjustments" (even your small children or infants).

 

[Tinkmom75]

I love my chiro. We go back as needed and haven't been since Nov. My whole family goes and we all feel better afterward.

 

[jog58]

It definitely can be dangerous.

http://whatstheharm.net/chiropractic.html

 

[Buckalew11]

I'm a big believer in Chiropractic medicine because I have been blessed with two absolutely wonderful chiropractors in my life. Not every one is so lucky and I am not sure if there is another chiropractor in this town I would trust but I know another good one in Knoxville.

 

[Buckalew11]

Another "no" vote--at least for some things. Clear as mud, huh?

A few months ago, I was diagnosed with a pinched nerve due to cervical spinal and neuroforamenal stenosis. My dad always swore by a chiro, so I thought I'd see if that would help. I had one treatment and made a second appointment for the following week.

In the meantime, a friend of mine, who happens to be a neurologist, but not my neurologist, sent me a message asking how I was doing. I told him I had been to see a chiropractor and I immediately got a reponse--"Whatever you do, don't let them do any adjustments on your neck".

What? Why? (I didn't tell him that my neck had already been pulled, twisted and turned in every possible direction). He went on to tell me that the adjustments to the neck have been linked to strokes and sent me some websites to read the case studies.

After reading the documentation, I immediately cancelled the next chiro appt and never made another.

I fully realize that the number of strokes caused by chiropractic treatment is minimal in relation to the number of people having these adjustments, but, with my luck, I would be one of the few and wasn't about to take that chance.

Just want to say that studies also show a higher rate of strokes after you have been to the hair salon and lean your neck back into the shampoo bowl!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

We have a number of physicians in our family. All of them consider chiropractics to be quackery. Their stance - they offer no more good than a good masseuse, but they are capable of great harm. They also talk of the placebo effect of their "treatments".

I'll trust a doctor's opinion and avoid them...

 

[Pennykay]

I had an issue last year where I really hurt my lower back. After six months of pain and several doctors appointments, a friend gave me the number to her Chiropractor. She worked wonders. I recovered quickly and have seen her as needed ever since. For me it was a much better alternative to constant pain medication and possible surgery.

 

[squirrlygirl]

Depends on the chiropractor and for what. We've got a great one up the road from us..DH goes every 5 or 6 months to have his back adjusted and always feels much better. I went a few times and the chiro told me not to come back He said my alignment issues were a symptom of another problem as opposed to the cause and referred me to an orthopedist.
He was right!

 

[dislaney]

I personally think that there are good ones and bad ones just like in any other profession. I also think it depends on what issue you are having them address.

 

[bookgirl]

Well the whole total of 3 that I've ever met were complete and utter nutjobs, but my stepmother went for years and seemed to get a lot of relief.

I figure it's one of those things where you get number of kooks but you do run across a good one every once in a while.