Chiropractor Questions

[bklyn]

I recently started seeing a chiropractor for headaches (starting in my neck). He took x-rays and used a machine which showed "nerve inflammation." He says he can help me, but it will take many sessions of manipulation, massage, etc. I'm feeling unsure about this. Do any of you see a chiropractor on a regular basis. He even claims that when my spine is aligned, my digestive problems may be resolved. (He doesn't claim to cure Celiac,other stomach issues that I can't seem to find an answer to.) Any help is appreciated.

[mouse]

I see a Chiro weekly because of the Scoliosis of the spine and my neck. My neck has 2 vertibrae that are trying to fuse together. My Chiro would not adjust my neck without the X-Rays and after he saw them, he would not physically adjust it. He looks at my neck X-Rays during each visit and he uses that little gun instead of manual manipulation. He also does a figure 8 slight stretching of the neck. I am just glad he is so cautious and is trying to delay the enevital (sp) without doing further damage. I have seen lots of Chiro's during my life and if you are the least uncomfortable about what he wants to do, then I feel you should find another. Like in any profession, there are good and bad ones.

Also if the neck adjustment is not just right, it can give you more headaches. Years ago, I used to see a Chiro for my migraines and I would not even get to my car before a humdinger would hit me.

[LKelly8]

For a skeptical perspective . . . Open Original Shared Link.

[Guest nini]

I've been going to chiropractors since I was 11. Or younger. I'm a licensed massage therapist and have been working with different chiropractors for 10 years. I believe that chiropractic and massage are extremely beneficial for treating headaches and helping to recover from say an auto accident or a work related injury or slip fall... Massage helps people deal with stress easier. It doesn't cure disease, what it does do is to help the body to help heal itself. When the nervous system is not blocked by sublaxations, the body functions more in the way it is supposed to. Massage therapy addresses the muscular aspect of it and Chiropractic addresses the structural aspect. I truly believe that regular chiropractic is what has kept me functional all these years before my dx of Celiac when I was so sick and with the fibromyalgia and the several car accidents and slip fall accidents I've been in. I've had medical Dr.s tell me I should have been in a wheelchair and disabled by now and I give the credit to chiropractic and massage for keeping me out of one.

The whole reason I became a massage therapist is because of how much chiropractic and massage have helped me. (I couldn't afford to go to chiropractic school!)

[BRUMI1968]

I've seen various chiropractors.

1. using the 'gun'. I'm not sure this did anything, other than the mental relief of going. It may have - I'm just saying that I am uncertain at this time if it contributed to my health or not. I was moving toward a healthy lifestyle at the time.

2. B.E.S.T. (BioEnergeticSynchronozationTechnique). This guy was interesting. His technique was unlike anything I've ever had done before. I cannot attest to the bone elements - but he cured an especially nasty case of ringworm by suggesting silver (which lots of folks are skeptical of - so I would research this a lot if anyone is suggesting it) and eating differently.

3. Crack-em. I don't know what you call him, but I went for six months - 3 times a week, about 5 minutes per session. It started with Xrays, but then it seemed to me that he just did the same thing to everyone for the most part. He didn't check my spine or neck right before each adjustment. I did get improvement from my symptoms (hip and back pain, sciatica type pain, and inability to garden for very long without pain). I think that coupled with massage, this way can work, but it takes a long time.

4. Cranio-Sacral. Again, not totally sure if it worked or not. Is a bit odd - hardly any touching.

My current guy. My current guy spends between 30 and 45 minutes on me per session. He uses massage mostly, but is not a massage therapist - he's a chiro. What happens is he works on the back/neck, then asks you to breath in and old it, then breath out. Often when you breath out, you can feel your spine adjusting itself. This is the most gentle approach I've had - AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE. I only had to go twice to this man to feel completely cured of my ills (I had hurt myself gardening, as usual). On top of that, he gave me exercises that would help me. He did not say I needed to come back unless I had pain (unlike the other guys who wanted me there several times per week).

I don't know what type of chiro he is. And honestly, I've been trying to reach him lately since I hurt myself on a motorcycle trip to Montana - but he must be on vacation. I'll try again, and ask him what his technique is called - so that if someone were looking for this type of chiropractor, they would know what to look for. AHA! I JUST GOOGLED HIS NAME AND FOUND OUT THAT HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND HAS HIS LICENSE REVOKED PENDING HEARING! My word!

If you do go with a crack-em type, make sure you do massage as well. Otherwise, your muscles, which are habitualized to what they are doing, will try to drag your bones back out of alignment.

I DO totally 100% believe that your spine health is of the utmost importance - all your nerves run through it - it is like the telephone operator for your whole body - and if she's out to lunch, no calls get through.

I've rambled. Good luck to you, regardless.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

There are both geniuses and quacks in the chiropractic field--just like conventional medicine.

Seeral years ago, I fell down a flight of stairs, cracked my tailbone, and knocked2 vertebrae out of place. Had been to one chiro years before that, and thought he was a total quack. Didn't want to go to another one, but my doctor actually insisted--and I'm so glad he did. I walked in to his office (the chiropractor's--different than the one i'd seen years before) hunched over in terrible pain--and walked out half an hour later standing erect and with about 80% of the pain GONE.

If something in your spine is not aligned correctly, yes, it can screw up all kinds of things. What gets me is when neurologists and orthopedists discount chiropractic altogether. No, it can't cure everything--but like my chiropractor says, "If chiropractic has not been tried, than everything possible has NOT been done."

[CarlaB]

There are good chiropractors and bad ones. I usually look for one who is into health, rather one who is into injury. I have found them to be a help and a complement to my other treatments.

[Lymetoo]

I've been seeing one regularly again since December. He has really helped my sciatic nerve problems, as well as my neck problems. We're still working on the rest of the spine. Lots of trouble everywhere from years of Lyme arthritis.

I agree...find one who is into "wellness"....prevention included.

[Corkdarrr]

I agree with many of the above posts that there are both good and bad chiropractors.

But I was raised in a family that believes in chiropractic medicien and have been going to see one since I was very young (10 or 11 if not earlier).

I whole heartedly believe in chiropractic medicine...IF it's the right dr. Since moving away from the chiro I grew up with, I have struggled to find someone I trust as much and who can produce similar results.

-Courtney

[Adelle]

I TOTALLY believe in massage therapy and stuff. I've never been to a chiropracter (maybe when I get my medical bills paid off......), but I try to get a massage whenever I can. My husband's co-worker is also a massage therapist. He gifted me a massage about a year ago. She has helped me more than any doctor! Every time I get one, I leave feeling MUCH better. Lighter, no tummy rumblies, my joints feel better, that night I sleep wonderfully. She is having license renewal problems ($, time, etc nothing scandalous) so I'm aching, but I totally LOVE her!

I also know that massage works for horses and dogs too, as I am an equine/canine massage therapist!!

[Ursa Major]

For a skeptical perspective . . . Open Original Shared Link.

I just want to say that this website is so completely, totally off base, with what it says, that it makes me angry. Quackwatch is not to be trusted, these people will try to make anybody look bad who actually tries to heal people naturally, rather than covering up symptoms with pharmaceuticals.

I saw a chiropractor many years ago who is a total quack. He made me worse in every way. After that I was determined to never try chiropractic again.

I am very glad my oldest daughter convinced me otherwise, and had her chiropractor refer me to one nearer to me, who is incredible. I wouldn't know what to do without him. He adjusts my whole spine (including my neck), as well as my feet/ankles every week.

If I have a headache, he'll do special neck adjustments, and I always feel so much better. If it wasn't for my chiropractor, I might not even be walking now, my feet were so bad. He has reversed the scoliosis in my youngest daughter, and is preventing her from getting arthritis in her spine, due to a birth defect in one of her vertebra.

This chiropractor is a lot more knowledgable than my GP in every way. I will go to him with health concerns, before I will see my GP, especially because he understands about nutrition, and she doesn't.

Anyway, yes, when you start seeing a chiropractor, and you have damage, it will take a while of seeing him frequently, before you can just go into 'maintenance mode'. When I first started seeing my chiro, I was in bad shape, and needed to go three times a week. That's the 'emergency mode'. You won't stay there for very long.

Many of my chiropractor's patients only need to see him once every two weeks, or once a month. That doesn't work for me, because of being too ill for too long. How often you need to go depends on your state of health.

[bklyn]

Thanks for all the replies. It makes me feel much better about this unknown area (for me). I'm going to give it a try for a while, and see if my headaches improve.

I know if I have a question, there will always be someone on the board with an answer!

[prinsessa]

My mom is a Chiropractor and tells me about things other Chiropractors do that she thinks is wrong. Some places will make you sign a contract that says you have to come in so many times and pay the money up front. No Chiropractor will know how often you will have to come in a week for the next six months. My mom tells people they should come in more often if she knows they need a lot of work. She doesn't make them sign up for treatments for months in advance though. She also tells them what exercises to do so that they don't have the same problem again.

My friend was going to a Chiropractor who she saw for maybe a total of 3-5 mins everytime. He has people lined up on machines and would maybe work on them for a couple of minutes each. He didn't even really talk to her to see where she was hurting.

btw, you might hurt more right after the treatment. By the next day you should be feeling much better though. Good luck!

[Ursa Major]

My chiropractor will have people on a plan, if they have chronic problems, like me and my youngest daughter. By paying six months or a year in advance, you get a better deal and pay less in the end. Many of his patients pay as they go, though. He charges adults $29.95 for single appointments, and students $19.95. Susie pays $15.00 for each adjustment on a plan. And because he knows that I'll be going for many years to come, and because he is my friend, he charges me only $12.00 a visit on a plan. Which is close to half what he charges most of his other patients (and he charged me $10.00 for years for each visit, because my husband would never pay the regular price).

Why would I think it is wrong to pay in advance? Susie needs to see him once a week, and so do I. Her scoliosis has improved dramatically over the six years of chiropractic. And that malformed vertebra will make her back hurt (and undoubtedly cause arthritis before she turns twenty) if she stops going to chiropractic. I have tried a few times to go less often, and will feel dreadful within two weeks (and I've been seeing him for six years now).

I was on a plan for going twice a week (which is really what I need, or my feet will get really bad, and I will have worse headaches), but started going once a week now, because I don't have the energy to go there so often.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Absolutely nothing wrong with being on a plan with a chiropractor you like and trust. The problem is, many chiropractors will demand that you sign a contract to be on a plan before you've had your first appointment!

And, as somebody said already, everybody is different. Soome people need to be seen twice weekly or three times, others are fine with once a month.

My chiropractor has a solution I like: You pay for 8 visits up front in advance--and you get to choose when those 8 visits are (and save about $5 per visit over paying each time).

[Ursa Major]

Absolutely nothing wrong with being on a plan with a chiropractor you like and trust. The problem is, many chiropractors will demand that you sign a contract to be on a plan before you've had your first appointment!

And, as somebody said already, everybody is different. Soome people need to be seen twice weekly or three times, others are fine with once a month.

My chiropractor has a solution I like: You pay for 8 visits up front in advance--and you get to choose when those 8 visits are (and save about $5 per visit over paying each time).

Well, there you see that I only have experience with one terrible chiropractor, and two fabulous ones. I didn't realize that some chiropractors will demand that you should commit yourself on a plan, before you even know how much damage you have, and how often you need to go.

My chiropractor will first take x-rays and do a throrough spinal exam, take your history (many pages long), and talk to you about symptoms. You come back a week later to get the results, and he'll do the first adjustment. And he will give you the outline of what he thinks will need to be done, and his recommendations of how often he thinks you need to be seen at first, and how long this initial phase will likely last (and you might improve faster, everybody is different). He won't put you on a plan until you're stable enough to look at the long-term treatment.

When he thinks you're past that critical stage (and that is when most people come initially, when their health and their backs are so bad that they can hardly move), he'll write out a treatment plan for you. He'll have another long talk to see if this works, and he then suggests which payment plan might work best. You never have to pay in advance if you don't want to. There are many patients who come once a month, or every two weeks, who pay as they go.

[prinsessa]

Well, there you see that I only have experience with one terrible chiropractor, and two fabulous ones. I didn't realize that some chiropractors will demand that you should commit yourself on a plan, before you even know how much damage you have, and how often you need to go.

My chiropractor will first take x-rays and do a throrough spinal exam, take your history (many pages long), and talk to you about symptoms. You come back a week later to get the results, and he'll do the first adjustment. And he will give you the outline of what he thinks will need to be done, and his recommendations of how often he thinks you need to be seen at first, and how long this initial phase will likely last (and you might improve faster, everybody is different). He won't put you on a plan until you're stable enough to look at the long-term treatment.

When he thinks you're past that critical stage (and that is when most people come initially, when their health and their backs are so bad that they can hardly move), he'll write out a treatment plan for you. He'll have another long talk to see if this works, and he then suggests which payment plan might work best. You never have to pay in advance if you don't want to. There are many patients who come once a month, or every two weeks, who pay as they go.

I was talking about people who don't have serious problems, but still the chiropractor has them sign a contract for the next year or so. And won't treat patients unless they sign the contract and pay up front. It makes sense for you to pay up front since you will be saving money. My mom also gives breaks to people if they don't have insurance or she knows they don't make much money.

[Judyin Philly]

fought going to a chiro for years but ....so glad i finally did.

been going for 10 years to mine and she's the reason i'm still walking and she is the one who has helped me with my celiac issues. Agree..find one who is into health, treats each patient differently and who will work with you for payments.

good luck.

Judy

[Mtndog]

I've seen 3 chiropractors over the course of probably 15 years or so. The first two were phenomenal.....very professional and would not treat me without current Xrays. They did a combo of manual manipulation, massage and ultrasound.

The third one I saw (warning- not a great story) began treating me based on what I told her. She seemed pretty good so I sent my hubby to her. She did manual neck adjustment on his first appointment (no X rays) and he got very dizzy and had blurred vision. He went back two more times and then had a stroke. His neuro thinks it very well could have been due to the manual neck adjustment as they did find a small tear in his artery. It's a VERY SMALL RISK but it is possible with a neck adjustment. I'm not saying this to slam chiropractors as I had two great ones who helped me tremendously.

I'm just sure I would let a chiropractor manually adjust my neck- - trigger point pressure, massage, ultrasound and gentle supported stretching- yes. The manual adjustment always made me nervous anyway.

Definitely do your research first in terms of the credentials and reputation of the person you are going to see.

[Judyin Philly]

Definitely do your research first in terms of the credentials and reputation of the person you are going to see.

Hey, Bev, there you are..I've miss you.

I dito what you said more clearly than I posted.

I think that word or mouth is the best bet. My swimming instructor was the one who tried to get me to go to hers. After she helped me so much (she didn't even do a 'adjustment' for a year..mostly just thearapudic massage etc) and Never W/O XRAYS i'd had done before to really know what she was working one.

I think the NINI link for her home page has some really good info on what to look in a practictioners, doesn't she?

judy

[katrinamaria]

hello--

i'm not trying to slam chiro's or anything but i just think they creep me out. i've been twice (i was in a car accident and had pretty bad whiplash and dramatically reduced range of motion in my neck) and they didn't help me at all. the cracking just freaks me out a little too much for my comfort. also, my mom's friend is a nurse and she said that a physical therapist is a better option...she has seen a couple people go thru her office with strokes from going to a chiro. which scares me. she said one was a young woman and that just hit to close to home for me. if it works for you, thats great, but just be careful!!

[loraleena]

I go to someone who does network chiropractic. There is no cracking. All adjustments are made through very light touch and energy and breath work. This has helped me a lot. Especially for sciatic pain.