Chiropractors

[Fred]

Anybody else ever go to one, and if so, how did it work out?

I've been leery of them for a long time but I decided to give it a try for my back and neck pain due to arthritis after my brother told me he was having good success.

I had my first "manipulation" on Wednesday and I was shocked. I had no idea this is what they did. I've had physical therapy which consisted of deep massaging and I was expecting something along the same lines but I couldn't believe how violently he worked on my back and neck, supposedly to "re-align" my spine. The neck cracking was especially unsettling, as I have bone spurs in my neck and it is always stiff. So I couldn't help but think how is this was supposed to help? I'm surprised my neck isn't more painful than it was before but it's no better either.

It's being paid for by my insurance but now I'm going to have to decide if I want to continue or not.

[WiseOne]

Many people swear by them, and for low back pain their treatments are as effective as surgery - over a large population of course; YMMV.

One thing to be careful of is neck manipulation.  There is a risk of vertebral artery dissection, causing posterior circulation strokes.  It's a small risk, but you should be aware of it and you should be able to discuss it with your chiropractor.

[l82start]

i know somebody who is seeing one after a car crash, and the one they are seeing doesn't do the violent yank and crack methods anymore.. it is all slow gentle stuff often done with machines, you may want to look for a more modern practice.

i have only ever had the yank and crack stuff done (back in the 90s) and it was "OK" it gave a short endorphin rush with some immediate pain relief , not sure about any long term healing or benefits though... i tend to be a skeptic about chiropractors especially on insurance claims... 

[Libertarian666]

I have been going to chiropractors for many years and have found that a good one can provide quite a bit of relief for the stiffness and pain that seem to creep up on you with age.

Right now we have a REALLY good one who uses the minimum of force to get things back in their correct relations. We have also gone to one of the old-fashioned "yank and crank" ones in our small town, who is fairly robotic in what he does (not to derail this into the other thread about robotic medicine ), but much prefer the newer approach.

[barrett]

The yank and crack people are just dangerous. They make violent "adjustments" and most don't bother to even look at X-rays or a MRI before they start jerking you around. The best guy I ever went to was in France and his work was all done with a bare minimum of force. He made both my back and wrist about 80% better in a couple of minutes. As in any field this one has its geniuses but finding them is so hard. Also, I think good people can get results almost right away. Be wary if they want you to keep coming back twice a week for months.

[Benko]

Good chiropractors can do amazing things, and not just for backs.  I had a sprained ankle which was not getting better and still hurt 5 weeks later.  A chiropractor adjusted my ankle (talus bone) and the pain went away instantly.

Adjustments ("cracking") can be unnerving--they were for me for years.  There are other ways e.g. some use an adjustor which is much less jarring. I would not agree that adjustments which feel jarring means that the practitioner is not competent, though asking them to use other means is preferable to "traumatizing" you during the treatments if you're bothered by that method.

"back and neck pain due to arthritis"
Arthritis can be difficult to treat by any method, particularly if severe. Doesn't mean it is not worth exploring see see if you can get some relief.  I would ask the chiropractor if he thinks he can help you and how many sessions before you should expect to see some improvement.

There is no question that there are some chiros who will want to see you forever to make their boat payment.  Then again I once went to a new dentist who told me that I needed 8 crowns.  I asked him to show me why on the x-ray (I can read them) and he backed down. 

There are a number of alternatives to western medicine and the trick is selecting the appropriate one for any given problem.  A physician I know usually prevents her back pain by doing yoga.  She didn't do the yoga and had a bad flare up which went away after an acupuncture session (not what it sounds like you need).

Did the physical therapy help any? Did they have any suggestions for the stiffness?

[moda0306]

I have little/no overt back or joint problems, but even so have found my relationship with a chiropractor to be abundantly useful in reducing muscle tightness and reducing long-term posture issues by advocating proper stretching and lifting routines.

A good chiropractor is more of a legitimate doctor than most doctors, IMO. Most of them seem to advocate holistic (overused term... I know) health practices that are far more useful towards good health than prescriptions.

[Fred]

Did the physical therapy help any? Did they have any suggestions for the stiffness?

Not much. They gave me some exercises to do which I can see a slight benefit in but not enough to keep me motivated to do it religiously.

The chiropractor isn't all about violent manipulation. He does a thing with electrical stimulation while laying on some kind of contraption that rolls  along your back pushing it up and down. This actually feels pretty good while it's happening but I haven't seen any lasting benefit from it yet.

The neck cracking is a bit unnerving - well, actually, all the cracking is very unnerving but especially the neck.

At this point I'm very skeptical because when I had my second meeting with him where he was supposed to go over all his findings from the first session, he just repeated all the standard things I've heard that chiropractors say. My spine is mis-aligned which has all kinds of (unproven) health ramifications and I have a "subluxuation" which is very controversial.  He only took an x-ray of my neck so I wonder how he arrived at this diagnosis.

He does have good reviews online and he isn't telling me I'm going to have to see him forever which is good. And like I said my insurance is paying for it.

[MachineGhost]

The neck cracking is a bit unnerving - well, actually, all the cracking is very unnerving but especially the neck.

At this point I'm very skeptical because when I had my second meeting with him where he was supposed to go over all his findings from the first session, he just repeated all the standard things I've heard that chiropractors say. My spine is mis-aligned which has all kinds of (unproven) health ramifications and I have a "subluxuation" which is very controversial.  He only took an x-ray of my neck so I wonder how he arrived at this diagnosis.

Subluxuations are felt by the hands.  It is merely just a misaligned or out of place vertebrae which put can put pressure on the spinal nerve bundle and/or cause surrounding muscle tension.  The X-Ray is necessary to see how much the "gel cushioning" has degenerated and to see if there's any arthritis.  The cracking sound is just the air pocket bubbles between the "gel cushioning" being released.

You're unlikely to get any major lasting benefit just from adjustments alone.  It is sort of like braces (adjustment) which require a retainer (prevention) to keep everything in its new place.  So unless you fix the root problem which caused the subluxuations in the first place with deep massages, muscle stretches, ice packs and a lifestyle adjustment, the problem will reoccur.  It's a lot of bother and you have to decide if its worth it.

I do suggest you get the SpineWorx if you've got back issues: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F8UBG0
It's no good for neck issues, I'm afraid.

[Benko]

"some kind of contraption that rolls  along your back pushing it up and down. This actually feels pretty good while it's happening"
You might see if a good massage therapist could make you feel better.  Obviously they can't fix the bone spurs but a lot of the problems (especially in the neck) come from the surrounding soft tissues which can be worked on by a massage therapist.

""subluxuation" which is very controversial."
The important thing is whether this person can help you are not. History is full of lots of medical "fact" later revealed to be BS and probably many things help people for reasons other than conventional theory. 

"At this point I'm very skeptical"
Then don't go back, you probably will not benefit.  If you believe something ain't going to help, your belief can prevent it from helping.  Think that sounds crazy?  Well there is a placebo effect which causes things we believe will help us "work".

Good luck.

PS and Machine Ghost makes good points.

[dualstow]

I know I'm trading one pseudoscience for another, but since this is the wacky unconventional pp forum:
have you ever tried the book, Healing Back Pain by John Sarno?

[ngcpa]

I have had back and neck pain for over 15 years.  I found that in general chiropractors, massage therapists, etc. only work on symptoms.  although they may provide temporary relief, they don't cure.  I have tried most everything and finally found some help with The McKenzie Method.  I would highly recommend buying his books "Treat Your Own Back" and "Treat Your Own Neck".  Go to Amazon and use his name Robin McKenzie.  They are very reasonable, and quite helpful.  Better still go to his site:

http://mckenzieinstituteusa.org/

You can click on the upper right "need a certified provider" and find someone near you.  He is from New Zealand (that is why his name is spelled funny).  It is amazing how many people there are certified with his method.  You will see chiropractors and physical therapists on the list.  I used a physical therapist.  He taught me this method and also showed me a group of exercises I do every day.  He also told me what to do when I do have pain.  In the almost 2 years since I had first seen him, I have made terrific gains.  Unlike most he didn't offer a "miracle cure".  I still have problems, but  not as bad and I recover much quicker than in the past.  The best thing is I  met with him only until I learned all the exercises and methods and didn't need to go back.  The books were also very helpful in that they explained how the way you sit and sleep could cause you problems and the proper ways to sit and sleep to avoid them.

[Libertarian666]

I know I'm trading one pseudoscience for another, but since this is the wacky unconventional pp forum:
have you ever tried the book, Healing Back Pain by John Sarno?

My wife has used that book to good effect, as has John Stossel (among many others). It's certainly worth a try.