Experiences with chiropractors?

Mine has been amazing for relieving my sciatica compression completely. If you don't rehab and strengthen your surrounding back muscles you'll just end up at square one as gain though.

I had a major MD say I need surgery. I had 6 months of no feeling all the way down to my toes and the chiro took care of it, fixed in 3 sessions.
 
Even though what they do doesn't really have a foundation in hard science, I see mine weekly. I've tried pretty much everything for chronic pain following a severe bout with Rhabdo about 8 years ago. I had a hard time finding an old school Chiro who still really believes in serious cracking, but I did find one and what he does makes a huge difference to me.
 
Haha - right? Mine was caused by a two hour run in with a rowing machine set to 160lbs. :oops: Spend 7 days in the hospital and haven't been close to normal ever since.
 
I, too, have learned that "just because I can, doesn't mean I should". Maybe it took a few more incidents than it should have. But never to that extent! Here's hoping you get yourself back to full strength and beyond. :thumbsup:
 
Well thanks David. It was really bad. My CK count was literally off the charts at 160,000+ normal is between 22 to 198. I knew I was in trouble when I was peeing black. The craziest thing I've seen. And sadly my body is DESTROYED because of it. 😭
 
jlydon said:
Even though what they do doesn't really have a foundation in hard science, I see mine weekly. I've tried pretty much everything for chronic pain following a severe bout with Rhabdo about 8 years ago. I had a hard time finding an old school Chiro who still really believes in serious cracking, but I did find one and what he does makes a huge difference to me.
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What is rhabdo?​


Rhabdo is short for rhabdomyolysis. This rare condition occurs when muscle cells burst and leak their contents into the bloodstream. This can cause an array of problems including weakness, muscle soreness, and dark or brown urine. The damage can be so severe that it may lead to kidney injury. Intense physical activity is just one of the causes. Others include medication side effects, alcohol use, drug overdose, infections, and trauma/crush injury.
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Holy hand grenade. That sounds terrible.
Smoke raised.
 
Thanks guys. I used to lift weights regularly, not that I was buff but I had pretty big arms ;)

In one week, after my muscles melted, I lost half my muscle mass. But the problems went on when it came to ligaments and bands of muscle (neck through my feet) as they all tightened up initially, but then all atrophied and stayed that way. There aren't a lot of post-rhabdo studies but I was soon diagnosed with Fibro (I always thought that it was a tad sketchy myself) but the chronic pain certainly made me a firm believer. I get weekly body work and weekly chiro and that's about all I can do other than live on painkillers. Sucks really.
 
I've been to 5 chiropractors, and only one of them has actually been good. My current chiropractor, unlike most, doesn't just adjust you and send you on your way. I go twice a week, and am at his clinic for about an hour.

I do certain exercises to strengthen the muscles around my spine that are weak, others to stretch problem areas. Then I'm on a lumbar traction device for 12 minutes which holds my lumbar spine in a flat position to reduce excessive curvature. It can also add curvature if you need it. Next is a table with cervical spine stretching and decompression. 6 minutes on that. This is all designed to help your back retain the adjustments, and eventually correct posture so you won't need to see him.

I have terrible kyphosis. After about 6 months I'm an inch taller and have better range of motion in my bad arm, to the point I no longer need a replacement. His clinic has made a huge difference in my life. I no longer have sciatica as my hips are finally in the correct position and my upper and lower back less curved.
 
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I used to go to one, fixed the medical concern myself by being better about not lifting things I shouldn't. They didn't do x-rays, and did neck manipulation. I got lucky, I later had an x-ray of my neck and it turns out I should not get my neck twisted hard at all, ever. The second one was the one who did that x-ray. Again, they didn't do much that I couldn't sort out by being smarter about what I was doing. I know two people now who have had strokes post-adjustment, I know no details past that.
I also know that there are very few things that are also used by "real doctors" which I'm fine with, I'd rather not go to someone who thinks I may have ghosts in my blood. I've got enough problems, I don't need inter-faction fighting risking my medical care outcomes. I also did not find that either chiro I went to was really great on the "informed consent" as in "I'm doing x to help with y and the possible outcomes are z".
I have friends who see specific people for specific reasons, and while I worry for them, they are big kids who can make their own choices. What concerns me is that by and large who you see and what training they have is so wildly variable the world over, that for my money, I'll stick to more evidence-based approaches. The stuff with evidence is already in use with other medical doctors, the kind that don't worry about ghosts.
 
Went to chiros a couple times for small issues and some helped. But when I hurt my back I went to one a friend recommended, they cracked my back which herniated a disc and it took months of physical therapy for me to walk normally again.
 
I have never been to a chiropractor, like some say here, they can make you feel better for lower back pain. If you research it thoroughly like I have you will be turned off, why I didn't go to my one appt. Things to look out for are chiropractors who believe they can cure medical issues not related to back, anti-vaccine rhetoric and the hard sell on multiple visits. I still might go to one because back hurts sometimes, was told if I do, don't let them crack your neck.
 
Alternative medicine can be dicey because of the lack of regulation. However, it has helped me more than a lot of "mainstream" medical treatment. I was told by my neurologist after my second stroke (I'm 42) that I may never regain normal balance or full feeling in my legs. I had a leg brace, all sorts of stuff. I fell and injured my back Christmas morning 2019. I started seeing my chiropractor for pain relief, which he quickly helped resolve. His clinic also has two acupuncturists. Both have Phd's in alternative medicine. One, the one I always see, nearly had her MD but got so fed up with the healthcare system she decided to stop and go the alternative route. The university she was at was doing some very unethical things medically.

Anyway, I decided to try it for the pain in my legs and just general health. Within 24 hours of my first treatment I regained full feeling in my legs and my balance is actually better than its been since my foot injury 25 years ago. Acupuncture is supposed to help with bloodflow and other things, and boy did it ever. I still go every few months.
 
Not a big fan. Only been to 3 in my life. 2 just once and a third - I gave her 4 tries. The first one timer was when I was a teenager. The guy just spooked me. :rolleyes: The 2nd one timer was more recently. I was encouraged by my doctor as a possible solution to what has become a chronic (7 months) of intense upper arm pain. Not rotator cuff nor bursitis - no supporting symptoms. It remains a mystery and so I will be off to a Orthopedist soon for his assessment.

Anyway, the CP asked me a bunch of questions. She never touched me or asked me to remove my shirt. She just looked at my back. Decided I had some misalignment, showed me some exercises to do, printed out some instructions for me to take home and told me to come back in a week. I told her I couldn't do the exercises because the pain was to intense. She told me to "just try - do your best". :confused: The one I visited 4 times for a lower back problem, would have me come in for a few minutes, she would clic my back with some device that felt like she was snapping me with her finger, and she pushed here and there. She suspected a disc issue but never requested X rays. Just seemed intent on having me come back very week for a year or so. I did not see (or feel) the benefit. 🤒

That's all I have to say on the subject. Not very useful - my report or my experience. I hope others may find a CP more helpful.
 
RayseM said:
Not a big fan. Only been to 3 in my life. 2 just once and a third - I gave her 4 tries. The first one timer was when I was a teenager. The guy just spooked me. :rolleyes: The 2nd one timer was more recently. I was encouraged by my doctor as a possible solution to what has become a chronic (7 months) of intense upper arm pain. Not rotator cuff nor bursitis - no supporting symptoms. It remains a mystery and so I will be off to a Orthopedist soon for his assessment.

Anyway, the CP asked me a bunch of questions. She never touched me or asked me to remove my shirt. She just looked at my back. Decided I had some misalignment, showed me some exercises to do, printed out some instructions for me to take home and told me to come back in a week. I told her I couldn't do the exercises because the pain was to intense. She told me to "just try - do your best". :confused: The one I visited 4 times for a lower back problem, would have me come in for a few minutes, she would clic my back with some device that felt like she was snapping me with her finger, and she pushed here and there. She suspected a disc issue but never requested X rays. Just seemed intent on having me come back very week for a year or so. I did not see (or feel) the benefit. 🤒

That's all I have to say on the subject. Not very useful - my report or my experience. I hope others may find a CP more helpful.
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In truth, I find it harder and harder to trust any medical profession. With what I've been through, well let's not even go there. Many of y'all already know a lot of it.
 
Studies have shown that about 65% of people receive no benefit from chiropractic care. I guess I’m one of them; never got any relief for my back and neck. In fact, my sciatic issues got worse and I’m still dealing with transient tingling and numbness in my arms from my last visit six months ago.
 
I've had some bad trauma to my back and body. A few years ago it got so bad I couldn't walk without a cane, which kind of sucks if you are in your thirties. My doctor suggested I go to a specific chiropractor who actually has a doctorate in medicine. I was walking unaided within a week. He gave me exercises that help and I still go back to him a few times a year to get my hip straightened and my back realigned.
 
For structural issues, I have far more trust in physiotherapists than I do chiropractor

We met a dude who did traditional Chinese nerve therapy using sticks.
He would find a damaged nerve, rub it until it swelled, then it would heal back.
It was unbelievably successful on back and neck pain.



All the chiropractors I have met play on the fear of organized medicine and "big pharma"

However, they are selling products directly to the patients, the medical dr's are not.

If you dig into the direct sales products, they are all using shady practices to sell and distributed with pyramid scheme marketing.

many of them do illegal relabelling to get them across our borders to sell here.


One of my relatives is in financial straits and is spending $12K per year,
A real MD visit would be no charge.

I think in her case it would be better to spend that on shrinks, than it would magic beans.
 
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