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Location: big island | If you have undergone chiropractic treatment, especially for back related issues, did you benefit or not? |
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Location: NJ | NO
I just got a big headache and felt worse after the visit.
I prefer self medication |
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Location: Alberta, Canada | Poll is not working right. It wants you to answer every option. |
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Location: big island | whoops. i goofed. al can you delete this and i will try again. mahalo! |
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Location: big island | al, your mailbox is full... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Has helped my wife with her chronic injuries in a huge way. After just 3 months the difference in X-rays between the before and after was amazing...but the main thing is that she feels better. |
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Location: Keller, TX | Being a physician, I have three opinions/comments. This is not meant to offend anyone. Just my $0.03.
1. Sometimes they help. Usually it is for specific cases. One or two visits should be enough to get your spine "adjusted". Don't let them make you come every day for 3 months. Sometimes a once-a-month visit would be ok if it just makes you feel better.
2. Sometimes they hurt. My wife had a disk ruptured by a chiropractor. Ended up needing surgery.
3. No matter what they tell you, they work on the back. I don't care what they say, a chiropractor cannot fix your gout/hemorrhoids/ingrown toenail/scabies/diabetes/etc.
My recommendation: don't go to them for an acute injury/pain. If it is chronic, then occasional is ok. |
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Location: ms | When my chiropractor was working on my hemorrhoids he hand both hands on the table :( |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | As always, YMMV. |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by ttenn:
3. No matter what they tell you, they work on the back. I don't care what they say, a chiropractor cannot fix your gout/hemorrhoids/ingrown toenail/scabies/diabetes/etc. Effing aye, dood. I recently saw and advertisement for a chiro that claims he can help with cancer. Word! My cousin and his wife took their then one-month old to a chiro who claimed he could solve her croup!
Prior to the 'cousin' incident I held a 'meh, live and let live' attitude towards them. After I heard that, I became somewhat negative. After seeing the ad mentioned earlier...quacks and crooks.
YMMV. |
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Location: big island | al,
nevermind deleting this thread. i believe the way it is running now will be more than sufficient without the poll. thanks! |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by ttenn:
3. No matter what they tell you, they work on the back. I don't care what they say, a chiropractor cannot fix your gout/hemorrhoids/ingrown toenail/scabies/diabetes/etc.
guess that answers the ED question too. ;) |
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Location: south east Michigan | Back in the mid sixties when I was about 9 or so my parents, out of what I believe was desperation, took me to a chiropractor for my ashma and food allergies.
I used to all it the "wrestling doctor". |
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Location: NJ | ". . I used to call it the "wrestling doctor" . ."
Brad;
Show us (on the puppett) where he "touched" you . . . |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | I have had back pain for years, being 6'4" and at times overweight, that was to be expected. However I injured my back and no matter what I did, therapy, massages, etc. it did not get any better. I was humiliated into seeing a chiropractor after about two months of limited work capability, I thought with rest it would get better, it didn't. So I put all my fears aside and gave it a try. A few sessions later and it was great. I go on a once a month basis, my insistence not the chiropractors, I have felt great for over a year now.
As to the adds and statements of some medical practitioners, I have learned to trust my own judgement, and if it sounds to good to be true....
Just my opinion and experiance. |
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Location: Alberta, Canada | Originally posted by Lanaki:
Originally posted by ttenn:
3. No matter what they tell you, they work on the back. I don't care what they say, a chiropractor cannot fix your gout/hemorrhoids/ingrown toenail/scabies/diabetes/etc.
guess that answers the ED question too. ;) |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | I would strongly recommend staying away from a chiropractor and my brother-in-law is one.
See This: http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic99.htm
I currently have this Intracranial carotid artery dissection. I was diagnosed in the end of September 2006. It is an injury and can be caused by any quick movement of the head. Mortality rates for intracranial carotid and basilar dissections approach 70% or higher.
My whole life is changed as a result of it and my activity is limited due to the risk of stroke or aneurism. No Joke!!! Don't do it!!! |
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | My chiropractor told me that the reason my back hurt, was that my wallet was too heavy. He said if I visited him once a week for the next 6 months, he would make the load in my wallet lighter, and my pain would go away. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | It helped me a great deal,but....it did not help right away, overhere there`s another medic called "Fysiotherapy",Now That Worked Right Away..I came in Stumbling,but after 1/2 hour of treatment I felt as Light and Mobile as a ballet-dancer..
Vic :cool: |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | Types of trauma associated with cervicocephalic dissections include chiropractic neck manipulations, sporting activities, coughing, sneezing, sexual activity, and more intense forms of blunt trauma (eg, motor vehicle accidents, falls, strangulation, hanging
http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic99.htm |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | ( Quote TommyM )"My chiropractor told me that the reason my back hurt, was that my wallet was too heavy "
Buy a Very Expensive O....(# 47) comes to mind,double value for the money :D
Vic |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | Lets see. Go to chiropractor, Maybe have stroke and die, Back will no longer hurt. I guess it can work. Maybe back pain isn't so bad after all. Maybe back pain is good. |
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Location: Omaha, NE | A few years ago, for the first time, I had some really severe neck pain. Absolutely debilitating.
I suffered for a few days, then a guy in the office recommended a chiropractor.
I went, they did their hocus pocus stuff (had me lie on my stomach with a little sparky thing on my neck, etc). Eventually I went into meet with the chiropractor himself.
Understand that I really had no idea what to expect. I was lying there, and he was rolling my head around. "Does this hurt?...how about here" stuff like that.
All of the sudden BLAM! He cracks my neck. I just about jumped up and kicked his ass. I had NO idea that was coming. Good grief, what pain! If I hadn't been debilitated by the pain, honest to goodness I would have hurt him.
So, I calm down and he says he has to do one more. You've got to be kidding. I relax and he pops me again. Its a little easier this time.
Two days later, my pain was gone.
I have no idea if the relief was because of the chiropractor or in spite of him. |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic99.htm |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | Forensic experts are occasionally called upon to offer opinions regarding the relationship between chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) of the neck and subsequent pathological conditions, the most common associated condition being intervertebral disc herniation (Hurwitz, Aker, Adams, Meeker, & Shekelle, 1996). Another condition that has been suggested to follow CMT is internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD). Indeed, the medical literature commonly contends that cervical CMT may be a cause of ICAD (Lee, Carlini, McCormick, & Albers, 1995; Norris, Beletsky, & Nadareishvili, 2000; Beatty, 1977; Parenti, Orlandi, Bianchi, Renna, Martini, & Murri, 1999). The first report of this relationship was made by Beatty in 1977, who described a patient who was manipulated by a chiropractic physician for neck pain. Symptomatic relief resulted after the CMT, and there were no ill effects associated with the manipulation. Five days later, the patient awoke with right arm weakness and difficulty speaking due to the ischemic effects of ICAD. Beatty attributed the ICAD to the CMT, alleging that because a tear of the arterial intima was found at surgery, there necessarily must have been trauma, and cervical CMT was the only known "trauma" previous to the dissection. In contrast, several authors have more recently pointed out that tearing of the intima is very common, even in cases of spontaneous ICAD where no associated trauma can be found (Stapf, Elkind, & Mohr, 2000; Mokri, Sundt, Houser, & Piepgras, 1986; Terrett, 1996; Deck, 1987).
In our experience, most medical neurologist believe that CMT is an established cause of ICAD. Conversely, after reviewing over 100 papers on this subject, we concluded that the relationship between ICAD and CMT remains tenuous, and a causal relationship is not supported by the literature. CMT is often categorized in the medical literature alongside frank trauma, such as motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (Mokri, Piepgras, & Houser. 1988; Lucas. Moulin. Deplanque, Tatu, & Chavot, 1998), which suggests that these authors have the perception that CMT is violent and may be injurious. This notion is in stark contrast to studies that have looked at the safety of cervical CMT (e.g., Hurwitz et al., 1996), that estimated the rate of vertebrobasilar accidents or other complications to be one per one million cervical manipulations. One of the authors of the current paper (ACC) was a panelist on the RAND Corporation study that Hurwitz et al. authored.
MECHANISM OF INJURY
The proposed mechanism of traumatically induced ICAD involves a sudden. severe stretch of the internal carotid artery (ICA) over the upper cervical spine when the neck is hyperextended and laterally flexed or rotated to the opposite side (Stringer & Kelly, 1980: Fabian, Patton, Croce, Minard, Kudsk, & Pritchard. 1996). The above-mentioned neck positioning forces the ICA against the upper cervical vertebrae, allowing it to become fixed in place and stretched, thus becoming susceptible to injury (Lepojarvi, Tarkka, Leinonen & Kallanranta, 1988). This hypothesis of traumatic causation is based upon patient histories, as well as pathological and radiographic observations, although no validating animal or post mortem models have substantiated it.
Upon severe stretch, the intimal lining, being weaker than the media or adventitia, is more vulnerable to developing tears and is the usual site of injury (Stringer & Kelly, 1980; Lee & Jensen, 2000). The leading cause of traumatic ICAD is moter vehicle collisions (Wartridge, Muhlbauer, & Lowery, 1989), with one study reporting that 72% of their groups traumatically induced ICADs were the result of automobile accidents (Cogbill, Moore, Meissner, Fischer, Hoyt, Morris, et al., 1994). However, most ICADs are spontaneous, with no identifiable pre-morbid trauma. Younger patients appear to be more susceptible to ICA injury leading to dissection because the... |
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Location: NJ | I have a long, convoluted story involving my ex, scoliosis, fused vertabrae, steel rods, a car accident, sciatica, physical therapy, chiropractic, flexaril(good sh!t,btw), and three quartizone injections . . .
When all was said and done, three months of acupuncture treatments bought her almost twenty years of pain-free existence when all of the above couldn't. |
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Location: big island | cliff,
my wife also has scoliosis, she was diagnosed at age 14 and they fused a permanent harrington rod to her spine. she suffers intermittently with it now, 31 years later. all that i read about the harrington rod tells me she will probably suffer more as she ages. i am experiencing chronic back pain as of late. i am using my back more these days in the physical labor i do at our church, but also in keeping up with two toddlers. the third reason troubles me the most and that is from playing deep bowled guitars. the 1688 does not seem to bother my back, but playing the 1581 definitely does for some reason, as did the 1537.
my wife's insurance covers chiropractic up to 60% and we cannot afford to pay out of pocket the 40% on some iffy treatment.
i think the insurance covers physio and physical therapy though. maybe i should look at those options. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Me, my whole family, and most of the loggers I know have seen chiropractors. Total BS. Except it works for us. Kinda like a very skilled masseuse (Cliff notes: Means no sex) only covered by medicare. (somewhat, in canada, ymmv)
True, once-in-a-lifetime story;
I'm a summer wharfinger (look in up) for the local harbourmaster. A fella hobbles into the office at the head of the wharf, in obvious and extreme pain, followed by his nuclear family.
"Call me a taxi!" he demands.
"you're a taxi!" Duh.
His family convulses. As I'm laughing I apologize, but say I've been waiting my whole life for that opening. He is humourless....and in pain, to be fair.
"How about I get you a cab to my families chiropractor?" I offer.
"I'm a surgeon! None of that voodoo for me! I need drugs!" Or something to that effect...he responds. (Maybe it was Cliff?) |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | saccaguea,
You can stop now. We get it that you don't like (believe in) chiropractors. |
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Location: big island | sacc, this quote from your diatribe shows a different slant than the one you are leaning on:
"In our experience, most medical neurologist believe that CMT is an established cause of ICAD. Conversely, after reviewing over 100 papers on this subject, we concluded that the relationship between ICAD and CMT remains tenuous, and a causal relationship is not supported by the literature. CMT is often categorized in the medical literature alongside frank trauma, such as motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (Mokri, Piepgras, & Houser. 1988; Lucas. Moulin. Deplanque, Tatu, & Chavot, 1998), which suggests that these authors have the perception that CMT is violent and may be injurious. This notion is in stark contrast to studies that have looked at the safety of cervical CMT (e.g., Hurwitz et al., 1996), that estimated the rate of vertebrobasilar accidents or other complications to be one per one million cervical manipulations. One of the authors of the current paper (ACC) was a panelist on the RAND Corporation study that Hurwitz et al. authored." |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | So you have a better chance of getting pneumonia during a hospital stay....which isn't saying much because way too many old folks get it while in the hospital. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | But on the other hand, if you were a seal, you'd have a flipper.
If it feels good, do it. If it doesn't, stop.
Dude.
(Show me an incident of a Chiropractor induced paralysis! Like other 'alternative therapies' it works....whatever. If it only works 'cos you believe....well hell! whole religions have been built on THAT!) |
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Location: big island | funny story, phil! made my back twinge from laughing though. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Wow. This timeout thing is pretty retroactive. I'm posting while watching the penultimate Gilmour Girls, so some of the posts are commercial-to-commercial start to post.
(Just read that after posting. I am SO gay. But I identify with LUKE, if that counts for anything.)
(Now it's HOUSE and the black guy is quitting! Damn. Last year I got cable and bought my first TV. I used to have a life.)
(You were responding to something else, right? Lanaki?) |
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Location: big island | and what proof are you drinkin' tonight, phil? |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Just 12%. But it's out of the tap.....you wouldn't understand.
It's a socialist country, they keeep us free thinkers drunka s we like. AND WE LIKWWRTW#WE IT!
(It's Tuesday dinner night for the club. !4 years. And we're hosting. So we can drink more than normal. Linda wants to type durty words to you all, but only I can fucos. Focus. Oh heck. focus all.)
Here, bend over. I'll adjust your back. Really. Just relax.... |
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Location: ranson,wva | i see my chiropractor twice a month and i live on flexeril @ percocets(all perscribed in my name i might ad) if it wasnt for the drugs stated above i couldnt get out of bed in the mornings(or evenings) jason |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Lanaki:
CMT is often categorized in the medical literature alongside frank trauma, such as motor vehicle collisions I went to high school with Frank. He was a pain in the neck.
Fill, I'll bet you Foreman's still there next week. And House scores with Honey. |
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO | http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/166/6/794
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirostroke.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1914
Lanaki the bottom line is weather or not you want to take the chance that you won't be damaged by it. If you drive in your car you take a risk you could have a car accident. You could go to a chiropractor and never have a problem. You're wife with a rod in her spine is clearly not someone who should go to a chiropractor. There are many other conditions that people can have and be unaware of which would be very dangerous with chiropractic. If your back were hurting as a result of bone cancer as an example, or if you have spurs in your spinal cord that you are unaware of. If you have a ruptured disk, a chiropractic treatment will certainly not be a good idea. I recommend starting an exercise routine if you are not already doing that. |
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| I'm a little late to this thread, but...
I've used quality chiropractors all my life. They've always helped me, never hurt me. Some were easy, some were agressive. The best are the ones without the 'feel-good' gimmicks. They just use basic safe adjustments and, unless I had an injury, they would seldom suggest coming more than once a month.
(The neck on my guitar has needed adjustment, but that's another story.. :) ) |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Ok, here's the SAST version.
First Chiro visit in 1980 cause I had a really bad headache for the last 7 years. Found out my L5 went to the right, the T in middle went Left and the Axis on top was all didywumpus!
Headache gone, started to actually see out of the left eye and my stomach fluids quit coming up all the time.
Then my HMO quit paying for Chiro...
...coverage renewed! Went to one where they slapped a big vibrator on my back and ran me through the assembly line. I'm looking out the window where the Doc had his corvette and his BMW parked. Small light came on...
Then my Employer has this great set of back injury prevention videos. I learned a lot of "self help" techniques.
Jury Duty. Quack Chiropractor. Very negative feelings.
Now looking forward to a mix of massage, chiro and self induced Yoga like measures to keep me in line.
Drowning is easy, it's the breathing that takes all the effort. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | My own personal opinion, Chiro's probably can help a few things. But they only exist because of the insurance industry. If everyone had to pay out of pocket for their own medical care, nobody would be spending their hard earned cash on Chiro's.
Dave |
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Location: closely held secret | While I don't believe the weekly/monthy visits are necessary, I've been helped occasionally by a chiro friend of ours.
Like the time I was cutting firewood with my Husqy - went to start it while standing, the saw went one way, my hips went the other... next thing I new I was laying on my back in deep grass trying to keep a running chainsaw away from my legs... took me an hour to stand up long enough to get to the house.
He's a little too rough for my wife, though. She has a different one she goes to sometimes.
I kid you not, his name is Doctor Roger Popp. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | We don't you go to an orthopedist? He'll either prescibe physical therapy or surgery. Probably, PT.
Wabbit, same thing happened to my Dad, except it involved a golden retriever, and when he fell he chopped of the fingers of his left hand with the chain saw.
He picked up his fingers, went to the kitchen, wrapped his hand up with a towel, got my Mom and they drove to the hospital. They reattached the fingers, and after about 10 years, he has about 95% use.
Don't ever use a chain saw with a dog or kid around. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | A Good Chiropractor uses X-Ray photo`s...they would Quickly Detect any alien objects..overhere the Gov`ment put up retirement age from 65 to 67 , `cause we " Live Longer" , ....they cut down on medicare...there are Alternative HealingMethods...now the gov`ment can n`t be wrong...Right ?!!.. :confused:
Vic |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Chiropractors are like Taylor Guitars.
Some people may love them and swear by them. Others may think they are over hyped useless pieces of crap.
Dave |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I own a Doyle Dykes signature Taylor.
Excellent guitar. |
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Location: Providence, RI | Never thought I would post about chiropractors on a guitar website, but here goes. This is an e-mail I sent to a friend of mine considering going to a chiropractor. This is not meant to offend anyone here, it is simply my option with some supporting evidence. Note: I am not a medical doctor, and do not claim to be, but I do hold a Ph.D. in Biology and have read a bit about chiropractors.
First, if your chiropractor were an actual medical professional they would inform you of the possible negative side effects of treatment. For example before you undergo anesthesia you are informed the chance of death. Or when you get any medical procedure done they tell you chance of death and other possible side effects. Did your chiropractor tell you your percent chance of death from treatment? Did they even tell you there was a chance of death? There is! People have DIED from chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic treatment is associated with stroke. See Spinal manipulative therapy is an independent risk factor for vertebral artery dissection, Smith et al. Neurology. 2003 May 13;60(9):1424-8. This is not a high chance of death. However, neither is chance of death from anesthesia, but you are still informed of this before you undergo the procedure. Why? because a "qualified medical professional" is treating you. Which is not the case when you go to a chiropractor.
Second, I think you should be aware that there is no actual university gives degrees in chiropractic treatment. FSU may open one and they are being highly criticized for it. (note: bringing in a chiropractic program would make the university lots of money and this is why they may open it. The faculty and medical professionals did not want it on ethical grounds. The university did not seek to get the chiropractic program. Rather a Florida Senator who is a chiropractor passed a bill to start one and FSU doesn't want to pass up on the money).
"Some FSU faculty members are upset, too, fearing the school will shatter FSU's academic reputation. The list of critics include FSU's two Nobel laureates - Robert Schreiffer, a physicist, and Harold Walter Kroto, a chemist - and Robert Holton, the chemistry professor who developed the cancer-fighting drug Taxol. In recent weeks, more than 500 faculty members have signed petitions against the chiropractic school, including about 70 in the medical college, said Dr. Raymond Bellamy, an assistant professor who is leading the charge against the proposal. The medical college has more than 100 faculty members. "It should come as no surprise that no major medical institution in this country, public or private, has embraced chiropractic medicine," wrote Dr. Henry Ho, a Winter Park physician and FSU assistant professor, in another e-mail. "If Florida State University were to do so, its fledgling attempt for credibility as a medical institution of stature would be severely jeopardized."" (Source St. Petersburg Times. Note: under most circumstances I do not consider a newspaper a valid source. i.e. when citing facts a newspaper is not a valid source. However, when simply giving quotes a newspaper is a valid source)
Third, statements you have made that you feel better or that it "makes sense" to align your back are what the scientific community calls anecdotal evidence. This is not valid evidence. Just because someone feels better immediately after treatment does not mean that they are healthier. For example the placebo effect will make one feel better if they think they are receiving treatment. Additionally, there are many illegal drugs which make you feel good but are unhealthy for your body.
Finally, although under most circumstances chiropractic treatment is not effective, there are circumstances where spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is actually effective at treating certain conditions. However, one would be much better off going to a physical therapist for treatment. Someone who has gone to an actual accredited University. And has had to go through rigorous biology, medical, anatomy, etc classes. A chiropractic program is not a real university. The admission standards at these places are almost nonexistent (Doxey TT, Phillips RB. Comparison of entrance requirements for health care professions. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 20:86-91, 1997).
I have listed a few articles stating that under most cases chiropractic treatment is not effective. Also, note that for a few conditions SMT (spinal manipulative therapy) is effective. However, it would be much better going to a medical professional.
Spinal manipulative therapy is an independent risk factor for vertebral artery dissection, Smith et al. Neurology. 2003 May 13;60(9):1424-8.
Spinal manipulative therapy for low back pain. Annals of Internal Medicine 138:871-881, 2003.
Spinal manipulation in the treatment of episodic tension-type headache: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 280:1576-1579, 1998.
Treatment of Hypertension with Alternative Therapies (THAT) study: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Hypertension 20:2063-2068, 2002.
A comparison of active and simulated chiropractic manipulation as adjunctive treatment for childhood asthma. New England Journal of Medicine 339:1013-1020, 1998.
Randomized controlled trial of infantile colic treated with chiropractic spinal manipulation. Archives of Diseases in Childhood 84:138-141, 2001. |
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| Chiropractors are quacks. Did NOTHING for me.
You would achieve a million times more if you went to an Alexander technique practitioner or a Qi Gung Master. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Also keep in mind with what everyone has said that chiropractics vary from state to state. As example here in Washington, ANY message therapy requires training and a license. For chiropractors, they aren't even supposed to touch you without getting a medical history, and taking xrays.
Like anything else, there are good one, and there are quacks. I search for good ones. Ones that are doctors, and ones that specialize in "Sports Medicine" or physical therapy are usually reliable. Those are ones who if you need to see a traditional doctor will send you to one.
I have dealt with back issues and other joint issues for most of my life. My experience leads me to go to a homeopath or chiropractor first. 99% of the time that's all need. In fact, now that I think about it, the only time I've gone to a doctor in adult life for an actual illness, they couldn't even do anything to make me feel better, but that was a long time ago.
I haven't seen a "real" doctor for more than a physical (like for insurance or diving) for 20+ years. I've only been to non-traditional doctors regarding 3 incidents in that 20+ years. I've only been sick about 6 times in 20+ years.
I don't takes meds, I don't take vitamins, I eat more than I should, and I don't exercise. I've had arthritis for probably 30 years and in pain, pretty much 24/7, but at this point I don't even notice it unless I have a good day and don't feel it.
I figure I got one thing wrong, I know what it is, I deal with it. |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Lots of ragging on chiros....
At least they attempt to address the problems.
Most physicians give you drugs to treat the symptoms without any effort to find the root of the problem. No wonder all the drug companies spend so much time and money wining and dining them.
Perfect example, when my wife suffered her head injury and had blood forming on the brain....while in the hospital, the neurosurgeon came by to see her. As soon as he realized he couldn't drill a hole in her head, he wanted nothing to do with her and spent the next 3 days trying to get her discharged from the hospital (even tho she still had signs of blood that was slowing reabsorbing into her system).
Miles has it right and I agree 100%. |
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Posts: 5576
Location: big island | my wife has had two very opposing experiences with chiropractors. the first one did a spinal and cervical manipulation without asking any questions or taking x-rays. he only knew she was suffering from chronic severe headaches ongoing for about seven months (no, she was not married to me at the time so don't go there). she walked out of his office dizzy and nauseated with tingling arms and the same headache. the tingling arm sensation lasted several months and also affected her legs eventually. the headaches continued. she swore to never see another chiro after that.
several years later she was referred to another chiro, a female, who also employed physio therapy, physical therapy and massage. this time a complete medical history and evaluation with x-rays and measurements was performed. after about the third visit, my wife had complete confidence in this woman and allowed manipulation. after the fourth visit my wife began to feel like a new person and has not suffered with the chronic headaches since.
due to her harrington rod she does have a few issues with a misalignment in the lumbar area which causes left hip pain. instead of having my wife continually come in for the manipulation to ease this, the chiro showed me the technique and it works very well as she only needs the treatment every few months. she has given birth twice in the last 2 1/2 years and also dances hula a few times a week, so she is dealing with her situation very well, especially for being 45 years old! |
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Posts: 1900
| (Late post, couldn't resist)
I still recommend quality chiropractic, and I couldn't give a flip what FSU or the AMA has to say about it. There's a thousand quack medical doctors out there with 'degrees' who shouldn't be practising medicine, PERIOD. We can't throw out the baby with the bathwater. My chiro's have all been respected medical professionals, have always taken x-rays, have always discussed the risks, etc., and have always helped me. Hmmm, now why is that?...well, being that I was born with a cerebral hemorrrage (but lived..),have had spinal problems all my life and only used phyiscal therapy (never used medical doctors or pharmaceuticals) and I'm still alive and well... no thanks to the AMA or the FDA, or all those pshyco-babblers out there with Ph.D's...so, obviously I agree with Miles and Steph...
Have a nice day... |
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Posts: 4
Location: Providence, RI | Howdy Steve,
A couple of points.
First, it is not what FSU thinks, but rather what every single actual University, College, and Medical School in the United States thinks. FSU was simply a case point to exemplify how much the institutes of higher learning are united in their disbelief of chiropractors.
Second, the comment “only used physical therapy” and “no thanks to the AMA” are incompatible. Physical therapists are part of the AMA. As I listed in my opinion above, physical therapists are very well trained and qualified medical professionals.
My own personal suggestion for anyone considering a chiropractor would for him or her to instead visit a physical therapist. However, it is your life, and of course no one is stopping you from visiting a chiropractor.
Whatever you choose I hope your choice makes you happy, and perhaps releases some of the anger you appear to be venting in this post: “I couldn't give a flip”, “a thousand quack medical doctors”, “shouldn't be practicing medicine, PERIOD”, “no thanks to the AMA or the FDA, or all those pshyco-babblers out there with Ph.D's”.
Remember we are all just expressing our opinions and trying to help each other out to the best of our abilities. I apologize in advance if my initial post somehow offended you.
Thanks and good luck,
Methosage
(your friendly Ph.D., who usually refrains from psycho-babbling) |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| Not angry, not offended. The opinion on Chiro's goes from one extreme to the other, and I learned a long time ago that a medical license doesn't make a physician. The word 'mal-practise' comes to mind... :)
(Keep on pickin'...) |
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Posts: 548
Location: Up North | That's why they call it "practicing" medicine.
:D :D :D :D
No offence to any doctors here, I've just been dying to use that line! |
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Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | There are things 'mainstream' physicians do pretty well.
There are things Chiropractors do pretty well.
There arre things Acupuncturists doctors do pretty well.
And many others...
Many tend to oversell their capabilities. But I find that 'mainstream' (allopathic) physicians are more egocentric in this than others. It is an expected result of the protracted campaign by the AMA faternity to boost doctor's prestige. Doctor's are also indoctrinated, by way of medical school, into believing they are the chosen ones. The sole providers of truth. There is the occasional renegade that thinks outside the box, but they are rare. Consider that, until the 20th century, doctors occupied the same social niche as mechanics. In many respects they still should, but we are trained to believe they work miracles. I once took my car to a mechanic that after a single observation told me he couldn't imagine what the problem was but the only thing he could think was that I had a broken exhaust valve spring on cylinder #3. He considered it pretty unlikely but had not other opinion. Turned out he was right. In my opinion, for anything automotive, that guy could work miracles.
I try to keep in mind the there are also things that each discipline is pretty ineffective in treating. The main problem I have seen is that each specialty tends to focus their approach on their personal perspective. A medical form of the observation - 'When your trying to drive a nail, everything looks like a hammer'
Like Miles, I take a lot of personal responsibility for my medical care. I get input from a variety of sources and I pursue the treatment path that makes the most sense to me. Caveat patient. Your best option is to do all you can to stay well and make your best personal choices when you have to.
My personal rule of thumb:
For acute problems, where I think the symptom and the problem are essentially the same, I tend toward allopathic medicine.
For chronic, vague, or mysterious problems, I am much more inclined to consider alternative approaches.
For mechanical problems, I look for mechanical solutions (chiropractic/physical therapy)
That said, I have personal experience with an Acupuncturist that was nothing short of miraculous. Experienced 20 years of increasingly intense ineffective allopathic treatment. When the talk started entering the surgical/excision phase I looked for any alternative. Problem resolved after three visits to a Traditional Chinese practitioner. I cannot and don't try to explain it. I just look at the data and let the empirical results talk to me.
ChatMan |
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Posts: 1900
| Yep, a little more serious than practising guitar...If I had take out 'mal' practise insurance I'd be broke... ;) |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I still don't understand acupuncture, but I am assuming it uses the nervous system to manipulate or expedite the bodies capacity for self-healing. Does that sound accurate?... |
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Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | Originally posted by ChatMan:
I cannot and don't try to explain it. I just look at the data and let the empirical results talk to me.
ChatMan ibid. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by ChatMan:
ibid. Fine. How much? |
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August 2004
Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
Originally posted by ChatMan:
ibid. Fine. How much? |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yes, yes, I get it. Youbidum. Youbimwayup! Again, how much?? :p |
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OT: Chiropractic: Yay or Nay?