Chiropractors?

JackDee · May 13, 2003

I friend suggested i see her chiropractor wrt some minor pain and cracking going on in my knees and neck. I had a car accident a few months ago, resulting in my head colliding with the windscreen, wrecking the car mirror and leaving a huge hollow on the windscreen. Luckily the x rays and brain scans showed everything ok, but since then i ve had some recurring pain in knees & neck.

She, my friend, swears by her chiropractor, but i am having second thought as i ve been reading quite a few negative comments about chiropractors on the net, not being scientific, can cause damage to nerves etc. etc. So, i am wondering whether i should go to a normal physiotherapist instead.

Any of you guys have had any experiences with chiropractors, would you consider them a safe and effective treatment option. Btw, my accupuncturist has occasionaly done a few chiropractic moves on me, and on the first few when i am not that tense, all's well, but after a couple or so i tend to tense up and make it very hard for him to do the cracking bussiness and much more painfull for me when he does that.

Well, in any case, it d be good to hear what all of you think on this one.

Ms.Thing · May 13, 2003

jack, if you go to a chiropractor, go to a certified one. Any doctor has the ability to mess you up, if they don't know what they're doing.
A good chiropractor can help you a lot.

UncleButternutts · May 13, 2003

I had been seeing one off and on for a few years in the late 90's for a back problem.
Worked great for me, but, i had to go pretty damn often.

As far as you tensing up, they can't do a thing for you unless you are relaxed. Try taking a xanax before going, or maybe a few drinks. Or maybe a few xanax and a drink.

I still go to acupuncture a few times a month for a shoulder injury. Love that shit man. It's like a drug to me..lol

Seriously, a good chiropractor can do some amazing adjustments if your joints are bothering you. I am surprised your acupuncturist can't help with neck and knees though. I find acupuncture to be more effective in those areas than a chiropractor really. Especially knees.

The neck though, should benifit greatly from a good chiropractor.

JackDee · May 13, 2003

thanks ms., yeah she's a certified one, she's a proper doctor (md's dont you call em?), and has done her post graduate as a chiropractor in the states in some well known such school, she's freakin expensive too, are they that better than your average physiotherapist?

JackDee · May 13, 2003

"I am surprised your acupuncturist can't help with neck and knees though. I find acupuncture to be more effective in those areas than a chiropractor really. Especially knees"

Good point u.b., thanks man, hadn't even thought of it so i ve not asked him. Didn't think acupunture could do anything really in terms of joints and structural problems, i ll ask him.

buddyboy · May 13, 2003

here is the deal.

A patient explains symptoms to "the doctor" example, my back hurts or I have some minor pain and cracking going on in my knees and neck.

the "doctor" asks more about the patients history, like have they had a car accident in recent months resulting in their head colliding with the windscreen.

The "doctor" then asks if the patient has sought other treatment (duh) x rays and brain scans showed everything ok.

Then the "doctor" tells the patient the CAUSE of the symptoms.

like, vertibrae xyk#7 out of alignment, or excess buildup of pressure on nerve #12 in the left quadrant. (or some other mumbo jumbo)

Now that you know the CAUSE you can TREAT and CURE the symptoms.

The "doctor" cracks patients neck, the patient hears/feels something and is told that something is being done.

The "doctor" tells the patient that the CAUSE of the pain has been treated and the pain should go away.

2 days later the patient comes back with the same symptoms. The "doctor" re-treats the patient. endless billing cycle begins.

there are a TON of old cons like this going on today... ever watch John Edwards on TV?

JackDee · May 13, 2003

so you reckon that in essence they do shit really? i am too i am kinda of suspicious of snake oil medicine, and reading about sublaxations or whatever they call em in their (non)-scientific manuals, i am getting more so. But i did not believe in accupuncture initialy, and have been conveinced since via personal experience, and, there are a few people out there claiming they got a lot of help from chiropractors.

UncleButternutts · May 13, 2003

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Good point u.b., thanks man, hadn't even thought of it so i ve not asked him. Didn't think acupunture could do anything really in terms of joints and structural problems, i ll ask him. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I first tried acupunture after hyperextending a knee.
Nothing the MD was doing helped for shit. Went for 3 sessions of acupunture, and have never had a problem since.
Until i went, it just would not settle and heal, had taken all sorts of anti-inflammatory meds and two series of steroids with no progress made at all.
Went to acupunture on Mon Wed and Fri, and by the weekend was back to walking and slow stair climbing, within a week i was jogging and bike riding again.

I have been a believer since...lol

jjgold · May 13, 2003

Chiropractors are frauds and are useless. They are not doctors and training is not intense. When people go to chiropractor they make "you think" things are feeling better and all they are doing is making crackling sounds in the joints so it looks like things are being done. They are not medical doctors and have about 1/8 the training and education of a MD. Stay away.

Railbird · May 13, 2003

they made my back worse, they run scams with pi attorenys.

jjgold · May 13, 2003

Exactly Rail, they are actually legal criminals.

JackDee · May 13, 2003

yeah the reason i d trust her more though, is that she is actually an md, and then has done chiropractic studies, lots of world class greek athletes, esp. track and field ones, are her clients.

TTinCO · May 13, 2003

If you have to pay for it-screw it. You do have to go about every week. If your insurance pays for it, I'd consider it, but it really is a "temp fix"-but some people swear by them.

JackDee · May 13, 2003

yeah i ll pay for it, insurance wont cover it, and she is fvcking expensive, costs about 100-150$ per visit and from what my friend's told me you she ll probably ask me to visit her definately more than 7-8 times or so.

UncleButternutts · May 13, 2003

JackDee, would see how acupuncture does, then, if you need it still, give the chiropractor a shot.

The neck should benefit greatly from a few good sessions with a chiropractor.

TTinCO · May 13, 2003

100-150$ per visit????

BULL SHIT!!!!

Go talk to 2-3 REAL doctors and follow their advice. NO ONE in their right mind would pay a Chiroquack that kind of $$$$.

UncleButternutts · May 13, 2003

Thats not too bad really. It's about $110 here, and $90 per for acupuncture.

Well worth it if the pain is severe enough.

Guess it depends on the pain/costs ratio for the person in question.

If 6 or 7 sessions stop the pain, then $900 or so may be well worth it.

I spent more on meds for my knee than i did the 3 acupunture treatments. And the meds did shit.

Case by case i suppose.

G.MONEY · May 13, 2003

JACK,

THE BEST ADVISE YOU CAN GET IT GET ONE WHO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. I GO TO ONE ONCE A MONTH AND IT WORKS GREAT FOR ME NECK AND LOWER BACK.

I DO KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO WAS TOTALY MESSED UP BY A CHIRO, AND IS NOW WAITINF FOR A COURT DATE. I GUESS REALLY NO DIFFERNT THAN A BAD PHYSCIAN...GOOD LUCK IN WHAT EVER YOU DO AND I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER..........G.

JackDee · May 13, 2003

g. money, thanks man.

i ll probably go to an md first, and then do the sessions with the physiotherapist he'll probably suggest, and at the same go to my accupuncturist for a few sessions. If i feel better, i ll probably scrap the chiro altogether, or maybe just go once to see how the doc and the treatment feel like.

TTinCO · May 13, 2003

"I GUESS REALLY NO DIFFERNT THAN A BAD PHYSCIAN"

They can actually be much worse...they are "snapping" some pretty damn important things. I've heard horror stories, but nothing that I could verify firsthand.