Fifty Plus (50+) - Chiropractors, anybody?

Anybody here go to a chiropractor for treatment/therapy? What's been your experience?

I've been having issues with a stiff neck while biking. I'd always thought that the practice bordered on quackery, but decided to see a chiropractor on the advice of a friend.

Amazingly, after a series of four visits to this guy, I feel much better! I've taken two 20+ mile rides since the last treatment, and noticed little to no neck stiffness during or afterwards. Yay!

So...anybody here been adjusted?

After a couple of skeleton bending ski crashes some years ago I went to chiropracter. The office was full of "regulars"...real believers who formed almost a little community--bringing in brownies,etc. I stayed with it for 3 months. My back got better, but I'll never know for certain whether it was just time, normal healing, the chiropracter's treatment, me giving moguls a break, back strengthening, or all of them. If you feel positive about the treatment, go for it. Whether it's a placebo or for reals....you're back on the bike and feeling better.

Well....I always thought it bordered on quackery, too. Then when I had some bad back pain, I went to a chiropractor. After listening to my history for about 30 seconds, he said, "You've got a bulging disc. Do these exercises."

I also went to a conventional doc, who sent me to get a $3000 MRI. The diagnosis and treatment plan: "You've got a bulging disc. Do these exercises."

I got a few adjustments, but I think the exercises were the key to feeling better.

I've had two. One resolved an issue with my shoulder that was causing pain down my arm. He concentrated on only that issue and when my shoulder was better, he released me.

The other one is the type that gives chiropractors a bad name --- and the type that truly good chiropractors warn others to avoid. He recommended a payment plan for months, thinks adjusting my back 3x/week for several weeks/months will cure whatever ails me, and called himself my "primary doctor" (his words).

Neck adjustments are not recommended by all chiropractors and some are against them altogether. The bad chiro I went to insisted on popping my neck every time, tho' the problem was in my low back. I felt like had freed myself from being tied up in chains after I cancelled all future visits with him several years ago. He promised me that my upper back would be screaming in a year, and then my neck. Nope! They are much better thanks to the exercises I was given by a physical therapist and taking off weight. I asked him for exercises and he kept avoiding the subject. Oh my gosh I could go on and on...... My point is some are good, and some are very bad. If something doesn't seem right to you, don't go back.

Anybody here go to a chiropractor for treatment/therapy? What's been your experience?

I've been having issues with a stiff neck while biking. I'd always thought that the practice bordered on quackery, but decided to see a chiropractor on the advice of a friend.

Amazingly, after a series of four visits to this guy, I feel much better! I've taken two 20+ mile rides since the last treatment, and noticed little to no neck stiffness during or afterwards. Yay!

So...anybody here been adjusted?

I have been adjusted, but I'm still not well-adjusted :rolleyes:

I work in the "traditional" medical field, and tend to cast a wary eye on non-traditional treatment modalities.

The chiro I visited seemed like a quack. The treatment rooms were open and you could see what kind of treatments and adjustments everyone was getting, and from what I could see, everyone got the same treatment which was an adjustment along w/ a type of electric stimulation, sort of akin to a TENS unit. My hubby got the same treatment as me. I had to seriously question HOW in the world the exact same kind of adjustment and treatment could be effective for every patient?

He made me "promise" when I first came that I would continue w/the treatments for a specified period of time, which I can't now remember what that time period was.

Also, this guy was kind of on the chubby side and was selling lots and lots of "nutritional supplements" w/wild claims to cure everything from baldness to obesity w/ very little science to back them up.

Another feature I remember was this guy was very anti-milk. He called it "cow puss"

He's still in business and making a very nice living, so more power to him. I just didn't get much out of it.

It sounds like your guy is much better than the one I visited. I am glad he helped your neck.

Another thought....a cycling friend has intense back pain from disc degeneration. (A gritty guy, he still rides, sometimes on heavy meds.) Looking for relief, he paid $3K for a series of treatments. His take at the end was...inconclusive. At least, there was no noticable improvement directly attributable to the chiropracter. He's improving and lessening his meds...but, again, the human body isn't static and many factors influence changes. The older we get the more we understand "inconclusive" in our lives.

Colleen, yours sounds like mine. He sold a special bed pillow to every patient, and everyone got the same type of adjustment. He also prescribed a heal lift for my right foot -- the worst thing since it turned out I needed custom orthotics to support my high arches. The heal lift just lifted my heal even higher than the arch support in the shoe! He was a joke. I too worked in the traditional medical field (including orthopedic nursing) but I'm not completely against chiropractic medicine..... just against chiro-quacks like the one I went to.

The one I went to years ago when my back problems first happened was a quack. At some point he did this thing where we ran his hands up and down my body without touching it, to "feel the energy fields" or something. He then said to me, quite gravely, that I needed a copper bracelet on my right wrist, to balance my energy fields, which he happened to sell for $300. I declined, but kept seeing him for another few visits. (His back adjustments did seem to help temporarily.)

Then, a few weeks later, he did the hands thing again and it seemed like he'd forgotten he'd already done them. Sure enough, I needed a copper bracelet -- only this time, on my LEFT wrist, to balance my energy fields, which he happened to sell for $300.

That was my last visit.

:lol:!

My brother went to a chiro who told him that the adjustment should "take care of that cough". My brother said "I have a cough because I have a cold". After that, the chiro never suggested that an adjustment could help anything but his back. Which is true.

I see a Chiro on a regular basis, about once a month for siatic pain. With the treatments & exercise, it stays under control. The guy is pretty sharp & does not believe it is a cure all. I had trouble with my sholder & he suggested an MRI. Upon review, it was a rotator cuff tear & he sent me to a surgeon. I trust this guy & it works for me. Another note, he has competed in a number of Ironmen races & a few adventure races. He still competes in local tri's.

My wife is an RN. Chiropractors just didn't fit into our life plan. Also, we used to audit Worker's Comp and auto accident medical bills, and it was easy to see the "referral rings" that were formed between the attorneys, the chiros and certin MD's. It really became obvious after a few months of doing the auditing.

However, my wife had terrible pain, and we received a recommendation from a personal trainer to one near us, and he is GREAT! He is a former sports trainer, and knows exactly what is going on with each muscle in your body, how they work together and against each other. He doesn't do any neck "jerking." He uses a small clicking device that applies pressure diectly on the area he wants "adjusted." My wife (and I) were terrified of what she had observed at certain chiros - that quick snap of the neck. Well, he just doesn't do that. To top it off, he is a heck of a nice guy. He has degrees in a variety of areas, including physiology. He prescribes a variety of home exercises. He also bikes and runs, and is in great shape.

Anyway, we love him for his ability to watch us walk for about two steps and know almost immediately what is wrong or whatever. However, we don't buy into much of the rest of chiropractic.

So, it depends, as does so much else in life.

Over here we have a "Free" national health service. Many years ago I had severe back problems and a couple of visits to the Chiropractor and he had me mobile- For about 3 months. Then it was back to paying him for another couple of sessions to get the back sorted again. This went on for about 3 years with the 3 monthly visits and paying for several sessions each time.

Finally I went to the doctor because the back pain was getting worse and I got some phyiotherapy on the NHS. That was in 81 and haven't had a problem since. However- Now experiencing back pain again and the Quack has recommended that I go to see a chiropractor to get sorted. Cant afford it and don't trust the doctor. Her suggestion is Ibruprufen- which is not recommended for those with heart problems- And I have had a heart problem in the past. So the cure is -Get out on the back as that seems to solve it.

The one I went to years ago when my back problems first happened was a quack. At some point he did this thing where we ran his hands up and down my body without touching it, to "feel the energy fields" or something. He then said to me, quite gravely, that I needed a copper bracelet on my right wrist, to balance my energy fields, which he happened to sell for $300. I declined, but kept seeing him for another few visits. (His back adjustments did seem to help temporarily.)

Then, a few weeks later, he did the hands thing again and it seemed like he'd forgotten he'd already done them. Sure enough, I needed a copper bracelet -- only this time, on my LEFT wrist, to balance my energy fields, which he happened to sell for $300.

That was my last visit.

:roflmao::roflmao:

hilarious.....

Yen, maybe these chiros have a rotation in their training devoted soley to marketing? They seem to have the same M.O.

I have many friends who go to Chiros and it seems to me that once you go, you have to keep going. A couple of years ago my neck was bothering me and a good friend suggested accupuncture. I went to the guy twice and to my amazement, I really liked the guy and my neck pain went away.

My experience has been similar to what several of you have experienced. I've gone to several chiropractors over the years. Some have been very good and helped a lot, some have been mediocre and one (the most recent, unfortunately) a complete waste of time and money.

The office was full of "regulars"...real believers who formed almost a little community--bringing in brownies,etc.
I stayed with it for 3 months. My back got better, but I'll never know for certain whether it was just time, normal healing, the chiropracter's treatment, me giving moguls a break, back strengthening, or all of them.

Or it could have been what they were putting in the brownies... :D

Went to a chiropractor once for a neck pain/headache issue. She used a roller machine to relax the muscles, used the clicker (looked like a pen), pushed on the side of a vertabra that seemed out of place, presto, no more pain, headaches gone, never had a problem with it since. I now see a massage therapist (medical training) who is working on a hip that still bothers me at times - works wonders. She suggests yoga, stretching and exercise to maintain body health.

She suggests yoga, stretching and exercise to maintain body health.

Stretching = Good, at least for me.

If you find a good doctor that fits your needs stick with him/her.
The same with chiropractors, massage therapists, alternative healers, etc.
Exercise can be more beneficial than any of them little pills they want to sell you!
Have had good luck with some chiros, some doctors.
Current chiro is great. Don't tell him what hurts; he does a quick physical check and he can pinpoint my problem and does the adjustment. Yes, sometimes I have to make a couple more appointments.
An MD wanted to perform surgery for my divirticulitis. I told him no, I want an alternative. The alternative worked just fine.
Doctors practice medicine . . . key word "practice."

I am a chiropractic physician.

Obviously, I'm going to suggest chiropractic. Chiropractic is the most intensively researched treatment for low back pain, and the research shows that it is also the most effective and the safest.

There is somewhat less research for neck pain, but the research that does exist also points to efficacy and safety profiles better than medical treatment.

As for whether you have to come for life...Most of my practice is primary care, and so I do see my patients regularly, at least annually for their physicals. Conditions I treat range from hypertension to gastroenteritis and everything in between. My patients' frequency of care depends on the nature, severity and chronicity of their conditions, as well as how compliant they are with their home care programs. Those who don't do their stuff at home tend to have to see me more.

Those with acute problems, my philosophy is "find it, fix it, then leave it alone."

Chiropractic doctors do tend to have closer, more personal relationships with their patients; closer to the old "family doctor" of the last century, where we take care of the whole person, not just their laboratory values. That's probably why you see more brownies in our offices...

Avery Jenkins, DC, FIAMA, DACBN
www.docaltmed.com

I have been to a couple of very good ones. Unfortunately, I have also been to some of those who give chiropractic treatment a bad name. The good ones helped me very much with some neck and lower back pain. One in particular was very good at helping with a lower back problem which now hardly ever bothers me. But I moved and can't seem him now. But I have found a good one where I now live, and he helped when I had the problem recur. Lower back seems fine now, no problems for a long time, and haven't had to see him for years. The ones which weren't so great used the "one treatment for all" method as was described in some earlier posts, usually not hard to tell which ones they are when you visit them, too bad they usually have your money for one or two visits first, before you find out.

Back in the day when I was doing personal training, I had an orthopod and two chiropractors to whom I referred clients. I traded training sessions w/chiro sessions with one of the practitioners. This guy thought that chiro was all that and a bag of chips, and didn't refer his patients back to me. After a few months of one-sidedness, and no change in my performance (he told me I had to have adjustments "at least once a week" which would have put me on the owing side to him, as he only trained with me once a week), I stopped going to him and went to the other chiro I trained, who was all about adjusting folks and having them get some training so they could keep their muscles strengthened so that their adjustments would last longer. That thinking was much more aligned with my understanding of chiropractic theory, so we had a nice relationship.

I haven't had an adjustment in >5 yrs. I practice Pilates (not the reformer) and weight training, as well as Bikram yoga stretches w/o the heat & humidity, and I'm complaint-free.

You can check out www.quackwatch.com to get a fairly biased view against chiropractic. I know no websites that offer a pro-chiro view.

She suggests yoga, stretching and exercise to maintain body health.

+1 on Yoga and massage...

I have a chronic problem in my left shoulder which started in college: hunching over a drafting table with a death grip on the T-Square and triangles - no fancy drafting arms for us. Many years later went to two different chiros, neither helped. Then I discovered the wonders of Yoga (ashtanga) and massage.

That said, my problem was caused by chronic muscle knots not a misaligned spine.

I've been to one. Has deep structural body workers in the same office. Excellent results. Took quite a while.

Started with:

1. Stiff neck, C5-6 problems from whiplash and a couple of nice high-speed head impacts.
2. Left shoulder / elbow / wrist working badly, impact, couple of breaks
3. Right ankle constantly dislocating
4. Left knee & hip not functioning all that well. Clicking knee
5. Twisted pelvis, "herniated" disks in my lower back, sciatica

My chiropractor did a thorough analysis including excellent XRays. Started with a once a week session. Did a 10 session bodywork series similar to Rolfing. Within 6 months my left arm worked, my neck was starting to work, and my pelvis was beginning to loosen up. Got my ankle working. He also showed me methods for getting my back to line up, having my wife pop my ankle back in position, etc. I gradually slacked off to seeing him every six months or so, or if I can't get something working. I've had a variety of things click and slide in my left hip. Now it works. Weird. No noise, no pop, nothing. My back doesn't hurt, my neck works (can see behind me when cycling), etc. Never been an emphasis on constantly returning. So. I'll paint my experience as an unqualified success. Never experienced any of the weird stuff other people report. This took 10 years of gradually reducing intervention, but I was quite nicely twisted up with lots of damage. People I suggested see him have had equivalent success, within the limits of adjusting things to line up and working on locked up muscles & fascia.

Now I'm thinking of finding someone closer for tuneups. This discussion has me concerned about what I'll find! Clearly there's a great deal of variation.

I've suffered a fair amount of harm and near harm from the conventional medical trade. Never suffered any harm from chiropractic.

Thanks for all your responses! They really echo my own experience with chiropractors. I like this particular guy that I've been going to; he doesn't push products or supplements (although he did advise multiple treatments over the next month or so.)

A couple of the local guys have sponsored massage sessions and catered lunches at my workplace in order to increase business, and others offered programs that made ongoing treatment easy to afford by somehow writing off insurance deductibles. I'm put off by such activities because they indicate that everybody needs chiropractic care, which just ain't so.

It is true that it's hard to determine whether or not the adjustments are what's helping; I find that a day off the bike every so often, cross training with swimming, and lots of restorative yoga make a huge difference too.

Yen, maybe these chiros have a rotation in their training devoted soley to marketing? They seem to have the same M.O.
Actually, I believe they do. I read that many attend marketing training. On the day I called to cancel all future appointments and say I won't be back, the office was not yet open. The outgoing message said "This number does not take cancellations" (but it didn't provide another number that does). In other words, call back during office hours so the high-pressure chiro can get on the phone and try to pressure you into continuing treatment with threats of more pain to come. (Have you ever called any type of doctor and heard a message saying that their one and only phone line does not take cancellations???) Anyway I did talk by phone with the chiro later that day, and I swear it sounded like he was reading from a script, or a chart or something like what 9-1-1 operators use to talk a layperson through a step-by-step procedure while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. I heard him swallow hard several times during the conversation, while he promised that my upper back would hurt next (actually, "scream" is the word he used), then my neck. He offered to send me to his own lab for an MRI (why didn't he suggest that sooner?) and said that as my primary care physician (yeh, right!) he was "concerned" about my GI distress (acid reflux, which I have successfully overcome, drug-free, with lifestyle changes alone). The longer he talked, the more desperate he sounded.

These links provide a non-biased view of appropriate chiropractic care, written by chiropractors.

National Association for Chiropractic Medicine (http://www.chiromed.org/)

How to Choose a Doctor of Chiropractic (http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/262.cfm)

How to Choose a Chiropractor (or the Eight Warning Signs that You May Need a Different Chiropractor) (http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/20/03/01.html)

I have been using a chiropractor for many years.

The one I go to is great. She has a "cash" practice, meaning no milking the insurance of accident victims. I pay up front for a years worth of treatments and love it. Mine are mostly maintenance, though occasionally I overdo it and she bails me out.

Happily she is not a nutritional kook either. I can't stand that stuff.....