hey all....

i have back pains from serving shooting up and down my spine! its no fun :( i was wondering if people believed in chiropractors or if anyone has had a good/bad experience and why...
thanks for the input! i need to know if its worth paying for...

You don't want to mess around with your back. I think you should see a doctor, and if she/he thinks you should go to a chiropractor, do so. It can work, unless it's mechanical back pain or something like that that isn't helped by therapy/treatment.

I've never been to one, myself.

I went for a while. I didn't have a major problem, just some neck stiffness, but I had a coupon for a free consultation, so I checked it out. Then I found out it was covered by my insurance so I went for the amount of visits the insurance paid for, which was something like 8 or 10 visits. It was a little freaky to hear all of those pops coming from my body, and I was especially freaked out at first by the way he would wrench my neck to the side, but once I got over that I liked it. It never hurt and I always felt really good after an adjustment. However, the feeling was short-lived and I usually felt the same again in a couple of hours. The thing that bothers me most about chiropractics is that they want you to go forever and make adjustments a permanent part of your lifestyle. I wouldn't want to rely on it forever. Plus, although my chiropractor was pretty nice, he had a bit of a salesman quality which put me off.

So I guess my advice is to try it out, but make sure you find out about the chiropractor and get references because I don't think they're regulated that much. Also, be aware that they'll probably try to get you to make it a permanent part of your life even if your back starts to feel better. Good luck and I hope those pains go away!

http://www.chirobase.org/

Quackery. Pure utter quackery.

But it may feel good, and one shouldn't underestimate the placebo effect. The risk of serious injury from a chiropractor is probably very low. So, take what you want from it.

Just my $.02

I've only been to one chiropracter, and it was because my employer recommended and paid for me to visit hers. He has done wonders for her- she was in a car accident seven years ago and broke her back, was in chronic pain and nobody else she saw was able to help her. With this chiropracter she is now completely free of painkillers and is not in constant pain.

When I saw him it was because I was having dizziness that was impacting my job. I'm a nanny, so not being able to drive, stand, or carry the baby was a pretty big issue... :P Anyway, he told me that the dizziness was most likely caused by some sort of strain in my jaw which I was being caused by my cracking my jaw from my mild tourrette's syndrome. He put on some bubble gum flavored rubber gloves, put his thumb in my mouth and pushed on my jaw and I never was dizzy at all after that.

That being said, I still hated him. He told me (literally) that I would not survive unless I started eating animal products. He had only just met me when he told me that I knew nothing about my body, was uneducated, and did not know how to take care of myself. He told me that since I was young I should listen to him because he knows what is best for me. Then he tried to get me to continue coming in. I didn't.

So that is my limited experience with a chiropracter. I do not feel the particular need to be involved with chiropractics any more, but I understand it is great for some people. Not my thing, really. IF I were to see one again, it would NOT be the one I sawa already...

Chiropractors are useful, but they're not going to cure or be able to help everyone. I've been to one. I went for a few months for treatment for neck and arm stiffness and headaches after a car accident I was in a couple of years ago. It helped me, but I didn't like that I had to keep going so often. IMO, it beats relying on painkillers or having to go through surgery, though.

strawberry:

YIKES!

That's one kind of Chiropracter, and I must say that's more common than not.

It's super hard to find a good one - namely they don't do much manipulation. Hardly any, actually, is best.

Where I live, it is common practice to go to osteophaths rather than chiropracters, although there are chiropracters as well. If someone has a sore back, most people I know would head off to their osteopath before going to see a doctor.

I cannot understand why in some countries (like in the States) people still doubt their skills. Osteopaths get 4 to 5 years training at their training college, and they know the body back to front and inside out and even outside in.

Chiropracters are good, but osteopaths go one step further. They are less "mechanical".

There is a small branch of Chiros that do not do the jerking, cracking manipulation. I forget the method, but the one I go to uses this method. There is a lot of stretching and pulling, and he uses his body weight to gently reallign you. I just looked it up, it is the Palmer method. I have been to both kinds, and the Palmer method is prefferable for me. I only go if I throw my back out, and usually only once or twice every couple years. I think there is a benifit to it, but like any medical professional, you need to use common sense when listening to them.

sean

I would say definitely go for it. It's worth it. I had horrible posture, and I'm SO much better now. You have to look for a good chriopractor, though. Many will just fold you into a pretzel and jerk you, and that's all you get. My chiropractor has hundreds of different movements, depending on what you like or don't like. Don't want to hear any popping? He has plenty of adjustments that will allow for no popping.

And to say that chiropractic care is quackery is simply false. My uncle's life was SAVED by chiropractic care. When he was an infant, he was throwing up his feces. Gross, right? So he was taken in for surgery, and the doctors tried to fix everything. A few months later, it happened again, so he had another surgery that removed much of his intestines and stomach. The doctors said that if it happened again, he would die. Simple as that.
Well, it happened again. And, out of desparation to do anything, my grandpa took his little 13 month old to the chiropractor, hoping that something might work. The chiropractor felt up his spine and noticed one spot that was VERY abnormally hot. He said that sometimes the spine can be SO out of whack that it pinches a nerve and sends the wrong message and the body will do something really screwy. In this case, his stomach was trying to digest his intestines. So he did some adjustment- there was a loud pop, and said, "Well, we will see what happens." And a few minutes later he went to the bathroom as a normal person should.
When my grandparents told their doctor about this, the doctor got angry and said, "Well, if that's the kind of quackery you're going to invest in, then goodbye." And he walked out.
Today my uncle still sees a chiropractor every now and then. Another uncle was so inspired and awestruck by all this that he went on to be a chiropractor himself.

Yeah, it's freaky and gross, but it's a true testimony. Here's a baby who would have been dead if his parents thought chiropractors were a bunch of BS.

And to say that chiropractic care is quackery is simply false. My uncle's life was SAVED by chiropractic care. When he was an infant, he was throwing up his feces. Gross, right? So he was taken in for surgery, and the doctors tried to fix everything. A few months later, it happened again, so he had another surgery that removed much of his intestines and stomach. The doctors said that if it happened again, he would die. Simple as that.
Well, it happened again. And, out of desparation to do anything, my grandpa took his little 13 month old to the chiropractor, hoping that something might work. The chiropractor felt up his spine and noticed one spot that was VERY abnormally hot. He said that sometimes the spine can be SO out of whack that it pinches a nerve and sends the wrong message and the body will do something really screwy. In this case, his stomach was trying to digest his intestines. So he did some adjustment- there was a loud pop, and said, "Well, we will see what happens." And a few minutes later he went to the bathroom as a normal person should.

If you disagree with me, read the link that I posted. It makes a far stronger case against chiropractic philosophy then I can.

I am glad that your uncle was cured. But the plural of "anecdote" isn't "data".

two thumbs down for me.
if they are supposed to 'fix' you - why do so many people have to go back and back and back on a more regular basis?

i'm sorry your back hurts though - do you know the cause of it? is a new thing or has it been going on for a while?

My went to a chiropractor for his tennis elbow (which his doctor said had to do with some muscles in his back also :dizzy:) and he thought it really helped. It used to bother him a lot, but now he rarely feels it

mostly i have middle, upper back, and neck pain from carrying VERY large trays of food on heavy plates and iron skillets for months now... i was working full time which was terrible! also, my frame is really small and people were amazed that i actually could lift the amount i was carrying.

mostly i have middle, upper back, and neck pain from carrying VERY large trays of food on heavy plates and iron skillets for months now... i was working full time which was terrible! also, my frame is really small and people were amazed that i actually could lift the amount i was carrying.

Two thoughts come to mind.

First: How is your posture? Bad posture can lead to chronic pain.

Second: Perhaps you are carrying too much weight. Sometimes pain is your body's way of saying "don't do that!"

I would suggest seeing a physical therapist. Your insurance should cover it, but you'll probably need to be referred by your doctor. A physical therapist will be able to assess your specific issues and devise a treatment plan.

I was in two car accidents in 5 months in which I was rear-ended, causing me severe neck and shoulder pain, making it nearly impossible for me to sleep through the night. As a result of the accidents, I developed mild arthritis in the area. My physical therapist used ultrasound, electrical stimulation, traction, and hot packs. He showed me stretching and strenghtening exercises, as well as how to properly perform daily functions specific to my lifestyle. He also used massage (which insurance generally only covers for auto accidents), but that might be something for you to consider as well. The pain has eased significantly.

Here's a link with more info on how physical therapy can benefit you:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm

I should also mention that I saw a chiropractor years ago for an injury to my lower back, which resulted in a herniated disc (yes, I know, I'm all mess up), and the chiropractor only made the problem worse. Physical therapy significantly eased the pain in my lower back as well.

Try yoga or some other stretching exercises. You may also want to try some isometric strengthening things too. The thing that most chiros leave out is the self help/strengthening that need to go along with any adjustments, otherwise you will be going for life. Just like blood pressure meds. Most take them for life because they dont try to fix themselves (ie weight/eating habits).

two thumbs down for me.
if they are supposed to 'fix' you - why do so many people have to go back and back and back on a more regular basis?

If medicine is supposed to make you better, why do we have to get refill after refill? To keep in shape. Why do we practice an instrument everyday? To remain sharp at a song.

But back to the original poster. I say it's worth a try. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, your insurance doesn't cover it, or it doesn't appear to be working, try something else. Thankfully, today we have so many ways of doing one thing, and something will work for you. Good luck!

I read an article that compared chiropractics to dentistry - you don't just go to the dentist once, you go several times a year for preventative care and to get things fixed.

this is actually a timely topic because i'm making my first visit to a chiropractor next week because of severe back, neck, and shoulder pain i've been having. i just recently thought that hey, maybe a physical therapist could help also. my insurance covers the visit though, so i'm at least going to give it a shot.

I prefer massage, which was the most effective part of my post-accident chiropractic therapy years ago. I didn't get much of an opportunity to see how acupuncture would work for me long-term, but it seemed fairly useful in the limited time I had.

My suspicion is that a lot of problems we get into (apart from accidents) can be avoided through healthy whole foods diets, meditative practices, good body mechanics (like posture), exercise, and stretching.

I've only been to a chiropractor once.

Eight years ago I was in a car accident and had a ton of back pain. The doctors gave me drugs that knocked me out, but didn't help once they wore off, and I couldn't take them very often because I had a life to live. It got so bad that for two days I couldn't move my neck from side to side.

Randomly a friend's mother came up to me in a store (where I was picking up yet more prescription drugs) and gave me a hug. I screamed in pain, told her what was wrong, and she called her chiropractor neighbor and said she was taking me over there.

I was there for maybe 15-20 minutes. She did some adjustments and I was sore for about an hour later, but then I simply didn't hurt. I got my full mobility back, I was able to start dancing again, and I haven't had back pain since.

I'm not one that believes chiropractors can cure everything, but sometimes, especially after an accident, your back really is out of whack. It only makes sense to put it back where it belongs, and no amount of pain killers is going to do that.

When I was living in Taiwan, I was having lower back pain, so I decided to have a Taiwanese body massage which was SO horrible.. she actually left black bruises up and down my spine!! The back is tricky.. they wanted me to have a bunch more massages to "fix me," but instead I took up swimming, yoga, and I really worked on my posture and the pain went away. Good luck and be careful. :D

mostly i have middle, upper back, and neck pain from carrying VERY large trays of food on heavy plates and iron skillets for months now... i was working full time which was terrible! also, my frame is really small and people were amazed that i actually could lift the amount i was carrying.

well, perhaps that was the problem--you were lifting more than you should carry.

i believe another thread showed you were underweight? this is also a problem--that already can put strain on your system, and being a waitress is hard on ANYONE"S body. more so on someone who isn't in the best condition.

re: chiropractors--don't like them, wouldn't ever use one, but many people i know swear by them.

of shoes do you have to wear in your job. I know those trays can knock you out of kilter for sure, but if you are having to do it in heels, ugh. Until you are better, hopefully you can wear some shoes that will keep your feet flat and supported while you work.