Chiropractor?

squirrly · August 2010

Anybody go to one? Like it? Hate it? I'm seriously considering going, but I just sort of have to "guess" at what to look for on websites and such as to what would make someone a good chiropractor. Thoughts? Suggestions?

aragx6 · August 2010

I've always been a bit reticent to try one, though I have some coworkers who absolutely swear by them. I would ask around for suggestions -- word of mouth referrals are usually the way to go with things like this.

I went to a new ob/gyn today based on a colleague's recommendation and really liked her, and I felt way more comfortable knowing she was liked by someone else as opposed to just picking the first name that came up on CIGNA's Web sitie.

ootmother2 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_chiropractor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:f6fd4992-e15c-4304-8128-80be563e7af4Post:87783ef5-8ebd-4fac-8917-f2111b210a59">Re: Chiropractor?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've always been a bit reticent to try one, though I have some coworkers who absolutely swear by them. I would ask around for suggestions -- word of mouth referrals are usually the way to go with things like this. I went to a new ob/gyn today based on a colleague's recommendation and really liked her, and I felt way more comfortable knowing she was liked by someone else as opposed to just picking the first name that came up on CIGNA's Web sitie.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]

katiewhompus · August 2010

It depends on the chiropractor. I worked for one in high school and he was absolutely amazing. I would go once a month for a tune-up, or as frequently as needed if I had an injury or back spasm.
The one I currently go to is more of a "wham bam thank you mam" chiropractor. Very much just get in, crack crack, ok have a good day. I still feel a lot of better when I leave but the experience is not as desirable as my old one.

ootmother2 · August 2010

read Dr.Sidney Wolfe, Nation Institute of Health on the subject. He's pretty negative on the industry

mandysmear · August 2010

OMG Squirrly. I was in a car accident about 9 years ago. I have a bad back. ALways. Everyday. I wake up with a sore back. I move the wrong way. Lift a 10 pound box. So, right before vegas I threw out my back. I had to crawl to the bathroom. I couldn't walk.

Went to the chiro... I left there able to bend at the waist a little and stand straight. Then I went 2 days later. I was almost 100% He just told me not to lift any of my luggage while we were there.

Saw him a few more times. I haven't had any back pain since. NONE. I haven't seen him since april

I pretty much love that man. I don't know why I didn't see him sooner.

[Deleted User] · August 2010

My mom used to go to one, and her back is worse than it was before. Her doctor told her that some of the time, going to a chiropractor can actually make a condition worse and you have to keep going back constantly as a result.

But don't take my word for it, ask your doc for sure. My mom has a somewhat unique condition (she has an extra vertebrae in her back at the tailbone and that screwed up her spine, so much so that it once shifted to the side during a horseback riding incident), so i'm sure that was part of it.

cupcakesfrosting · August 2010

I've seen a Chiroprator twice. Once for a pinched nerve in my shoulder, and then the second time, my neck was so enflamed and swollen, and painful, I couldn't move. It turns out my vertabrae had moved in my neck, and a bunch of crap had built up in my neck.. Ugh.

Definitely ask around, friends, family.. Word of mouth is much better than checking out websites...

ootmother2 · August 2010

The concept of "realligning vertabrae" is phycally impossible. If you "move a vertabrae" it will or kill you.

squirrly · August 2010

See, I'm new in town and don't really have many people to ask. Those that I have asked have no recommendations. I even looked on Angie's list, but the ones that have reviews only have one review.

I also don't have a regular doctor here yet, and my old doc is 1000 miles away. She's not opposed to chiropractic care, I know, but she wouldn't have any recs up here.

Birdie1483 · August 2010

I've been to two separate chiropractors and I have mixed feelings on them. On the one hand, they really helped when I had severe acute back pain. On the other, they kept wanting me to come back and back and back and it became too expensive to continue doing so. If i didn't have such a steep copay, I would probably still go to one because my problems aren't fixed.

My main advice if you go to one would be to:

1) Pay attention to how comfortable they make you feel. At first you'll understand going a bunch (3x a week) but don't let them pressure you into continuing care if you don't feel like it's helping any more or you can't afford it. My last chiro had posters that were designed to make people feel guilty when they used the "excuse" that they couldn't afford it. Frankly, if it was between putting dinne ron the table and going to the chiro, I was picking dinner.

2) Make sure they spend the amount of time on you that you feel that you deserve. As a PP stated, my first chiro was good at first, but then it turned into a wham bam thank you mam less than 5 minute exam and I was like what did I just pay for??

3) Double and triple check that they're in-network. I just got burned by this!

pooh8402 · August 2010

my H loves going to the chiropracter. I've never been, so I have no personal feelings on the subject. they can be very effective at reducing pain, though.

jnic0319 · August 2010

Love it. They are excellent-and if you can go once a week until you're fixed up you won't regret it.

tenofcups4me · August 2010

I've been to a couple and have not had much luck -- my experiences weren't bad, but they didn't really help. But I know several people who have gone regularly (or as needed) and have had wonderful experiences. Like everything else, I think it really just depends on what your problem is and if it can be helped by chiropractic care.

I've had to find doctors in cities where I didn't really have someone for a recommendation. I typically look around for whose near me, check out their web sites, then google to see if anyone's commented on them anywhere. Everything else being equal, I'll try to go someone located near me if I can. It's hit or miss, but at least it's a start.

JessAndTrav · August 2010

I love going to the chiropractor. I truly do. I chose mine by recomendations, and it's wonderful.

Trifury2007 · August 2010

I have a friend from college who is a chiropractor that I see every once in a while. I'm not 100% for or against it. My problems are not caused by 'alignment' issues but from an autoimmune disease so that is factor I think in the success of failure of any particular treatment day for me. She is 100% honest with me regarding whether or not she can help and I have referred many friends to her and they have been really happy with the results. When I do feel like I need an adjustment is needed though she is the only one that I'll trust. PM me if you want her contact information.

squirrly · August 2010

Tri, YGPM.

JanoBean75 · August 2010

I went to one for over a year. FI went to a different one for six months.

Mine - basic alignment and migraine control:
I'd get into a hospital gown, they'd do a goopy ultrasound thing on my neck and upper back. Then I'd lay there for 20 minutes or so with moist heat applied to my back (basically a heavy moist heating pad). Then Dr. D (everyone's favorite Italian Chiropractor, as he'd always say) would come in, do the alignment (full back and neck) and I'd be done. His tables were mechanized so it would lift you up so you didn't have to get up on your own.

FI - lower back pain:
Stay in street clothes, sit in massage chair for 10-15 min. Then get alignment that involved stretching.

Did it work? Yes, for both of us. My migraines were less frequent and didn't hurt as much. His back pain went away. We stopped for insurance reasons, and also because Dr. D is 45 minutes from where we live now.

squirrly · August 2010

Jano, my reason for going is headaches too. I've tried just about everything else, and everything I've read suggests that chiro is the way to go for my symptoms.

mrs.mims · August 2010

you will have to strengthen your back and core muscles to hold an adjustment. most people get addicted, and dont recover, as a result of having poor muscle tone. therefore, their back muscles can't hold an adjustment and they never get fixed, just become dependant. I have an awesome Chiro/FRIEND who I had to see 3x a week for 2 months. all the while i did pilates EVERYDAY and ran and did aerobics as well to get myself in shape to HOLD the adjustment. if you follow these guidelines, you should be OK, but that is just my experience, based on research after I heard a lot of horror stories. Especially MDs seem to take up a snobby attitude towards DC (Chiropractors) however, my MD said it could keep me from back surgery, and it did. Hope this helps.

baystateapple · August 2010

I went to a chiro for years, and I loved it, but my insurance stopped covering the sessions. At $70 a pop without insurance, it just wasn't an expense I could justify. I had to start going weekly after I got in an accident and messed up my hips and back badly. It really does help if you have back/spine/neck/head pain. Just be forewarned, it's best to get the referral of your doctor before you proceed with a chiro if you have serious pain. My mother had pain in her upper back and went to a chiropractor before going to see a doctor. It turned out she had three slipped disks, one bulging into her spinal column, and the chiropractor made it worse. She had to have back surgery because of it. If you have intense back or neck pain, see a doctor first and make sure that it's not something more serious than just a misaligned spine.

emarston1 · August 2010

My grandpa used to get terrible migraines and nothing they did for him worked and they kept getting worse.

He just happened to go to a chiropracter as a last resort and *bam* they stopped. He goes about every other week because they start coming back if he doesn't go for awhile.

SarahPLiz · August 2010

I go to a sports chiro regularly. She is awesome, and not as granola as some others I have met. She also does Active Release Therapy and the Graston Technique on my muscles to help me combat scar tissue from overuse. She has gotten me through my marathon, several halves, and more than a few triathlons and muilti-day bike rides. Her ART and Graston treatments hurt like heck, but they work. The regular adjustment part doesn't hurt at all.

ETA: Yes, the adjustments do work. I have one hip that his higher and tilted towards the front, and it makes that leg about 2 inches shorter than the other one. This affects how I run, walk, ride, etc. It also affects how my clothes fit. When she is done adjusting me, I am no longer lopsided, and I can see it plain as day in the mirror. Then she gets down into the muscles with her thumbs (ouch) so they release and don't keep pulling me back into the same position. She is also an athlete and I have learned a lot from her about overuse injury prevention.

LD1970 · August 2010

There's not enough money in the world for me to go to a chiropractor. Anyone messing with my spinal column had better have a LOT more education than chiropractors have.

It's a prejudice, I know, but I'm fairly adamant about it.

hetshup · August 2010

Squirrly,

My IL are both Chiropractors, Palmer is the best school for that, so you should find a palmer grad, generally what you want to look for is some type of physical therapy room, while your adjustment may only be 2-3 minutes, you should spend a good 15 minutes in some sort of rehab type program. If you have a spasm or something like that you should get hooked up to a stem machine to relax the muscles first. If you want to PM me where you are, I can try to get a more exact referral.

BTW- In terms of education, his parents had 6 years of college followed by state board exams followed by quarterly education seminars. So it's not like they are rubes off the street.

acmj11 · August 2010

I used to go for my jaw and it helped me tremendously. I was skeptical at first because I didn't see how jaw problems could be helped by a chiropractor. I would try it for the headaches, I was really surprised at how connected everything is.

pooh8402 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_chiropractor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:f6fd4992-e15c-4304-8128-80be563e7af4Post:5e3c1ab9-47de-4b5e-b832-be3252e96be2">Re: Chiropractor?</a>:
[QUOTE]There's not enough money in the world for me to go to a chiropractor. Anyone messing with my spinal column had better have a LOT more education than chiropractors have. It's a prejudice, I know, but I'm fairly adamant about it.
Posted by LD1970[/QUOTE]

find a D.O. they get the chiropractice education in addition to their regular medical school education.

CMarie11 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_chiropractor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:f6fd4992-e15c-4304-8128-80be563e7af4Post:c8b997e1-480d-4b7c-b482-fc42fb339477">Re: Chiropractor?</a>:
[QUOTE]The concept of "realligning vertabrae" is phycally impossible. If you "move a vertabrae" it will or kill you.
Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

This is 100% false. Your vertebrae can absoultely come out of alignment. Look up the words "subluxation" and "spondylothisthesis". Neither of which will kill you.

When you vertebrae go out the normal alignment, they can press on your spinal nerves and cause pain, and the nerve transmission to whatever organ that nerve innervates to become disrupted, and not work as well.

FWIW...my fiance is a chiropractor and I am a physician assistant. We can both see the benefits of chiropractic and traditional medicine working together. On a personal note, getting adjusted has completly helped get rid of my headaches.

tldh · August 2010

I did personal injury and workers compensation law. I never saw a chiropractor help a situation unless he was recommended by my client's primary care physicican. In fact, I've seen more than one make an injury worse. They are good for some things but not for most things - your PCP will know which is which.

vegasgroom · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_chiropractor?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:f6fd4992-e15c-4304-8128-80be563e7af4Post:bd333242-d0f3-4237-a0a7-c5e7ac6a0a24">Re: Chiropractor?</a>:
[QUOTE] after I heard a lot of horror stories. Especially MDs seem to take up a snobby attitude towards DC (Chiropractors) however, my MD said it could keep me from back surgery, and it did. Hope this helps.
Posted by mrs.mims[/QUOTE]

I think you're confusing snobby with being legitimately concerned for your well being. If you have what could be a serious back problem, most people would want someone who has eight years of school and a minimum of three years of residency in the specific area that is the problem looking at them as opposed to someone who doesn't even need to have completed a bachelors degree and then got a two or three year degree of a very generalized nature that only some schools even call a doctorate. I think a lot of people only go to chiropractors because they dont have insurance, don't have a primary care physician or any number of other reasons that would make it less convenient to go to a real doctor.

I have a close friend who nearly lost his ability to walk as a result of a chiropractor assuring him they knew what was wrong and getting repeatedly worse as the 'adjustments' went on; it was only after severe bruising and (this part is nasty) his testicles turned completely black that he went to the ER at the insistence of his wife; he had back surgery less than 24 hours later, they would not let him leave the hospital or even move. The surgeon said it was just random luck that being put on the chiropractor's drop table didn't cause permanent damage to his spine.

My personal experience with chiropractors is going to one after I pulled something moving boxes around in the garage. I did weekly 'adjustments' for a month with no real change, and every time there was an excuse as to why it wasn't helping, not a simple advisement to change how I was sitting, sleeping, daily activities, etc., it was always oh you need to come back more and you need to put this vicks vaporub-like substance on a few times per day which we conveniently sell, etc.

I'm glad most chiropractic customers love it, for most its nothing more than an intense massage/stretch/therapy session and they're probably fine for that, but some people with serious issues that go to them can be left with even more serious problems.

JanoBean75 · August 2010

My chiro told me I had to adjust how I was sitting, to actually turn my body rather than my head to look at something next to me for extended periods, to raise my monitor so it's more level with my line of sight and have it directly in front of me rather than off to the side. My chair should be at the correct height -- my feet firmly on the floor, arms level with desk (if adjustable, adjust your desk too!). Don't twist or crack my back on my own, etc. He recommended moist heat for an hour each day on my upper back and neck.

The first visit I had a migraine and it got worse after the adjustment. I went twice a week for a while and soon, my headaches were less frequent and less painful. But I could manage them without having to medicate. Out where I live now, I can't find a chiro like him...so I just take my stupid pills when I do get a migraine. My migraines are mostly hormonal or stress related, so I'll get them anyway. But I really feel going to him helped so much!

Good luck with your search and making a decision!

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