Experiences with Chiropractor?

[Tuckervill]

I guess I should put a little post script in that I do wonder what in the world I would do if I need to move away from my chiropractor.

which leads me to my next comment - maybe you should look into an Osteopath? they don't really exist in North America but are quite common in Great Britain. You might look for a massage therapist trained in cranial-sacral massage. That's also helped me as well, and completely non-invasive.

Osteopaths are all over the place around me, smack in the middle of North America. We don't have a whole lot of yoga or acupuncture, but osteopaths, we got! I go to two.

Karen

[Crankin]

Even here, in the medical mecca of the US, we have osteopaths. They are treated as MDs, and most have practices that are no different than MDs. The one I am the most familiar with is a cardiologist.
My experience with chiros was negative. I went for neck pain and they had me coming back and back for weeks. After 6 weeks, I realized they were just taking my money.

[Librarygirl]

Thanks heaps everyone for your input!

It's great to get a whole heap of perspectives on this - I didn't just want to dismiss the whole chiro thing without getting some thoughts from others.

From the sounds of it, I may be better off at the very least exploring a new chiro or perhaps osteopath (actually a friend I was talking to this evening also suggested an osteopath). Colby's comment about the 'chiro-factory' chiropractors resonated a lot with me in terms of my experience with my current one - it is very much in and out in 5 mins, just a couple of 'cracks' of the neck and back, no questioning of whether there's any improvement in pain or exploration of supplementary methods for helping the back problem (including self-help).

You have all given me much food for thought about how to proceed!

Thanks,

Linda

[liberty]

I've been to both kinds of chiros. 5 minutes in, then fork over the $45. It was getting pretty pricey, and even though I'd feel a little better, the price didn't seem to equal the value of the treatment. I wasn't sure how to pay for continued treatment when my roommate moved out.

A massage therapist told me about her chiro. And I have to say he is amazing. He is a triathlete, so is very aware of cyclists' aches and pains. He runs his business on a "pay what you can" scale. And while there might be many in line waiting, he will work on you until he is satisfied. He's spent 30 minutes at a time on my grandma, even though the waiting room was full. She is 87 and has trouble standing up straight; her treatment required a lot of muscle work. I have the utmost respect for him. His heart is to make chiropractic care affordable for the whole family.

[TrekTheKaty]

First, there is a osteopathy college in Kirksville, MO--but I've never tried one.

Secondly, I LOVE my chiropractor. I receive immediate relief during my monthly visits. Without recounting all the reasons, I have a bad back. He encourages me to stay active and stretch. Based on my problems he did suggest I find another sport besides running, which brought me here!

However, I would find a chiro based on a reference. Here in St. Louis, we have a Logan Chiropractic College--so there is a chiro on every corner. I'm sure some are better than others, just like general practitioners.

I have tried a Physical Therapist--who was also a goddess and taught me a lot.

[ClockworkOrange]

Hi Linda

Now I might repeat things but that is because I did not want to read what everybody had to say.......until I had posted my feelings on the subject.

Ten years ago I was told I would not be able to work again and that there was no more they could do.

After a year I thought stuff that and asked my consultant would it harm to try riding a bike, his comment "worth a try, so long as you do not fall off"!

I also then gave up with the hospital, or rather they gave up with me and started seeing a chiropractor and still do. At $45 (£30) a time, it is a lot of money but you cannot put a price on your health.

I have times when I do not go for 3 months maybe more but then I might get a flare up and he always sorts it out after a couple of visits.

You mentioned 'cracking', occasionally things 'pop' but there is also quite a lot of manipulating/massaging. A common problem for me is when my pelvis is out.

Like any other type of therapy there are good and bad, I struck lucky with mine.

Good luck.

Clock

[limewave]

I see a doctor that practices "functional medicine." I'm thinking this is like osteopath? I'm not sure. But there is a lot of chiropractic stuff involved.

I had terrible back pain after a bad mountain biking accident. I couldn't stand up straight or bend over to tie my shoes. I couldn't pick up dd out of her crib. I couldn't run or go for walks.

I was skeptical of chiropractors, so I went to my GP who sent me to physical therapy. I did months of physical therapy. My range of motion improved, but I still had pain. I could tell that whatever was causing my back problems, wasn't fixed.

A coworker recommended his chiropractor. I was desperate so I went. I cannot believe the positive changes I have seen. They were able to fix my back in about a month. I go back for "maintenance" appointments about every 4-6 weeks (earlier if I have another mntn bike crash).

It's worth it to me. My back is 100 times better than it was after a year of physical therapy.

On another note, they work with me on my total well-being. I've been able to go off all of my prescription medications. They help work on balancing my hormones and managing my hypothyroidism.

I recommend that you keep looking. If a doctor makes you uncomfortable, then run away! I always go with my "gut" feelings. Not all doctors/chiropractors are created equal

[badger]

reading artifactos' account of the chiropractor treating her horse reminds me of the time when I brought my dog to my chiropractor. We were talking about dogs and I was commenting how my dog's hips were really affecting him, and he told me to bring him in.

He made a couple of adjustments that placed his leg in a better position so he was feeling much better.

My chiropractor is almost legally blind, so he goes a lot by feel and I have to say that he's very intuitive and good. Never had a bad adjustment from him whereas the one previous to him was very much hit and miss with a lot of misses. And at $60/visit, it was just getting ridiculous and felt like he was too much in it for the $$.

As for Osteopaths, perhaps it's a Canadian thing, but it's not recognized around here and most people have never heard of them. My massage therapist is a specialist in cranial-sacral massage and she's been training on the side with the Osteopathic college down in the states somewhere but she can't advertise that she's a practitioner.

[bmccasland]

I've had terrific care and really bad care from chiropractors. The great care was from a doc that treated my stiff neck in a few sessions and taught me what to do to keep it happening again - too many hours staring through a microscope at one sitting, I had a straight neck. And the bad care was from a Quack-o-Practor that used one of the thumper things, said he could cure my vertigo (yeah, right, it's neural damage), suggested I come in for 6-8 weeks of therapy 3x per week. One session gave me the one of the worst migraines ever. Funny thing was that my neighbor had been trained by her chiropractor/uncle and it took her 4 days of working on my back and neck to un-do what the Quack did in 1 session.

So, I'll only go to one if I have a recommendation from a current patient. I'm much more inclined to trust massage therapists. Maybe that's misplaced, but I've been really happy with the care I've gotten from the MT's.

[Tuckervill]

As for Osteopaths, perhaps it's a Canadian thing, but it's not recognized around here and most people have never heard of them. My massage therapist is a specialist in cranial-sacral massage and she's been training on the side with the Osteopathic college down in the states somewhere but she can't advertise that she's a practitioner.

That'd be pretty tough to do, actually. Becoming a D.O. in the states requires the same education as an M.D., with an additional specialty in Osteopathic Manipulation Therapy. I doubt she's talking about the same thing as a D.O.

Karen

[snowroo]

My physio sent me to a chiro. He felt I have a joint problem (everything is just "stuck.") He also sent me to an osteopath.

I found the osteo made some pretty interesting claims BUT she managed to get me full range of motion in my neck in a very gentle way.