[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by jbartle1

It’s not an “either OR” both are important, admittedly Chiropractic is a smaller part of our healthcare but should be respected. Fatalities by both professions have an enormous gap (26 to 250,000 (google), I would choose the conservative option of chiropractic with some diagnosis . The best part of chiropractic are the millions of folks that have been helped EVEN when their personal bias interfered with this choice.

I first visited a chiropractor several times 26 years ago.He tried to adjust my back by poking several vertebrae with a pencil eraser. A few days later a neurosurgeon did a lumbar laminectomy on me because a couple leg muscles were becoming paralyzed, and that did the trick.

In the past 17 years I’ve visited chiropractors several times for spinal pain, neck or lower back, and got significant relief in a couple minutes and full relief with a follow-up visit. I was grateful. Different chiropractors used different techniques, but they worked. I dated a woman for years who is now 61 but competes with her horses, running and jumping. She sees a chiropractor as needed, and that’s probably every month or two. They keep her going, competing (and winning) against twenty year olds.

So, I believe in using chiropractors, but ONLY for spine related pain like stiff necks and backs. Some sciatica they can help with, but not always. I would NEVER go to a chiropractor for something like a cold or a lack of energy, and I would NEVER buy any medications from one, and I would NEVER sign a contract for regular visits. Emergencies only.

[EatthMama]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

You went to an MD first. You were diagnosed properly and treated. Chiropractors cannot do this. If you go to a chiropractor to alleviate undiagnosed pain, he/she may cause more damage to your body. First, by not recognizing you need to seek medical attention. Second, by giving you a false belief that you are in good hands. You may avoid medical treatment for days or weeks. This time lapse may cause a larger problem than your initial pain. Last, the chiropractor may actually cause more damage. For example: A back adjustment is probably not a good idea if you have an injured spine. JMO: SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FIRST

Chiropractors can miss more severe diagnoses, so it is very important to see a physician FIRST. I know if two instances where people went to a chiropractor first, and their cancer diagnoses were missed.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by EatthMama

Chiropractors can miss more severe diagnoses, so it is very important to see a physician FIRST. I know if two instances where people went to a chiropractor first, and their cancer diagnoses were missed.

ONLY 2??? I know of dozens

[ThirdOfFive]

I was never much of a believer in Chiropractic. If truth be told my opinion, admittedly from a less educated standpoint, pretty much lined up with the "quacks and snake oil salesmen" opinion of Golfing Eagles.

Until I went to one.

Some years back I was a pretty serious tennis player; came down with a bad shoulder and like an idiot I tried to play through it. Didn't do it any good...a lot of pain and tennis (or exercise of any kind) was out of the question. Doc recommended cortisone and an extended period of rest and P.T. (six weeks? Can't recall exactly). Told him I'd think about it. There was a Chiropractor a few blocks from my office so "nothing ventured, nothing gained". I paid him a visit. Bottom line: first and second week = 2 visits each, which included the mandatory neck "adjustment" followed up by a session (half hour) hooked up to some kind of electrical apparatus where I could dial the charge up or down to just below "pain".

Pain was gone by the end of the first week. I was back on the court by the end of the second week.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

I was never much of a believer in Chiropractic. If truth be told my opinion, admittedly from a less educated standpoint, pretty much lined up with the "quacks and snake oil salesmen" opinion of Golfing Eagles.

Until I went to one.

Some years back I was a pretty serious tennis player; came down with a bad shoulder and like an idiot I tried to play through it. Didn't do it any good...a lot of pain and tennis (or exercise of any kind) was out of the question. Doc recommended cortisone and an extended period of rest (six weeks? Can't recall exactly). Told him I'd think about it. There was a Chiropractor a few blocks from my office so "nothing ventured, nothing gained". I paid him a visit. Bottom line: first and second week = 2 visits each, which included the mandatory neck "adjustment" followed up by a session (half hour) hooked up to some kind of electrical apparatus where I could dial the charge up or down to just below "pain".

Pain was gone by the end of the first week. I was back on the court by the end of the second week.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while 😂😂😂

[RavenelRibet]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

As I understand it, a chiropractor will charge you thousands of dollars to stretch your back and increase the spacing between the vertebrae to relieve sciatica pain. But, as soon as you start walking around, your back will revert back to it's original position and the sciatica pain will return. Is that not correct?

Not correct. I was referred to Chiropractic by the VA. I am happy they did because my United Health Care provided only one answer to my intermittent nerve issues which make my right hand unusable - carpal tunnel operation! I knew, and even the medical Dr. acknowledged my evaluation, that the pain in my hand was brought on by activities that had nothing to do with carpal tunnel constriction. I went to VA and they agreed - besides VA will not cover carpal tunnel operations!! Explain that. I am making progress with Chiropractic adjustments where a carpal tunnel operation would most likely have provided no help. I am going to Alignlife, and if you do, you will learn a lot about what Chiropractors do and why. Their education program at Alignlife is impressive with an upfront required education session and total evaluation including xrays of your entire system, and alignment measurements/charts which are completely discussed with you by a Chiropractor before you agree to treatment. As with other new things, it is wise to "know before you go".

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by RavenelRibet

Not correct. I was referred to Chiropractic by the VA. I am happy they did because my United Health Care provided only one answer to my intermittent nerve issues which make my right hand unusable - carpal tunnel operation! I knew, and even the medical Dr. acknowledged my evaluation, that the pain in my hand was brought on by activities that had nothing to do with carpal tunnel constriction. I went to VA and they agreed - besides VA will not cover carpal tunnel operations!! Explain that. I am making progress with Chiropractic adjustments where a carpal tunnel operation would most likely have provided no help. I am going to Alignlife, and if you do, you will learn a lot about what Chiropractors do and why. Their education program at Alignlife is impressive with an upfront required education session and total evaluation including xrays of your entire system, and alignment measurements/charts which are completely discussed with you by a Chiropractor before you agree to treatment. As with other new things, it is wise to "know before you go".

Interesting! I sometimes get the impression that traditional medicine and its practitioners are pretty turf-oriented, dismissing out--of-hand anything that goes against gospel as they see it.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by RavenelRibet

Not correct. I was referred to Chiropractic by the VA. I am happy they did because my United Health Care provided only one answer to my intermittent nerve issues which make my right hand unusable - carpal tunnel operation! I knew, and even the medical Dr. acknowledged my evaluation, that the pain in my hand was brought on by activities that had nothing to do with carpal tunnel constriction. I went to VA and they agreed - besides VA will not cover carpal tunnel operations!! Explain that. I am making progress with Chiropractic adjustments where a carpal tunnel operation would most likely have provided no help. I am going to Alignlife, and if you do, you will learn a lot about what Chiropractors do and why. Their education program at Alignlife is impressive with an upfront required education session and total evaluation including xrays of your entire system, and alignment measurements/charts which are completely discussed with you by a Chiropractor before you agree to treatment. As with other new things, it is wise to "know before you go".

Many chiropractors use spinal decompression machines to treat sciatica pain. However, they require you to come back as many as 20 times or more to repeat the treatment. If the sciatic pain is caused by a bulging disc, this treatment will almost never be a permanent fix for the pain. You need surgery to remove the part of the disc that is pressing on the sciatic nerve.

[opinionist]

Chiropractors can help with some problems and not with others. I had dull pain in my right shoulder for years and decided to try a Chiropractor. He determined the issue was not in my shoulder but in my spine. He took X-rays and said it looked like I had whiplash. I had never been in an accident, but I later found out that working at a computer for long hours can cause the same issue. He was not sure he could help me, but over the course of a couple of months, neck adjustments shifted my alignment to a more normal curve. At that point, my pain vanished. It was an objective result of specific treatment.

My Primary Care Physician diagnosed me with Type 2 Diabetes around age 55. My A1C had risen as high as 7.7 for a year, but with diet changes, the number dropped to 5.6. My autoimmune condition remained, but I was told that eventually I would need to go on insulin injections. Some years later, I attended a presentation by a holistic doctor who was focused on determining the root cause of health problems. I worked with him and determined my root cause was secondary leaky gut syndrome. After treatment of the root cause, the autoimmune condition was healed, and I no longer have Diabetes. Why did the PCP not know this? The standard medical system is based solely on pharmaceutical drugs. There is no financial incentive or formal training beyond that. The use of Alternative Health Care techniques can provide relief for specific problems, but you need to be your own health care advocate and not limit yourself to canned solutions.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Interesting! I sometimes get the impression that traditional medicine and its practitioners are pretty turf-oriented, dismissing out--of-hand anything that goes against gospel as they see it.

Let me rephrase that to read : The FACTS of medical science. This does not include Voo-doo and its related scams.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by opinionist

Chiropractors can help with some problems and not with others. I had dull pain in my right shoulder for years and decided to try a Chiropractor. He determined the issue was not in my shoulder but in my spine. He took X-rays and said it looked like I had whiplash. I had never been in an accident, but I later found out that working at a computer for long hours can cause the same issue. He was not sure he could help me, but over the course of a couple of months, neck adjustments shifted my alignment to a more normal curve. At that point, my pain vanished. It was an objective result of specific treatment.

My Primary Care Physician diagnosed me with Type 2 Diabetes around age 55. My A1C had risen as high as 7.7 for a year, but with diet changes, the number dropped to 5.6. My autoimmune condition remained, but I was told that eventually I would need to go on insulin injections. Some years later, I attended a presentation by a holistic doctor who was focused on determining the root cause of health problems. I worked with him and determined my root cause was secondary leaky gut syndrome. After treatment of the root cause, the autoimmune condition was healed, and I no longer have Diabetes. Why did the PCP not know this? The standard medical system is based solely on pharmaceutical drugs. There is no financial incentive or formal training beyond that. The use of Alternative Health Care techniques can provide relief for specific problems, but you need to be your own health care advocate and not limit yourself to canned solutions.

I was going to stay out of this but the public needs to know the truth. First of all, holistic "doctors" love to diagnose "leaky gut", mainly because it can't be proved wrong. Here's a citation:

"Leaky gut syndrome is a controversial condition characterized by increased intestinal permeability, allowing toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream, but it is not currently recognized as a distinct medical diagnosis." This of course is a red flag for patients and a giant "pass GO, collect $200" for the quacks.

Then, just how does any provider cure an autoimmune disease? I'd love to know. You can treat it, even control it, but unless you know a way to wipe out specifically the B-memory lymphocytes that are producing the harmful antibody, there is no "cure", so beware of any statement that claims that.

Likewise, how does one "cure" diabetes? As a diabetic, I'd love to know that too. It can be treated and controlled, but again, unless you know how to replace the gene that leads to type II DM, there is no cure, and beware statements and "doctors" that claim that.

[RedChariot]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

I’m actually going to pass. No point in wasting my time on a discussion of quacks and snake oil salesmen. Besides I’ll just get into arguments with true believers, this time I’ll let them enjoy their mythology

In the ED we would often see the results of a Chiropractic manipulation. Quacks.

[bumpa]

Originally Posted by Babbs1957

Chiropractors are just like their friends in aroma therapy, acupuncture and crystal healing.

I beg to differ. 40 years with lower back issues and the only cure is my local Chiropractor. Initially referred by my doctor.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by bumpa

I beg to differ. 40 years with lower back issues and the only cure is my local Chiropractor. Initially referred by my doctor.

I'm glad you are getting some sort of relief. But I do have to point out that after 40 years, chiropractic has hardly "cured" your condition. How many visits have you paid for in those 40 years?????

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by RedChariot

In the ED we would often see the results of a Chiropractic manipulation. Quacks.

And I've had to pronounce a few. Not to mention a few quadriplegics and 2 strokes from dissection of the vertebral arteries after "manipulation".