Chiropractic vs MDs
 

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 have very mixed feelings about chiro’s. I think a good one can conservatively, and temporarily, help alleviate back and hip pain with proper adjustments. On the other hand, don’t ever let one of them give you a neck adjustment. One of my best friends, who is extremely fit and active, recently had a stroke which was caused by a damaged carotid artery in his neck. The neurosurgeons who treated him asked if he had seen a chiropractor and gotten a neck adjustment. Although they will never know if that is definitely what damaged his artery, they said they have seen the correlation between the two more often than a coincidence would indicate. Every neurologist my friend talked to said they would never get a neck adjustment.

My rule of thumb concerning all vendors is that if they insist on putting you on a subscription plan, they're a crook. This applies to doctors, HVAC techs, computer software vendors, car salesmen, and anyone else who tries to sell you over-priced insurance disguised as a "maintenance plan". The one exception is virus software, which is a different scam, called a "protection racket" -- if you don't pay them, they'll give your computer a virus. So you have no choice but to pay them. But be very careful. We have a good friend who lost her entire life savings when she signed up for Norton and then responded to an email claiming to be from Norton, which said she'd overpaid, so please call the nice lady who will get take your bank information and "get you your refund". Poof -- money gone. Strange how a scammer just happened to know the exact moment when she signed up with the largest virus scanning company in the world. Pure coincidence, no doubt.

But I digress..

I tried a Chiropractor years ago from my sore back, which, as a software developer, resulted from my sitting in an office chair all day. He popped my back for $100, and it felt a little better. Then he insisted that I start coming back every week for an "adjustment", and I realized it was a scam. After that, I discovered that if I walked everyday at lunch my back didn't hurt, anyway. Much cheaper insurance.

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

Untrue and ill-informed. Like so many....

Chiropractors all work differently. I only see solo practice, most of them will take their time with you. Not a rack & crack & out the door multiple Dr practices. Between my massage therapy & Chiropractic they keep me going.
I drove over a 1,000 miles a week for work for 25 yrs. & was in a motorcycle wreck back in the late 90's. So, I know they are a help. I still use both! The Dr. I saw after my accident sent me to both.
You, nonbelievers, just don't know. Just like a regular Dr. sometimes you have to shop until you find the right one.

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?

I'm going to pop some popcorn and wait for Golfing Eagles to weigh in.

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

Kind of apples & oranges imho. Of course a good GP doctor is essential. But a good chiropractor can be very good for many back issues. I speak from some experience.

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

After my rear end auto accident in 94, I've been seeing a chiropractor both on the West Coast and after relocating to the Villages for adjustments on an as needed basis. In all cases my chiropractor has also been a licensed MD which is not the case with many chiropractors. Both of the offices I've gone to have been very informative on stretching routines I can do on my own to avoid unnecessary office visits. They have shown a genuine interest in helping me improve my quality of life.

We’re mixed in our house.

She has a regular chiropractor appointment on the schedule.

I subscribe to the theory of “happy wife = happy life” and just pay the bill.

Interesting that the US Military uses Chiropractors.
Chiropractic Health Care Program | TRICARE

MDs who specialize in pain management discuss with patients additional therapies including chiropractic care on a routine basis, accupuncture, massage therapy and physical therapy.