Chiropractics: quackery or curative?

Well . . . i heard they'll bend over backwards to help ya . . .

I might consider seeing one for lower back issues but NEVER neck issues. I've seen two patients in my 20 years of angiography with vertebral artery dissection from neck manipulation.

Has your husband considered or given the choice of steroid injection?

You couldn't pay me anything to go to a chiropractor. Over the past couple of decades I've seen too many files where people were seriously injured as a result of chiropractic treatment. Two files were people became quadriplegic as a result of 'neck manipulation'.

I'm not sure I even consider them a step above voodoo.

Most chiros have either only one or two years of specific training. That's less training than a massage therapist is required to take for licensing here.

If there's a good physiotherapist from a solid four year university program available, I'd go that direction.

If someone was insistent on seeing a chiropractor, I'd want confirmation that the chiro had graduated from a solid four year pre-med/science program before they entered chiropractic college.

If I can actually do chiropracty while practising voodoo, I think I've found my new career!

I'm a recent convert to the value of some chiropractors.

I was raised to believe that they were quacks--assigned the same circle of hell as child molesters and book burners.

My life involves a great deal of perpetual stress which had started to invade the muscles of my back and shoulders. I knew I was off balance. After a nasty fracture, my "bad" leg is nearly 3/8" shorter than my good leg. After breaking both legs, my legs toed out and I was walking duck-footed. Over the years I've broken both collarbones and my mobility in my shoulders and upper back is limited.

I started therapy at the end of October with an attitude of "can't hurt"--if you stay away from my neck.

The "goal" was to reduce the muscular stiffness in my shoulders and upper back.

After two weeks I was startled to notice that my right foot (at the bottom of the "good" leg) was no longer toeing out and toeing out on the left foot has been reduced by half.

This makes walking much easier and my balance is much better. The reduction in back and shoulder tension means that I'm able to sleep more soundly at night.

The woman I'm seeing has a pre-med background and considerable modesty about what she hopes to achieve. (I have a good ear for hearing both sincerity and twaddle). She was recommended by an informed acquaintance.

I'm not saying that all chiropractors are miracle workers, but not all of them are quacks, either.

Mr. B is nuts. Chiropractors did wonders for me. I'm in construction. Painkillers are bad for your liver, they get you doped up.

The chiropractor gets your back realigned, your nervous system working better and improves circulation. I your back is out of wack your whole body goes out of whack and your mucles start pulling this way and that way.

Get him to go to a consultation. Thats all you need to do.

I've used chiropractors in the past. They certainly help with bones and do some help with nerves (when bones are pinching them). Also, some muscle spasms are caused by bones being out place - puts unusual and uneven pressure on the muscles.

BUT! Be very careful about choosing your chiro doc. Ask friends you might have who they go to, ask you doctor for names, etc. I might even run a name through google to see if there's any bad commentary.

I'd suggest he try it. Maybe my sister knows of a good chiro out there.

I had a back problem for 15 years. Saw doctors, physiotherapists, orthopedic surgeons. My last doctor's appointment, he prescribed pain killers. Went to chiro, he diagnosed and fixed the problem in 15 seconds. I go and see him for an adjustment every couple of months. Best thing I ever did.

Chiropratics are normal medical doctors here, with a special cerfication. Most orthopedic surgeons have got this.

Besides that, many physiotherapists got a similar certificate, too.

So here it's either done by the doctor or he gives a prescrition for the physiotherapist. Mrs Walter's doc does it both ways (that's because thus, it's paid completely over a longer period by the health insurance :wink: ).

Here, the line between chiro's and physio's is becoming blurred. They're both university degrees and they're getting closer all the time.

That was far more information about the romantic arrangements at your house than we needed to know, Walter . . .

Well this certainly clears things up!

Thank you all for taking the time to help. I have a much better idea of how to investigate a chiropractors background and that really is a big help.

I mentioned this thread to Mr. B and he said "I am NOT going to a chiropractor!" He does have an appointment scheduled with a specialist of some kind for next week. If he can't find any relief I am going to drag this thread out for him.

Boomerang-- I've been going to a chiropracotr for years and it does help. If you want to find one that will not twist your husband's body into a million different directions I suggest you seek out a chiro who does the "Activator"method.

Here's the link: http://www.activator.com/

You can see what the instrument used looks like. It's amazingly gentle and it realigns the body. On the left you can find the tab which will tell you where to find a chiro who is certified to use one in your vicinity.

Ehbeth, I don't know where you got this information but a Chiropractor in Ontario must have 4 years training. They must also study many of the same things as medical doctors before they can be licenced.

I have had many things fixed by a chiropractor that a medical doctor (even specialists) could not fix.

I am sure that, just like doctors, dentists etc, there are those who are not really good at their job. However, a good chiropractor can identify and help many maladies.

Been there and glad I was.

marty, what does vertebral artery dissection mean?

I have an idea, but want to confirm.

I agree with Noddy, there's good, and there's bad.

On the whole, the idea of chiropractic makes perfect sense to me, realigning the spine/hips where they should be.

Better than just taking drugs to mask the pain and probably allow the situation to become worse.

Then again, I'm the one who went in for rolfing (which BTW, has done wonders)

There was no chiropractic degree program in Ontario until 2005. There was only a diploma program available until that point.



http://www.cmcc.ca/undergrad_studies.htm

CMCC is one of two facilities that educates chiros in Canada. They admit 192 people a year. So there may be about 300 chiros in Canada with a degree rather than a diploma. I wouldn't be willing to take my chances.

When I was still active in voc rehab, CMCC was most famous as the place that people who flunked out of dental school went.

Until 2005, you could get into CMCC with a three-year general BA and do the one year+ specialty diploma. Good money, so it was always fairly competitive.



http://www.ontariojobfutures.ca/profile3122.html



(how they can call someone with a one-year diploma a doctor will continue to puzzle me)

I wonder how their rate of injury to patients would compare with doctors'?


I can't tell you what I saw in hospitals re making mistakes....

An arterial dissection is when the inner wall tears and seperates from the outer wall of the artery. This can cause a flap which interferes with arterial blood flow and weakens the artery itself. What is so dangerous with the vertebral artery is that it supplies blood flow to the posterior portion of the brain.

Boomerang,

Has your husband had any diagnostic exams to determine what is causing the hip pain?