Chiropractics: quackery or curative?

I have had incredible success with chiropractors after really debilitating injuries. And I have also had success with acupunture and Chinese herb soaks on a banged up knee that traditional doctors gave me liver destroying medications. No thanks. I'll stick with the non-AMA guys.

Given the givens, awful things can happen in traditional and non-traditional medical situations.

I turned to chiropractors out of sheer desperation after traditional medicine didn't help,

quack quack quack. Theres no indication that manipuklation helps in the case of chronic ailments. Chiropractors have as much training as HVAC technicians and less tha your cable guy.

Not in Canada, Farmerman. My daughter has two brothers-in-law who are chiros. One did a (four year Bachelor's) degree in Kinesiology before being accepted into Chiropractic school which is another four years; the other one completed some kind of Bio science degree first.

My chiro was a medical doctor and left traditional medicine to become a chiro. He is able to see more people in day and makes more money. Lower overhead and less headaches. I suppose you could say that he was the exception rather than the rule.

I went to a holistic chiro for a shoulder problem and my sister went to a chiro who practiced NUMMA (sp?) and raved about him. Some are great; some are not... just like everything else.

Yeah....there was a lower back pain study here recently, which said chiropracty does not show as helpful in the long term. It says panadol and mobilization is best.


I have been too sore to mobilize much, though, and chiropracty seems to help a lot for me in reducing pain enough to exercise.


I think they have six years training, or similar, here.

Not really sure, though.


It's not like western medicine helps with backs!

Lammectomies seem to do as much harm as good, for instance.

Yes in Canada, Mame.

As I posted earlier in thread, it's only in the last 2 years that there's been more than a diploma program for chiros in English-speaking Canada. Most chiropractors currently in practice in Canada are graduates of one and two-year diploma programs.

I know there are a few who went to four-year programs in the States, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

My understanding is the same as ehBeth's. (Stay the F away from my subluxing disc, per favore.)

Well, ehBeth, here's a college in your own province, which is where those two boys went:


Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) opened on September 18, 1945. CMCC is regarded as a world leader in chiropractic education and research.

CMCC is a fully accredited, limited enrolment, self-supporting, professional educational institution funded by the chiropractic profession in Canada. It receives no direct government funding and relies on membership, tuition and donations for support.

Admission to CMCC
Candidates require at least three years of undergraduate university study.

Chiropractic Education at CMCC
CMCC offers a four year programme of rigorous academic and clinical education, including a one-year internship in one of the institution's clinics.

The programme requires over 4,500 hours of academic and clinical education, including studies in biological sciences, anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, neurology, as well as clinical and chiropractic sciences.

etc etc etc http://www.cmcc.ca/about_CMCC.htm

The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College requires 3 years of university before seeking admission to their 4 year program. Back in the day (late '70's) when I was looking at post secondary education options, I don't believe they required students to attend university first but they did require a heavy science load in senior years of secondary school.

I understand and agree with concerns over neck adjustments but I believe chiropractors these days have far more education than you seem to think ehBeth. (Full disclosure: I do see a chiropractor for hip and leg problems.)

There are only a few schools of Chiropracty in Canada and it's very fierce competition to get accepted. Both of these kids had to have a related degree and very high grades in order to even be short-listed.

I'm not advocating chiro for anyone; that holistic chiro didn't do too much for me, all in all. Just saying it's not as quackery as it might have been, and certainly not as minimal training as, say, podiatry.

This is why I posted the link to the CMCC itself. This level of academic requirement has only come into play in the last two years.

Mame - they (CMCC) didn't begin offer a degree program until 2005.

Well one of them just graduated this year, so I wonder how many years he did. I'll have to ask him some time.

What are you basing your expertise on? Have you been to a chiropractor? If so, did you have a negative experience? In truth, those who have been and had success are speaking straight from the horses mouth. Sure there are some charlatan, quack chiro's out there, but don't knock it till you've tried it.

Also, chiropractors offer an alternative for those who don't want to medicate away their aches and pains.

I would suggest getting a proper diagnosis from an MD before seeing a chiropractor. What if you have a herniated disc that is bulging against a nerve? I wouldn't want it herniated worse by manipulation. I personally would choose steroid injection and physical therapy before seeing a chiropractor.