Are Chiropractors Quacks?

Absolutely stunning.

Yeah, I agree with the overall consensus of the thread - good ones and bad ones. Doubt they could cure diabetes, though.

I met one chiropractor I really liked. He always said "Y'know, if people took care of themselves with basic exercises and good-sense, I'd pretty much be out of business!" Apparently, a lot of his patients were people who just let themselves go to piss (I can't think a more eloquent way to put that right now).
I like that attitude with a person who is readjusting bones. Prevention first. They should be required to have some medical knowledge beyond the skeletal system.

To me, a chiropractor is for 'crinked necks' and things like that. It makes sense that readjustment would help in those cases. If that helps to move a person along in the road to good health, well then Good.

Mrs. Walter has as her doctor a chiropractic, who's not only a specialist for that but one for 'rehabilitational medicine' and 'orthopedics' as well.
Thus, she really gets the best she can get .... especially re prescriptions. (And our family doctor is just next door.)

flushd, I guess it's true that most people do let themselves go to piss by not exercising etc. But, I'm physically active and I still need to get adjusted now and again. It's not so much the physical activity that gets me out of whack, it's my job and stress.

As a chiropractor I can honestly say that I have never "cured" anything, but I have helped with a great number of things. I like to frown upon those who claim to cure anything. I wouldn't treat with that doc and neither should you. Chiropractic is a specialty. No we are not Medical docs, however we are highly trained physicians, just not medical physicians. As far as writing prescriptions, I write them on a daily basis. I just don't write them for medications. I usually write scripts for PT, scans etc. It is my idea that a competent chiropractor should diagnose using medical protocols and treat conservatively and refer out when needed.

There isn't a shred of truth in anything you have written here. One-year program? Chiropractic requires a FOUR year doctorate program preceded by a FOUR year bachelors degree. Massage therapists don't even need an associates degree and their education is not even worth mentioning in the same breath as a Chiropractors education. Injuries as a result of Chiropractic? You have a better chance of being struck by lightning then being injured by a Chiropractor. You should be more worried about the 1 million people each year who die because their MD improperly prescribed medication. That number comes from the American Medical Association. Please make sure you know what you are talking about before you post such trash in the future!

Chiropractic can not "cure" diabetes. Medical doctors also can not "cure" diabetes. There is no cure for this disease unfortunately. Chiropractic can help manage the symptoms of diabetes, but not cure. As for other chronic diseases, Chiropractic is much better for managing symptoms from chronic diseases. However, there is no known side effects from Chiropractic, unlike the thousands of drugs out there.

Not sure what science your basing this opinion on, but sounds like junk science to me. For musculoskeletal conditions, Chiropractic has shown to be 2-3 times as effective as any surgical treatment and without the side effects or cost of surgery. This statistic is not hard to find, try looking it up next time.

silliness.

Hey, rockclimber02. Welcome to A2K. Not sure where you're from but I think our highly respected regular member jpinmilwaukee can attest to the credentials and education requirements of CD in the US. You've jumped on to an old thread here and ehbeth can answer for herself as to the current requirements in Canada.

I must say that my chiropractor has literally given me a meaningful life these past two years. I wouldn't be walking or working without him, so calm down a bit and take a breath. You're among friends if you choose to be.

Noddy is no longer with us, rockclimber. She passed away a number a couple years ago. We miss her greatly.

I'm currently in a situation where I've been seeing an orthopedist and a chiropractor. My chiropractor is much more interested in treating me, all of me, as a patient. My orthopedist was interested in my broken bone. He gave me a boot which he told me was going to "aggravate my bad knee". He didn't tell me it was going to aggravate both knees and put my back into spasms like I haven't seen in years. You know why? Because he didn't read the medical history forms that his office required that I fill out twice which indicated a chronic lower back issue.

I spent the afternoon today at my chiro's office. He gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him if I need him to come by on his way home or on the weekend.

Stick around. Be cool. You'll be ok.

This is untrue - disregard this comment. Chiropractic is a completely separate field from medicine; physicians do not "specialise" in chiropractic. On the contrary, many medical professionals maintain that chiropractic is based on a very superstitious pseudo-science.

Chiropractors do not prescribe. They are all non-medical practitioners (save for a few rarities who underwent a medical degree and then decided to re-train in chiropractic, maybe because they became disillusioned with the medical profession).

quite right, at least from my experience in the USA.

Walter said, "here", which would be Germany, not the USA.

Chiropractors are well trained to diagnose most common medical conditions. Chiropractic school includes a majority of the classes in medical school, and actually the time in anatomy classes is usually more in chiropractic school, but there is little to no medical treatments taught in chiropractic school. The training of chiropractors is not designed to manage medical conditions alone. Chiropractor do not usually see regular medical conditions as part of formal training nor are they specifically taught to manage them by treating the medical disease. They do see patients with have complicating medical conditions. They are taught to co manage with other physicians. I have gone to medical school and chiropractic school. I can tell you that even though you would not want a chiropractor to be the primary provider for most every day medical conditions, they MAY HELP, with the effects of many medical conditions. Many medical conditions have effects on the muscles, joints and ligament maybe helped in the hands of a good chiropractor. In addition, the improvement in the function of the body at the level of nerves and blood supply , which a chiropractic may help with can in theory help general health conditions. There are many case reports demonstrating benefit for asthma, high blood pressure. But case reports in the literature do not make it clear to say that this theory I mentioned before absolutely true. If you go to a chiropractor who does not consider co management of your health condition then you are in the wrong place, but if the chiropractor talks to your main doctor, and in addition understands and informs you of the goals of care and limitations of care I would consider the care. Chiropractic care like all care is not provided because of a theory but to show a positive outcome. Chiropractic alone probably with not be only benefit of many medical condition, but can be part of the benefit. A major contributor to the health of the patient is the behavior and lifestyle of the patient. Patient need to look in the mirror sometimes instead of asking if a doctor is a quack.

Chiropractors actually take more clinical hours, more exam hours, and more anatomy hours in school than MD's do! It is a 3 year around the calander program full of extenssive learning the same things MD's do--Where they learn pharmacology, Chiropractors learn their technique classes. The profession of Chiropractic was founded by a man who'se first adjustment made a blind man see. The philosophy of Chiropractic is that of one founded on art, science and philosophy. The Science is, Your body has the innate, God given ability to heal itself-- If it didn't your body wouldn't know how to clot a simple cut so that you don't bleed to death (for a simple example). Chiropractors focus on that ability that you've been given and they facilitate it through your nervous system. Your nervous system runs includes your brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves that go out to every body tissue, cell, organ, and organ system. This highly complex system is so precious, you can't live with out your brain!! Because your nervous system is so precious, God was smart enough to fully encase it in bone (your skull and spine). Since nerves control all of your body functions, if one gets pinched off or occluded or "subluxed" by a bone being moved ever so slightly in your spine it causes a disruption in your nerve flow to wherever that nerve is going to in your body (panchreas--insulin--diabetes or small intestine--constipation, indigestion, bloating etc..) if left undetected by your local chiropractor can cause these things listed above and any of your other symptems. Go see your local chiropractor--Nerves are VITAL to live a healthy life!!