Back pain - anyone have experience w/Chiropractic?

[Don Ro]

A new thread because Paul (pwd72s) has mentioned a couple of times lately about his bad back.
Latest was in the "Happy Birthday Marines" thread.

My g/f is a Chiropractic Physician (D.C.) and she has shown me certain maneuvers that I can do on my own to "pop" my spine (I call it 'clunking' because that's the sound it makes). She has taught me that the best time to do that is just after awakening in the morning prior to getting out of bed. Sometimes my muscles are so tight that I can't do it even then. She suggests some Advil at night so that my muscles are relaxed in the a.m. That works for me. I can 'clunk' just about any spot on my spine back into alignment - from my neck down to my lower back. It's a Godsend.

She has shown me other things to do, as well.
I can still have some back pain from tight muscles pulling on my spine, but I can now do something about it before it gets into a stage of incapacitation - like in my past.

I always held suspicion about this particular field of medical care - thought of it as fraudulent, really.
Hocus pocus, etc. I even said that to her when we first met, but she was patient w/my lack of awareness.
I am a convert now because I see this approach as treating the source and not the symptom.
.
Anyway, I was just wondering if you, Paul, or anyone else has had any experience/good results from the Chiropractic approach.

[RANDY P]

It's helped me. FOrtunately a good friend is a chiropractor who works on me N/C.

I've had chronic neck problems for years, I finally got my 1st adjustment in 1999 -

I slept for 14 hours straight after that was done, I believe it's helped me overall.

rjp

[pwd72s]

Don, I've experience back pain, off and on, for years. Yeah, I went to our local chiropractic guy...first I was told I had a too short leg, so I needed a lift in one shoe. Then he popped around a bit, with no help...but boy did he keep me coming back for twice weekly visits until I was smart enough to figure out that my savings account had been flattened and my back was still hurting. I had no health insurance then, and now I have a policy with a $5,000 deductible...poor coverage costing me $200 per month.

I then went to a true MD...who gave possibly the correct diagnosis of a spondy something or other (never could pronounce or spell it) at the L-5 level. He gave me a set of stretching exercises to follow, and they helped..a lot. He also advised avoiding surgery as long as possible, because it's messy, it's deep, and it only helps some of the time.

So, here I sit, hurting...doing the stretching, using heating pad, and eating advil.

Life gets interesting when you're an old fart...

[Jims5543]

Yes!! There are bad Chiroprators out there that make a bad name for a lot of them. Just like any profession.

What I have always done is search out the one that the local firefighters use. This way you have a guy/gal familiar with injuries and knows how to fix busy people who want to be fixed and not just looking for a insurance claim.

I have hurt myself twice now and the first time he saved me from a lot of horrible pain. I go to him now for tune ups about once every 3 to 6 months and he keeps me straight. (pun intended)

I usually get a massage prior to seeing him so I am relaxed and loose so we can have a productive session.

Him LMT on staff is awesome and is the wife of a battalion chief for the local FD.


My dad went to an "insurance chiropractor" that had him in there all the time and he could not function after he left there. The doctor was not fixing him. I felt back then that chiropraters were quacks that just hurt you more to make money off of you.

It was years later when I tried one myself that I changed my mind. Like I said there are bad ones out there, finding the good ones is the trick.

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Don, I've experience back pain, off and on, for years. Yeah, I went to our local chiropractic guy...first I was told I had a too short leg, so I needed a lift in one shoe. Then he popped around a bit, with no help...but boy did he keep me coming back for twice weekly visits until I was smart enough to figure out that my savings account had been flattened and my back was still hurting. I had no health insurance then, and now I have a policy with a $5,000 deductible...poor coverage costing me $200 per month.

I then went to a true MD...who gave possibly the correct diagnosis of a spondy something or other (never could pronounce or spell it) at the L-5 level. He gave me a set of stretching exercises to follow, and they helped..a lot. He also advised avoiding surgery as long as possible, because it's messy, it's deep, and it only helps some of the time.

So, here I sit, hurting...doing the stretching, using heating pad, and eating advil.

Life gets interesting when you're an old fart...

I have a bulging dick betwenn my L-1 and pelvis. Its proabably one of the worst places as its the absolute base of my spine. My Chiropractor gave me two cardinal rules. Never have a pot belly and always keep your abs and or base mucles at their fittest.

Since heeding his avise I have not had a problem with my back and can function in life with no issues. Others with this injury lay around and cry about it. I have helped people move their houses and move my office a couple of times after hurricanes.

[speeder]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
I have a bulging dick betwenn my L-1 and pelvis. Its proabably one of the worst places

Well there's your problem right there. Cut that out!!

[pwd72s]

Hey, I'm sure there are good chiropractics....funny, my MD gives the same lecture about trunk muscles & keeping weight down. That was easy when my work entailed tossing 100 pound bags around. Not as easy at age 63 and retired.

Back in the mid 70's, may have been the '78 Parade at Snowmass in Colorado, a chriopractic convention was leaving as the car guys were arriving. I'll never forget a reader board announcing a seminar for the chiropractics...the title: "How to make $300,000 in your first year of practice".

But Jim, your message well taken...no more crying about back pain from me...not here.

[MRM]

I have practiced personal injury defense most of my career, and was the regional special investigative unit counsel for an insurance company, where my job was going after bad health care providers, who were mostly bad chiropractors. So I have a bit of a prejudice against the profession.

This year I started to have bad neck and back pain. I could tell something needed to crack in my neck for everything to settle down. I went to my regular MD first, to make sure I didn't have a blown disc or something, and asked about a chirporactic referral. He suggested physical therapy instead, which is what I always argued as a lawyer was best.

I went to a PT who did some hands-on manipulations, similar to what a chiro would do, combined with exercises and stretches. The result was amazing. I don't know if I just got lucky with my PT, or not, but I would really recommend going that route.

Go to your family MD, explain the problem and ask for a referral. Your doc will take care of you.

[austin552]

Always thought chiropractors were BS. Hurt my lower back moving furniture. So much pain I could hardly walk. Doctor wanted to operate. Heard horror stories about back surgery. Chiropractor got me back dancing.

[speeder]

In 2002 I had a micro discectomy on L4/L5 and L5/S1, without getting into a long story, surgery was NOT optional in my case. I had a severely ruptured disc that had fragmented and part of it floated up my spinal cord and pinched off a nerve. The pain was almost indescribable, and one of the top neurosurgeons in L.A. did the operation, which was a success. I went in for a consult w/ him, he looked at my MRIs and let out a loud whistle, then scheduled the surgery for the next AM.

Previously, before I knew the extent of my injury, I was visiting a Chiroprachter who was "treating" my back. I remember that he did some goofy procedure where he lifted up my leg and told me that because it did not hurt in that particular position, it was "not a disc". This was before it had deteriorated to the point where I made an appointment w/ a real doctor, but still...., he was a quack. He had absolutely no idea WTF he was talking about and about as much ability to treat my condition as the proprieter of Willy's BBQ. And he is considered a good chiropracter in town, recommended, etc...

I'm sure that people have been helped by getting their backs cracked, (my cousin swore by this guy), but all in all it is a BS profession that feeds on "soft tissue" injuries from rear end car accidents and referals from attorneys. Think about it; they have the balls to call themselves "Doctors", and you do not need a college degree to become one. HTF can you recieve a doctorate in something w/o an undergraduate degree?? It's a miracle, I tell you.

My sister is an actual MD, (had fusion surgery in '05 as well, no fun), she just starts horse-laughing when talking about chiropracters. Some of the stories are the medical equivalent of those gypsies who drive around w/ a dent-puller and a bucket of bondo offering to do body work while you shop at K-mart.

Anyhow, now you know my opinion and experince, FWIW. Follow MRM's advice and go to a real Doctor.

[Nathans_Dad]

My opinion (perhaps biased because I am an MD) is that chiropractors are fine as long as you go to them realizing their limitations. Manipulation can help some chronic musculoskeletal problems, my uncle is a Physical Therapist and he uses some manipulation techniques for short term relief and then prescribes stretching and exercises to correct the long term problem. Anyhow, if you want to go to a chiropractor to get your back blasted then fine, it will feel great for a few days to a week. Then it will hurt again. Go back to chiropractor. Rinse and repeat. I have heard very few stories from patients who have had long term relief from chiropractic care. Most of the time they say they thought it was helping while they were going, but their back or neck or whatever still hurts just as much.

The really scary stuff starts with the quacks who think they can cure diabetes or heart disease or cancer with manipulations. That is just hogwash.

[74-911]

definitely are a lot of rip-off chiropracters out there. There are also some doctors that aren't particularly competent.

After several months of excruciating back pain (when in my early 30's) visits to the family doc and and to the referred orthopedics doc both ended with the same result: we see no physical problem, take muscle relaxers and do these exercises. Could not function in my job with the muscle relaxers and no way could get in the floor and do the exercises.

Inadvertently found a chiro. that on the first visit examined me, had x-rays and blood work done and nothing else. Warned me there were back issues he really could not help. On followup said results of tests indicated ankolysing spondylitis. No cure but definitely things he and I could do to mitigate it. 30 years later spine is pretty much fused but can do virtually anything I want (except situps and touch my toes).

He was incredibly good, never scheduled the weekly visits, just come in when I felt I needed to. He also used a spring loaded activator to do most adjustments which were pain-free. When your back is locked, manual adjustments are torture. He also did a lot of things besides adjustments that I didn't understand but they sure as hell worked.

Point is, a good chiro. will tell you if he can help you or not and can work wonders for those conditions.
How do you find a good one? No clue. He moved to FL over 20 years ago and I have not found one to replace him (but quit looking years ago).

[74-911]

Originally posted by Nathans_Dad
My opinion (perhaps biased because I am an MD) is that chiropractors are fine as long as you go to them realizing their limitations.

Per my above post, I agree completely and a good one will tell you the same.

Nathans_Dad: By the way, the chiro. I found that was so good was in San Antonio.

[john walker's workshop]

the only relief i ever got was from a chiropractor. doctors and their ilk just prescribed drugs.

[pmajka]

It wont help everyone, but it helped me....L4-l5 and l5-s1 herniation, with tear....

4 years in the making...sometimes good, some times bad...

my latest battle was 2 months of pain....3 adjustments later i am off meds. been going for 1 month now.. I feel great

[Zef]

When you find a good one..keep it, and give him some (pot de vin) so he will be there for you when in crisis you need him.

[sammyg2]

BTDT, so I have enough real world experience to justify an opinion which follows. Note this is a personal opinion based on my personal experiences and is not represented as fact.

I tore up my back pretty good in 1985. Went through a month of traction, months of physical therapy, months of chiropractic care, then surgery on L-5 to S-1.
Afterwards it was better (went back to work 7 weeks after the surgery, it was my choice) but still not perfect.
Over the next several years I tried numerous chiropractors. As soon as I had swore them all off as BS artists who actually believed their own BS, a friend would say "oh no, mine is different".

One of these quacks actually prescribed all manners of laxitives, saying that constipation was the cause of all my back problems. The ruptured disc apparently had nothing to do with it.

IMO Chiropractic is a scam, a psycological band aid and a dillusional temporary relief to a permanent problem. In some cases chiroractic care actually makes the underlying problem worse.

I see a benefit to chiropractic in relieving tension in the same way a back rub would but that's where I draw the line. Using a chiropractor to treat a real medical condition is foolish.

BTW, no offense but chiropractic physician is an oxymoron IMO.

[Paul K]

Chiropractic adjustments have really helped me- especially since a firefighting accident in 2002 when I landed on my head with enough force to break my hard hat. But if you need repeated adjustments, chances are your muscles are messed up too- I used to get a deep tissue massage for that (very painful, nothing like the 'cruise-ship' massage) but now I use accupuncture. This combination has worked for me- less pain, better sleep, etc.

Hope you find something that works!

Paul.