[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Chiropractic: Scam? Update 1 (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/25/2011 10:20:32 AM EDT
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I went to a chiropractor today. I have been having stinging pain between my shoulder blades, stiff neck, and shooting pains into my head, behind my right eye. He took a couple of x-rays, did a bunch of poking, prodding, and making me hold my arms up and stuff. Then put me face down on a table with some electric zappers on my back and neck. The weird thing is, he wants me to come back Friday to tell me my diagnosis.  Something else he said that stood out ––"You are definitely a chiropractic patient.". Like he thought I am just perfect for coming back over and over again while he soaks me dry. I left with a bad, bad feeling.Is there a real doctor who specializes in backs? Update 1. Sometime after I made this post, I noticed the knot in the left of my spine was gone. Had been there for about 6 months. Felt like the size of a large marble, maybe golf ball sized. Went back today, the Chiropractor sit me down and showed me the x-rays. L4 and L5(?) are fused together "blocked vertebrae"...nothing he can do there, just pointing it out. The most notable thing was the curve in my upper spine. I was told about this as a kid, but it's never bothered me before. Apparently my left leg is a tad shorter than the right. Maybe because the arch in my left foot is noticeably less. I was cautioned about martial arts because of the fused vertebrae. I've been a bull-rider, military, and pretty much a rough and tumble guy all my life and don't plan on stopping now. I was given some kind of treatment that felt like I was being shot all over my leg, back, and neck with a staple-gun...minus the staples. Couldn't tell that helped much. The electric shock treatment was applied as well. So far, there's been some good come out of this and I am mildly surprised. I'm going back Monday evening. |
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I think it depends on the doctor. I had back problems about 8 years ago and went to the chiropractor and he got me squared away. After about 10 visits I was feeling much better and was told I didn't need to come back unless there was a problem. I've kept up with the back stretches ad strengthening exercises he gave me and haven't had a problem since.
ETA: Most people think after the treatments are done they are magically cured and end right back up in there in 3-6 months because they don't keep up the routine stretches and exercises. |
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Much of Chiro is giving you expensive massages while your body heals naturally, then crediting it all to chiro. There isn't evidence behind it.
Care partnerships between doctors and physical/occupational therapists is the way to go. Read chirobase.org for more about Chiro |
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I have back issues and when it goes out, I am down for at least a week. My regular doctor gives me pills and I still have to suffer until it straightens out. I went to the chiro and after one treatment, I can stand up straight. After a day or two the pain is completely gone. I have a couple friends in Med school who have shadowed chiros and have seen patients benefit from adjustments.
It depends on the chiro....YMMV |
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Depends on the chiropractor. I was in a crazy bad car accident 25+ years ago. Had a real messed up neck, vertebrae seriously misaligned, cocked over, and twisted. Went to a chiro who took x-rays, told me the problems and how he was going to treat it, and over a period of about 4-6 months resolved all the issues. Never had a problem with my neck again. That said, years later when I was a massage therapist, I definitely ran into chiro's that were running scams. Snake oil salesman. I also ran into chiro's that were completely on the level. I think the OP's chiro is probably up to no good. If your gut says not to trust him, I wouldn't. |
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I have nearly crawled into Chiropractors offices and walked out on my own power an hour or three later.. says enough for me.
anyone saying it's a scam, hasn't committed to or been to a Chiropractor IF they did to, they went once and wanted drugs and didnt get any..drugs are not the answer, only a bandaid. |
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A good chiro will give you stretches and exercises to use with the chiropractic therapy. If not, find a new one. My max on dead lift was 135lb. Went to a chiro a couple times and could lift 265. I had to go once a month (and it still wasn't enough) and never had lasting improvement. Found a new one, he gave me a stretch to help out, and now I go once every 3 months if that. |
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They are OK for back pain not related to a herniated disc.
When they start treating your allergies or diabetes I get a little crazy. When they tell you that you have heart disease because they can push one arm down more easily than the other, I get a little crazy. Local one here passes out buttons with a teddy bear on them that says, "Hugs, not Drugs". About twice a month he calls asking me to call in pain meds and muscle relaxers for one of his patients. 
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Am a chiropractor. Chirobase = Brady Campaign / Handgun Control There are legitimate reasons to present a report of findings at a later date -like careful review of radiographic and exam findings in a potentially complex case. There are also business/practice management reasons -like a heavily scripted hard sell. I'll let you guess which is employed by a good doctor; and of course you will have to determine which one is being presented to you. Generally speaking, if a patient doesn't walk out of my office saying "Wow" then I'm disappointed. Not that it really should be expected with every new case but it happens often enough that I really get used to it. If you feel better you are getting something and it is up to you to decide the value. If you feel like you are being scammed then you just might be. Just like there are MD's who pretend to listen and then diagnose your problem as a deficiency in pain pills, there are DC's who want to sell you a year's worth of care ten minutes after meeting you. Best of luck. . . |
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Some are scammers. Maybe most. I've injured my back on 2 occasions, once playing football in high school and once throwing a deer carcass into the bed of my truck. In both instances, I was nearly incapacitated with pain. In both instances, hoping it was nothing but a muscle strain, I did what any MD would have me do, which is cold therapy and NSAIDs, which provided almost no relief. In both instances, I went to my chiro and after x-rays an an adjustment, I walked out feeling 90% better, and 100% after 1 or 2 more visits.
I don't go every week, month, or even year. I don't go for checkups, for diabetes or cancer prevention, for electric stimulation or massages or "scans." I've been in incredible pain due to those two injuries. In nursing, we ask our patients to evaluate their pain on a 1 to 10 scale. In both cases, I would have rated it a 10. I smashed my finger in a 400 ton brake press, damaging nerves, breaking bones, crushing tissue and bleeding profusely. I rated that a 4. I understand how back pain can be almost systemic in nature, making every single movement painful, how no relief regardless of activity, medication, or position can be depressing and frightening. Both times I was injured in that fashion, one single visit to the chiro brought that pain to a manageable level, and my ability to do what I wanted to do back to 75 or 90% ability. I feel very sorry for those with chronic back pain, who either refuse to believe they might be helped by a chiropracter due to other people's opinions or experiences, or who have tried and only found scamming immoral practitioners. As to "no science" behind what they do: my second injury, I looked at the x-ray. I saw my hips shifted to the left in the x-ray due to misalignment in my spine. I saw the x-ray taken after the adjustment, and my hips were back in line with my spine. How anyone could doubt such a misalignment couldn't pinch nerves and cause the overwhelming amount of pain I was in, has never had Anatomy and Physiology 101. Did the adjustment "cure" any disease? Of course not. Did it heal any tissue I'd damaged? Of course not. What it did was realign my vertebrae so they were no longer stimulating the nerves between them. It still took time to heal whatever damage had occured. But rather than spending 2 weeks in unbearable pain, I spent it in relative comfort. |
| Ops sounds kinna weird. I have had the electo things many times thats nothing new. But i have always been told you did this to your____ and ____ is what its going to take to get you back to normal. Chiro's are great i have used them since i was a kid but you do need to find a good one. |
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Duuuuuuuupppppeeee....
Prior Thread...Why do most Doctors think Chiropractic... |
| I injured my back at work in 02(Fire Rescue related on the job injury). When my back acts up I go see my Chiro. Yes Ive heard him try to sell some voodoo sounding shit. But he showed me how to do daily stretches for my type of injuries, and they work great. He gets me adjusted, cracked, and squared away. As long as he sticks to cracking my back, and doesnt try to sell me a bunch of health food, vitamin, motion lotion shit I will stay happy! |
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Quoted: They are OK for back pain not related to a herniated disc. When they start treating your allergies or diabetes I get a little crazy. When they tell you that you have heart disease because they can push one arm down more easily than the other, I get a little crazy. Local one here passes out buttons with a teddy bear on them that says, "Hugs, not Drugs". About twice a month he calls asking me to call in pain meds and muscle relaxers for one of his patients. I laughed at them when they did that. That was my 1st chiro that I left. Second guy is more the sports medicine type. |
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Thank you. We just did this last week. |
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Quoted: I am going to give this guy another chance before passing judgement. If he helps me out, I'll post it here as objectively as I am able. Google his office, you might find reviews. Quoted: scam. Go see your primary care doc and ask him to refer you to someone who can actually help. Or piss away your money. Your choice. Chiropractic care is cheaper than most other medical care, and is covered by most insurance companies. |
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Quoted: Thank you. We just did this last week. This is about my situation. So no. |
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Quoted: I am going to give this guy another chance before passing judgement. If he helps me out, I'll post it here as objectively as I am able. I had bad pain in my left arm and a sore neck for months and went, first adjustment I left feeling worse, after a couple of hours i started feeling better, the next day just a hint of pain. The day after that none at all. I think the electrical therapy is just trying to loosen muscles that hold your spine in place to make an adjustment easier. |
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Quoted: Quoted: I am going to give this guy another chance before passing judgement. If he helps me out, I'll post it here as objectively as I am able. I had bad pain in my left arm and a sore neck for months and went, first adjustment I left feeling worse, after a couple of hours i started feeling better, the next day just a hint of pain. The day after that none at all. I think the electrical therapy is just trying to loosen muscles that hold your spine in place to make an adjustment easier. Yep. I just had an adjustment yesterday and the electroded loosened me up before he started cracking. I also went in there with my back hurting about a level 6. After I left it was a level 5. this morning I woke up with it at level 2, and right now there is not a lick of pain. Flipping miracle workers they can be. But some can be idiots too. |
I went for years 'till the disc finally ruptured in my lower back. I found the only ones that seemed to be good went to the Palmer school of chiropractic. Dr. Billmyer in Naples, Fl really knew his stuff. $30 a visit, I have hobbled in his office barley walking and left skipping MANY times. He was one of the most honest Dr.'s I have ever met along with Dr. Mike Barelli, Neurosurgeon at Bonita Springs Health Center. Can't thank those guys enough for helping me the best they could when down on my luck and unable to work. 
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Quoted: My impression is that the 90% that are incompetent (but sometimes well-intentioned) quacks or outright scammers give the really good 10% a bad name. Exactly. Whether the "treatments" they provide are good or not, their business model (gotta come back for 6 months no matter the problem) is the reason I won't see one. Well that and the herniated disk in my neck, that I don't want them messing with. Before I knew I had a herniated disk I tried to make an appointment for a one time visit. I must have called ten of them before I found one that would even entertain the idea. All the others assured me that a series of treatments is always necessary, without ever meeting me or examining me. |
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Quoted:
Much of Chiro is giving you expensive massages while your body heals naturally, then crediting it all to chiro. There isn't evidence behind it. Care partnerships between doctors and physical/occupational therapists is the way to go. Read chirobase.org for more about Chiro What he said |
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Just like any profession there are scammers. The one I frequent most uses the "Gonstead" method (no I am not a shill) and most of the time gets things right. There are times when I go and the adjustment for one area may aggravate another. To take care of this I get adjusted in a certain sequence which lessens the chance of it happening. I travel about 30 mins to see him and if traffic is bad it could take an hour. If he is on vacation/sick I will drive an hour and fifteen minutes (on a good day) to see another one that I know. The zapping tools work for some but not for me and massages don't work well either. If there is something out of place, he moves it back and I'll either have immediate relief then or in a day or two. YMMV edit: I have gone to PT for my back and it made it worse. Chiro has given me more relief than any "Doctor" or "Therapist" has ever given me. Should I say the docs and therapists are quacks? |
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Quoted:
I went to a chiropractor today. I have been having stinging pain between my shoulder blades, stiff neck, and shooting pains into my head, behind my right eye. He took a couple of x-rays, did a bunch of poking, prodding, and making me hold my arms up and stuff. Then put me face down on a table with some electric zappers on my back and neck. The weird thing is, he wants me to come back Friday to tell me my diagnosis. Something else he said that stood out ––"You are definitely a chiropractic patient.". Like he thought I am just perfect for coming back over and over again while he soaks me dry. I left with a bad, bad feeling.
Is there a real doctor who specializes in backs? Yep. ...and he will be lots less friendly. |
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They are all scammers because chiropracty is neither based in science nor it medically useful.
Some believe sincerely in what they are doing. Some can even help you feel better. Most with a conscience get true physical training therapy and veer toward offering those services, which are scientifically based and useful and legitimate. I know a voodoo practicioner in the hood who can help you feel good but he does not call himself a dactor of anything. |
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Chiro=scam sort of.
You will notice the POG scum sucking parasites who immediately claim neck injury etc. after a low speed fender bender run immediately to a lawyer who sends them to a chiropractor. Between the scheister and the attorney
they drain money from your car insurance company. Chiropractors will whore themselves for money faster than any other healthcare "professional" in my opinion. |
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If it's treatable by a Chiro, that is where I'm going. A MD. want's to give drugs, or surgery to fix what can easily be adjusted. Simple example. I occasionally need to pop my own back. When it's out of place, I can touch my knees. Once I pop it back in place, I can put both hands on the ground, flat on the ground. If your kidneys are failing, go to the MD. If you've got chiro stuff, go to the chiro first. |
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Like others have said, depends on the chiro. I have been to a few and left all but my current one. I get a massage before the adjustment and he works with me on stretches etc. as well as speaking to me about diet. He actually told me not to come back to him until I was experiencing problems. Least expensive one I have been to, most helpful. The scammer before with all of the herbal remedies and xrays and little gun wanted me there 3 times a week for the first 3 months.
Chiros are great, if you find a good one. |
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Quoted: They are all scammers because chiropracty is neither based in science nor it medically useful. Some believe sincerely in what they are doing. Some can even help you feel better. Most with a conscience get true physical training therapy and veer toward offering those services, which are scientifically based and useful and legitimate. I know a voodoo practicioner in the hood who can help you feel good but he does not call himself a dactor of anything. So adjusting a vertebrae that is pinching a nerve is not medically useful or based on research? Most Chiropractors manually move the vertebrae while Doctors give you shots or meds to relax the muscles so hopefully it will move back on it's own-some may make adjustments but I haven't met one. Meds don't work for me but the Chiro does. Do some research on the amount of medical training a Chiropractor has to go through, you will be surprised. |
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And another thing: How do your organs and muscles work? They receive messages from your brain via your nervouse system. Pinch a nerve and it will cause problems to your body parts plain and simple. Is chiro an end all? No, I would like to get some synthetic discs and have trimming done on others. Can a chiro do it? No. Can a surgeon do it? Yes. I would like to give Nuvasiv a call but I am probably not that far yet. |
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I've had favorable results with being treated by the chiro at our sports medicine clinic aboard base.
Referred there by a regular doctor after having X-rays and an MRI of my c-spine. Just had a ten minute discussion with the physical therapist for my wrist about this thread. He's a retired Navy Corpsman and saw the same chiro and it helped his back issues a lot. |
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Absolutely legit but as in any area, some are better and/or more ethical than others. Ask around to find the best in your area. I used to think it was a scam. Worked at UPS while going to school. Knew several people who saw chiropracters with very good results. Eventually I needed one. Unable to turn head to my left. Searing pain up my back. Back locking up. After multiple visits the difference was remarkable. Chiropracters are for real and a good one is a blessing. |
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Really good chiropractors are about as rare as honest lawyers. I knew a guy who went to a chiropractic college, and he told me a HUGE amount of the 'curriculum' was how to maximize profits by convincing people that they had to keep coming back for 'spinal adjustments' for the rest of their lives. The OTHER half of the curriculum was teaching them to convince people who didn't have any problems that they still needed treatment. For the rest of their lives. The guy actually graduated from the school, but never practiced as a chiropractor for a single day. He had scruples.  |
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Quoted:
I have back issues and when it goes out, I am down for at least a week. My regular doctor gives me pills and I still have to suffer until it straightens out. I went to the chiro and after one treatment, I can stand up straight. After a day or two the pain is completely gone. I have a couple friends in Med school who have shadowed chiros and have seen patients benefit from adjustments. It depends on the chiro....YMMV +1 Mine has helped me a lot |
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Quoted:
They are all scammers because chiropracty is neither based in science nor it medically useful. Some believe sincerely in what they are doing. Some can even help you feel better. Most with a conscience get true physical training therapy and veer toward offering those services, which are scientifically based and useful and legitimate. I know a voodoo practicioner in the hood who can help you feel good but he does not call himself a dactor of anything. Aren't you the guy who couldn't shut up about how chiropractors have barely more than a high school education, and certainly less education than a PT assistant? Where do you get this stuff?? If you heard it from one of your teachers, have you wondered why they would tell you such outrageous lies? .. |
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I was in a car accident in 1982, screwed around with real doctors for about a year before my friend told me of a chiropractor to try. This guy was great! He always said that you should get relief in 2 or 3 visits or he could not help you. I went to this doctor off and on over the next 25 years for numerous issues. Since his passing about 5 years ago I have yet to find a "good" chiropractor.
The first two that I tried both wanted you to sign up for the 72 treatment plan (run away) and they also wanted you to bring everyone you ever knew to introduction meeting (run away fast!). In my opinion both of their practices where based upon insurance fraud. This was a terrible experience to say the least and I am still looking for a real chiropractor. |
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chiropracty is neither based in science nor it medically useful. So adjusting a vertebrae that is pinching a nerve is not medically useful or based on research? Nope... it isn't! There is no research of substance. If Chiro worked, you could prove it and publish a peer reviewed double blind study in a reputable journal. You wouldn't even have to know why it worked. There should be mountains of reputable studies showing it works. Instead there is just some anecdotal praise. Do some research on the amount of medical training a Chiropractor has to go through, you will be surprised.
I think you need to do research on Chiro College vs Medical School... you'd be surprised. It's like comparing DeVry to MIT. |