Rhonda

My SIL is a Chiro and he would not have treated you if you have conditions that make the treatment hazardous to you. When he went to Palmer College he trained to be able to diagnose when the patient needs medical care instead. He quite often sends patients for other care when needed. He is also a paramedic and EMT(emergency medical technician) so these Chiropractors do have a medical background to be in the field they are in. They have to be able to recognize medical conditions and act accordingly. They don't just learn to move bones around. We stayed with my DD and her DH when he was in college and I was the recipient many times of his recounting out loud his lessons. It was one way for him to memorize so we all learned alot from the experience too! LOL 3 years of it!!

I was resistant to Chiropractors because my mom taught me to put her back in when I was 14 and I have to do it for her all the time. I HATE doing it as I worry about doing damage but I have done it for 40 years so it isn't something she is willing to give up. Ben has told her it isn't good to do it so often(nearly everyday) but she refuses to listen. She goes to him every so often and he obliges her but it doens't last.

I have never let her do my back at all!! But one time I fell a week before my DDs wedding. I was standing on the stool lid hanging wall paper and I slipped off and sat straight down on my but on my tail bone. I went and laid down and couldn't get up later. So I went to a friend of mine at the time and he put it back in place. Then I had a shoulder that froze and I couldn't lift the arm above my shoulder so I went again and it helped. Shortly after that my SIL graduated and now I go to him regularly. I have little bones in my hands that move out of place even a hair and the pain is intolarable!! He has this little pogo stick instument that nudges the little bones back in place and the relief is instant. These go out of place because of all the tiny stuff I work on. I do watch my wrists pretty closely and monitor when it feels like it is on the verge of going out. Funny thing is we were staying with them when he took the class on how to use this instrument and I remember him showing me then how it works. and now it is a tool in our arsenal to keep me pain free. I also put my lower back out alot as I sit too much.

When I start waking up with headaches I know it is time to go see Ben!

Yes you could say I love love my chiropractor!!! LOL Oh I get treatment for free because the law says he cannot charge family. If it was discovered he did he could lose his license.
So I am one blessed MIL!!!

Rhonda

Would you go to a Dentist who also sidelined as a Orthopedist? I would rely more on someone who has trained in the field of Chiropractic than someone who took a class or two about it.
An osteopath does not have the training in chiro that someone who went to school for 3 years to do chiro does. Accordingly Chiropractics are trained to recognize when to send a patient to a medical dr or physical therapist when needed.

We have a friend who is an osteopath and he diagnosed my DD with TMJ which is infamation of the jaw joint. When she met her DH who is now a Chiro she discovered after he graduated that she didn't have TMJ at all. Ben put her neck in place and she is fine now.

Lisanne

Actually, the main difference between osteopaths and chiropractors is that osteopaths are full-fledged physicians who are qualified to treat all conditions and diseases. Chiropractors are not licensed to treat everything; they are more like specialists in that regard.

As for chiropractors saying lifelong ongoing appointments are necessary, again, that depends on the condition - and the chiropractor. Undoubtedly, there are unscrupulous ones out there that would like their patients to believe that, but that should not be the case for most of them. Though if you have a condition and keep doing the same thing that caused it in the first place, you might need lifetime adjustments.

For that kind of thing, yoga, Pilates, support pllows, orthotic footwear or just shoes that fit correctly might keep the problem from recurring.

rivka

I love my chiropractor. I have a repetitive stress injury caused by computer usage -- unfortunate, since I'm a programmer that needs to use the computer all day! My chiropractor has gotten me to the point where I can use the computer with minimal amount of pain, which is such a relief. Yes, it requires regular appointments (which can't be helped, because I keep re-hurting my shoulder/wrist as I work), but he's doing his best to help me find ways to keep them as minimal as possible (stretching exercises, for example).

I also hurt my ankle badly 6 weeks ago. Despite walking around in a big Frankenstein boot for weeks, it just wasn't getting any better. The orthopedist said it wasn't a fracture, and didn't have much advice other than to keep the boot on and to ice it occasionally. My chiropractor, on the other hand, got it feeling significantly better after just one treatment. I was glad to get that boot off!!

MadQuilter

I had multiple accidents as a child - Klutz should be my middle name. Since there was no blood and nothing appeared broken, I never saw a doctor until I got to the point where I couldn't walk. Crawled around the house on all fours - that was fun. Someone talked me into seeing a Chiropractor and he helped me become a bi-ped again. A badly bulging disc required surgical help but I still see my Chiropractor on a regular basis. Even my HMO is accepting Chiropractic and Accupuncture as valid medical treatments.

That said, it is a personal decision whether a person will seek out alternative medicine or not. Honestly - for me though, if a "specialist" disses on alternative medicine, I tell him (or her) what I think about it, pack my bag and leave. Likewise, I don't care for medical practitioners who don't have a sense of humor. ....that's me.

pookie ookie

I don't see why it's a big deal. So, someone thinks this, that or the other thing is a quack. It might be interesting to discover why. Sometimes there's a good story there. In the end, it's still just an opinion.

Now, if someone said my daughter was a quack, them's fighting words. Unless, of course, she's selling snake oil. Then I'd just quack at them and send her to a trade school or something.

As far as this specialty goes, bad stories travel faster than good ones. Also the widespread impression of seeking lifelong appointments might leave people thinking the whole lot of them are charlatans.

Just share your positive story. It'll stick in their heads and maybe they'll share it the next time chiropractors come up in conversation. And, they do come up. Especially if you've ever had jury duty. Oh, that might be adding to the bad reputation as well. The whiplash as a winning lottery ticket reputation.

I had massage therapy for many months after a botched surgery. It was painful and I don't think anything positive came of it. Yet I don't walk around condemning massage therapists. I'm sure many people enjoy and appreciate them.

Just my take. I'd rather hear people's stories, positive and negative, than get my dander up over someone's opinion. So, let's all hug and go eat some cheesecake.

JoanneS

I knew that starting this thread would stir up a lot of opinions, and I'm glad to hear so many stories - both good and bad! And everybody is certain entitled to their own opinion.

By the way, Medicare covers chiropractic, so they don't consider chiropractors to be 'quacks.'

Chasing Hawk

Then allow me to have mine and leave it at that.

Chasing Hawk

My personal doctorand my orthopedic doctor both know I don't like to take narcotics (personal choice) so my alternative is Tylenol or a non narcotic prescription.
I am just checked every 6 months.
My orthopedic doctor doesn't prescribe anything for the hip discomfort I have. I use a treadmill daily and that seems to help unfreeze the stiff muscles and the pain subsides.

chris_quilts

Several yrs ago, I tried a new chiro. Had a good reputation and my back was killing me. 1st day, exam only but no relief. 2nd day, results of exam but no relief. He did, however, wish to relieve me of about $600/month for 4 months to see if he could help me. I left stinking mad and still in pain. Went to see my PCM who gave me one muscle relaxer and sent me to different chiro. After 3 visits and the 1 muscle relaxer, my back was good again. Unfortnately for me, I had his twins in my class last year and he always asked me when I was coming to see him. Never or whenever hell froze over were my 2 choices.