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Chiropractors work!?

Kogloron

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K
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First off, I'm not saying EVERYthing that a Chiropractor says or does is real, I'm just stating my experience.

My Chiropractic experience: Written on June 22nd 2012, as experienced on June 21st 2012

As a sceptic, and since I’ve heard that Chiropractors have NO scientific evidence to back up the results they claim, I decided not to go in to go in to see a chiropractor of my own accord. And here is my story.

I realize that this is PURE testimonial, and I don’t support any quackery, but lets get this over with. Please don’t flame me, but go ahead and ask me any follow up questions for details!

To ensure that you understand this fully, I do not believe in anything that is not proven, and as far as I know I am not susceptible to the placebo effect (Or else the meds and physio would have made me feel better LONG ago!)

I did not visit the chiropractor at the peak levels of my pain, in fact I didn’t even take any pain killers that day and I was VERY suspicious of everything that was going on during this visit. I went to see the chiropractor on a “low” day for my back pain because my father could no longer bear to see me in such agony all the time.

This was the information that I provided to my Chiropractor:
-Pinched nerve in the C6 or C7 disk
-Likely caused from curling too much weight with my left arm
-First noticed I was injured on May 5th
-Saw a doctor on May 9th
-Regular Physiotherapy since May 14th
-Had major arm pain (enough to make me forget my back was hurt)
-Pain has mostly moved on to be muscle (back) pain as opposed to nerve (arm/wrist) pain
-Left index finger has loss of sensation
-Relieved pain through traction
-Worse pain from chin tucking
-Quick careless movements cause long lasting (days) pain, almost like I’m starting over
-My range of motion has slowly been increasing over the last 4 weeks

I also gave out the usual personal information.

Skipping the diagnosis and xrays…
When I was told that I would hear a loud popping sound, I thought “I wonder where that sound is going to come from, because it’s not gonna come from me!”.

The Chiropractor did an “adjustment” which gave 4 (maybe 5?) very loud popping sounds which all came from inside of my neck. Immediately afterwards I had broken out into a sweat, was breathing heavily, and felt very weak. I was NOT expecting what just happened. About 30 seconds later I was helped to sit up to see how I felt.

Immediate result:
-All back pain was gone (I rated my pain as a 5 in my back that day)
-My arm pain increased slightly
-I was able to TURN my head to the right! I was stuck at 1/8th motion for WEEKS!
-I had increased motion to look upwards, but it wasn’t back to normal yet

After this was completed, the Chiropractor wanted to see me again in one hour, (the office was closed for the next 3 days and he wanted to do it again since my back had been compressed for so long)

I slept on my side last night (I am a stomach sleeper) I haven’t slept on anything but my back in 6 weeks!

Today, my range of motion is ALMOST what it was yesterday after the treatment, but I lost a little bit of it. I’m certainly not at 1/8th anymore though (Probably 7/8ths realistically)

Since my chiropractor saw me I haven’t used most of my daily fixes:
-Ice
-Traction (A counter weight that pulls my head up to relieve pressure on my nerve prescribed by my physiotherapist)

This morning I still took some pain killers for the nerve pain in my arms.

Note: My Chiropractor went to school, he was not promoting “energy” healing to me. Although some of what he said seemed far fetched. In either case, his treatment has worked! The coming days will give further results. My next appointment with him is on Monday the 25th of June. He figures I will only need a total of 3-4 sessions to get me fully functional again.
 
Interesting. There definitely seems to be a great improvement right after the chiropractor did his adjustments.

I have a similar story, I was throwing my back out a lot during my billiards period of my life. I went to a chiropractor too, and he did adjustments, massages, heat pads, the works. I didn't improve drastically different than any other time I threw my back out.
 
My ex had a series of treatments for back problems. There was always an immediate improvement, though it would usually worsen again and she would have to go back. To be fair he did say that would be the case. It did, over time, provide definite improvement.

Where Chiropractors went wrong was claiming that it could be used to treat far more conditions than it warrented.
 
I would love to hear your story. It would seem to me that chiropractors have been placed into a bad category! It would also seem that modern day chiropractors (the ones who actually practice physical healing and not *energy* healing) may be on to something good!

Just because their practice contains many elements of woo, it doesn't mean that NONE of it works. I would have a hard time believing that he could increase my metabolism or brain function with a spinal adjustment, but fixing a pinched nerve with that same spinal adjustment isn't really much of a stretch considering the anatomy of the spine/nerves.

At the risk of sounding like I'm jumping to conclusions, I think that this field needs to be re-evaluated scientifically by several different specialists. Maybe even rename it to a different profession once you take out all the baggage that has no supporting evidence.

Mikemcc, I'll let you know if my condition continues to degenerate to what it was over the next couple of days. I agree, that if you claim too much, you may lose your credibility, even if some of what you say IS true!
 
"spine manipulation for mechanical pain" seems to be the catch phrase.

NOT to cure the common cold, cancer, or yeast infections.

I do believe it can work instantly for 'mechanical problems' where other treatments take longer.

The problem then becomes that their basis for mechanical problems is based on mythical "subluxations" that they can't even prove by x-ray.

But if paying $50 and getting lots of soft soap with the cracking makes you happy, go for it.
 
casebro said:
...
I do believe it can work instantly for 'mechanical problems' where other treatments take longer.

The problem then becomes that their basis for mechanical problems is based on mythical "subluxations" that they can't even prove by x-ray.

But if paying $50 and getting lots of soft soap with the cracking makes you happy, go for it.
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It baffled me as well, I'm not the one paying for it, my dad has been telling me to go for a month now. He finally determined that I wasn't going because of 2 reasons.
1. I didn't think it would work
2. I didn't want to waste my money

His solution was to make me an appointment, and pay for it.
The fact that they can't prove that fixing the "subluxations" is what fixed me doesn't me he didn't fix me. It just means that he did something that fixed me, and it had nothing to do with made up sublaxations.

I have a hypothesis that chiropractors are doing something very simple, but inventing complicated language in order to make it sound scientific to the average person. The best analogy would be asking a toddler how the sun shines, just because the answer you get is incorrect, does not mean the sun doesn't shine. Maybe more study IS needed? I'm not officially qualified for...anything! So I can't say anything other then opinion!

I'm going to go to the chiropractor for the sessions my dad paid for, and i'll be keeping you posted on the results. So far, that is one HELL of a coincidence that after 6 weeks of being immobile, I can suddenly move the minute I received treatment!

I have an appointment with a nerve specialist at the end of July, and I have no intention of cancelling that appointment regardless of any results at the chiropractor.
 
I had back pain for over a year. I tired exercise, stretches, massage, TENS, rest, and finally went to see a chiropractor after 6 months. He said the problem was my psoas muscle. After several sessions, I was still not getting relief.
My doctor decided I had an inflamed intercostal nerve, running from my spine, just under the ribs, to almost the middle front. I have had pain radiate throughout that whole area. After 11 months, I got nerve block shots. Still no relief.

After 13 months, my pain got so bad, I had to go to the ER. By now, the pain was mostly on the right-front of my abdomen.

It turned out I had gallstones, and an infected gallbladder. After removal, I have had no back pain.

I wasted over a year in pain.
 
OrangeCatz said:
I had back pain for over a year. I tired exercise, stretches, massage, TENS, rest, and finally went to see a chiropractor after 6 months. He said the problem was my psoas muscle. After several sessions, I was still not getting relief.
My doctor decided I had an inflamed intercostal nerve, running from my spine, just under the ribs, to almost the middle front. I have had pain radiate throughout that whole area. After 11 months, I got nerve block shots. Still no relief.

After 13 months, my pain got so bad, I had to go to the ER. By now, the pain was mostly on the right-front of my abdomen.

It turned out I had gallstones, and an infected gallbladder. After removal, I have had no back pain.

I wasted over a year in pain.
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Just goes to show that some people simply can't admit when they are wrong. Pride is a powerful thing! A physician is supposed to be your trusted professional, and if they don't know what's wrong with you the best course of action is to send you for a second opinion.

I don't agree with "******** baffles brains" If you don't know what's wrong with someone you DON'T make a diagnosis! I'm glad that you were able to eventually find relief! Your doctor could have admitted that he/she didn't know what was wrong with you and you never would have lost that year+!

In my case, the question wasn't why I was hurting, it's how to fix it. Your story goes to prove that there is no such thing as a miracle cure! If you have a problem with your gallbladder you need to address your gallbladder!

I'm actually waiting to get some feedback from someone who is totally against chiropractors for ALL treatments. Or to get some followup questions. This thread is young, but so far I've been relatively unchallenged. Not that opinion is solid, but it sure seems like this profession needs some review!
 
Heat helped me immensely on my latest flare up.

I've had two surgeries for blown discs. And I've never been to chiro. But I did learn years ago to lie on my waterbed until things warm up. Then lay on my side, cross my legs and twist abruptly by throwing one one arm and shoulder back. If everything is loosened up, it crunches and everything feels more 'aligned'.

I think what that does is jerk on a tight muscle, loosening it up. The crunch I assume is like knuckles popping, synovial spaces getting stretched.
 
My chiro story, sort of:

I'd developed moderate lower-back pain. My doctor (MD) had said there really wasn't a lot that he could do, but a couple of friends were pushing me to see their chiros. I held off, of course, but it really was wearing me down so after a couple of months, I agreed that I'd go see one of the chiropractors on the following Monday.

I really meant to, but I got tied up in some crisis at work so I deferred it.

And on Tuesday morning, the pain was significantly lower. Wednesday was better yet, and by Friday I was feeling almost normal.

And the thing that haunts me is: If I'd actually gone to the chiropractor when I'd said I would, I'd be on this thread saying, "well, it worked for me. The next day, I felt much better, and I was almost fully recovered by the end of the week."
 
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Spinal manipulation for mechanical problems is a bit like hitting an old TV for electrical problems. Sometimes it does nothing, sometimes it works, sometimes it works but causes a new problem, sometimes you break the TV.
 
Here's my experience, back in the 70s.
I was involved in an on-duty traffic accident. The County hospital diagnosed two compressed vertebrae... They told me to "stay off my feet for a while".
That wasn't going to be hard since when I tried to get out of bed the next day I couldn't walk. I could hardly move... My wife described my movements as "crab-like"; a sort of slow, painful, sideways shuffle.
Our neighbor, an over-the-road trucker, had sworn by the local Chiropractor for years. I called him for an appointment... Just getting there was a treat!
The guy took an X-ray and (without prompting) said, "looks like a couple of compressed vertebrae."
Treatment was simple. 15 minutes on the heat lamp, 15 on the TENS machine, and then a typical lower-back adjustment.
First time it felt like someone unzipped my spine. Relief was instant. Went from scarcely able to walk to walking pretty well... Not frisky, mind, but I could get around.
Over the next week or so, I took several more adjustments and daily walks. I felt ready to go back to work.
The police department doc had to certify me for duty, and noticing a bit of residual swelling, advised another week off... On the county's dollar. Not bad...I felt fine.

At no time did this guy proffer supplements, drugs, or offer to cure any other conditions. Treatments were always the same. He also told me this was a fairly severe injury and that I would have to be very careful not to aggravate the condition.
I have had a couple of flare-ups over the years... But not bad enough for an actual treatment... Painkillers and rest.
So, my one-and-only experience was pretty positive. It was only afterwards that I heard horror stories associated with chiropractic... The supplement scams, the offers to treat all and sundry illnesses, the "one leg shorter than the other" scam.. All that.
I guess I lucked on to a decent guy.
 
Chiropractic can probably help some pain, but so can banging a television when it doesn't work. You'd also have to count the times when popping the joints or banging the television upset something.

Massage therapists also produce pain relief, and probably in much the same way. They lack the tendency to tell people not to get their children vaccinated or not take antibiotics for bacterial infections, and they don't call themselves "Doctor."
 
The plural of "anecdote" still is not evidence "randomly assigned, controlled study".

There are any number of reasons why you might get relief from mild back pain coinciding with (that is, shortly after) chiropractic treatment. It's possible the treatment might even have been a factor. But just because you experience relief after treatment doesn't mean it's the cause (post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy). An uncontrolled, unblinded "study" with a sample size of 1 doesn't mean much of anything.

So what exactly does it mean to say that chiropractic "works"?

If you have a headache, and you apply Head-On, and your headache subsides, does it follow that Head-On "works"? Isn't this exactly the same reasoning being proffered here?

[ETA: And the fact remains that chiropractic was invented by a guy who first subscribed to magnetic healing, then thought he cured a guy's deafness with spinal manipulation and is based on his theory of chiropractic subluxations, a poorly defined idea born of ignorance about the way neurons work--at best. The strongest argument in favor of a given practitioner is that he rejects all that stuff. Of course, that raises the obvious question, if you reject all that stuff, then why do you call yourself a "doctor of chiropractic" instead of becoming an honest massage therapist?]
 
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Kogloron said:
I have a hypothesis that chiropractors are doing something very simple, but inventing complicated language in order to make it sound scientific to the average person. The best analogy would be asking a toddler how the sun shines, just because the answer you get is incorrect, does not mean the sun doesn't shine. Maybe more study IS needed?
Click to expand...

Yes, it could well be that all they're doing with manipulations sometimes is just what MTs and even medically trained PTs would do for you (joint rotation, mobilization, etc.).

There really is no need for a practitioner known to be based on bunk because there is no medical professional who can do the same thing for you without guesswork. (To use your analogy--it's not like we are toddlers who don't understand how the sun shines.)
 
And if the money is the determining issue, why not go to an evidence-based MT? They are generally no more expensive (and probably less expensive) than chiropractors. Definitely less expensive if you get pressured to buy a bunch of supplements, or get taken in by bogus allergy testing, whole blood analysis or whatever crock du jour you might have be offered.

I highly recommend Stephen Barret's Quack Watch: http://www.quackwatch.org/ website,

and Chiro Watch: http://www.chirowatch.com/cw-main.html
 
Kogloron said:
and as far as I know I am not susceptible to the placebo effect (Or else the meds and physio would have made me feel better LONG ago!)
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I don't think you quite understand what the placebo effect is. It's technically essentially a measure of experimental measurement error.

But even using the term as you are--as the notion that you can't possibly be mistaken as to the cause of a change in your experience of pain because you didn't experience that change immediately after meds or physio but did experience it immediately after the first chiropractic adjustment--doesn't point to very good skeptical thinking.

In fact, that line of thinking is pretty much exactly what leads baseball players to the idea that a certain pair of socks are "lucky" socks.
 
I don't get it. Why is there apologetics for chiropractic on this board? Isnt it a 100% scam, isnt "the theory of chiropractic" complete and utter rubbish?

So what if a stopped clock is right twice a day?
 
The problem with these successful anecdotes is if the treatment really was the cause of the improvement and not merely coincidental, then the results should show up in controlled studies and it does not. There is an irresistible allure of the personal experience that seems so unlikely to have been a coincidence. A critical thinker resists the urge and looks instead at the research which can tease out what was coincidence (no matter how convincing) and what is causal. Causal will always be detectible in properly done controlled studies. ALWAYS.
 
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