Doctor or Chiropractor?

[Worknprogress]

I have had lower back pain off an on for almost 10 years. When the pain would flare up I would take it easy and not exercise for a few days and it would work its way out.

In the last 6 months it has become a chronic problem. I've done everything - even not exercising for a couple of weeks! Anti-inflammatories, ice, heat - you name it I have tried it all.

Also, it has gone from just some lower back pain to some tingling down my legs every once in a while.

Those around me are saying I should go to the doctor or a chiropractor.
Some swear by the magic workings of chiropractors and some won't go near them.

For those of you with chronic back problems - what are your thoughts - Doctor or Chiropractor?

Any thoughts, suggestions, help would be appreciated. I am getting desperate for some relief!!!!

 

[ActiveSFMom]

Doctor first, then chiro

I've had the same kind of problem with my back so I totally feel for you. I would definitely suggest you visit your doctor to treat or even rule out any serious problems. Then, get a recommendation from a trusted friend (or maybe even your own GP) for a qualified chiropractor.

I use my "western medicine" doctor to get pain relievers to treat acute pain when I have it. And I visit my chiropractor for ongoing treatment. My chiro actually recommended that I get an MRI a few years back, and I discovered I have a slipped disc. It flares up every now and then. Your doctor may recommend this and hopefully your insurance will cover it. They may be less inclined to do so if your referral is from a chiro vs. a regular MD.

Good luck and hopefully you'll get the best of both worlds.
-ck

 

[tygra]

Hi worknprogress

Sorry you are having this pain!

With the tingling sensation you should see a doctor first!! Let the doctor determine a treatment method. I've used both doctors and chiro for back pain, but the tingling sensation you mention scares me and I would not suggest a chiro first.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[SRP]

I would try your doctor first. It could be a pinched nerve or compressed disk or something like that.

 

[RunninTeach]

yes to chiro care

I began seeing a chiropractor last summer after what was a seemingly minor fender bender. Considering that there was not much damage to the car, I had a surprising amount of pain in my back and neck, probably because I had a Rubbermaid tub full of textbooks directly behind me, which gave me a pretty hard jolt. I did not see my regular doc. The X-rays showed I also had some long-term disk damage from another minor accident from years ago, for which I'd never sought treatment.

I wish I had thought to see a chiropractor back then because I wouldn't have had to just suck up the intermittent pain I'd had for so many years.

In my experience, chiropractic treatment does work. It's helped with the pain, sciatic issues (pain shooting down one leg), and I believe, even my migraines.

Not a bad idea to see your doc first as others suggested, and then get a referral if needed. It's worth a shot.

Good luck!

 

[janiejoey]

See your doctor first and find out what is making the tingling sensation. After his suggestions, you should feel better.

When you have a back ache just from normal stuff, and if it's OK with your doctor perhaps you can try a new approach, acupuncture. It can work wonders.

Take care of yourself and I hope you can gain control of this problem,

Janie

 

[kathryn]

I would try your doctor first. It could be a pinched nerve or compressed disk or something like that.

A chiro could diagnose this as well. They take x-rays before doing anything else.

I highly recommend chiropractic treatment for back problems, as well as any spinal alignment problems.


For years, the AMA fought against having insurance companies cover chiropractic care (because they didn't want to give up their monopoly), but so many studies showed that it can help, that they were unable to continue protesting against it.

Several years ago, I had a horrible headache that went on for weeks: sometimes, it felt like the dull end of an axe blade was imbeded in my skull. At others, it was more like the blade of a knife.

I tried a chiro adjustment, but didn't continue (it didn't seem to help). Then I went throught lots of testing: X-rays, MRI, Cat scan. The regular doctors found nothing, and I was still in pain.

I decided to go back to the chiro, and after 3 sessions, I was pain free.

 

[bmccartney]

Okay, so I'm biased here....but what about a physical therapist? Most insurances still need physician referrals for PT, but the beauty of physical therapy is that it empowers YOU to fix a problem and/or keep it from returning! If you've had this problem for 10 yrs or so, it could be related to something like a postural dysfunction, leg length discrepancy, faulty body mechanics, ect. The key to fixing a chronic problem is not just to treat the symptoms, but to pinpoint the cause(s)!! I'll get off my soapbox before I start ranting
Good luck to you with whatever you choose

 

[melimcn]

I go to a napropath. He's someone that's trained as a chiropractor, but only works on the soft tissues, rather than bone. I went to see him for sciatica, and over the years, he's always corrected whatever issues I've had come up. Pinched nerves, strained muscles, and a herniated disc in my back. He's fantastic. He doesn't work with insurance, so I pay him cash and see him once a month.

At this point, I'm wondering what I'm going to do when he retires!

 

[Abbygail]

I recommend that you see your Dr. first. Suggest also that they do an MRI and not a regular x-ray. A regular X-ray will NOT show a slipped disc or many other more serious back problems. They usually show nothing is wrong when something really can be. This usually is tricky though for insurance purposes may require a simple x-ray first.

A chiropractor is good for maintenance and preventative measures, however make sure something isn’t seriously going on in your back first or they might cause you more injury and pain.

I work in ER so I see many injuries that first show nothing on an x-ray and after an MRI or CT scan some have emergency surgery to fix their injury.

Abbygail

 

[horseshowmom]

Sorry to hear about your pain!
I have been battling a chronic sciatic problem for 4 months and did all the things you mentioned. The only thing the doctor did for me was hand out pills, tell me to ice it and take it easy. Duh!
Finally out of *desperation* I went to a chiropractor (as a skeptic). It took about a month, but I've had 3 weeks pain free...although today I'm feeling a little pinch so I will probably go in for an adjustment.
As far as safety goes, a chiropractor won't touch you without a series of x-rays to rule out structural abnormalities. I'm not in the medical field so I don't know what an x-ray will or will not show, but I was comfortable with the safety of x-rays only.
Had chiropractic not helped, my next step (waaaaay outside my comfort zone) was going to be acupuncture.
Also, any numbness or tingling is quite likely indicating nerve inflammation of some sort. Given the feeling is radiating into your legs, it's very possible your sciatic nerve is inflamed or pinched.
Good luck! (I feel your pain!)
Becky

 

[Gayle]

I had chronic back pain from my teen age years to until my mid-thirties...when I found a really good chiropractor. Previous to this, the doctors I saw about it only prescribed pain meds and muscle relaxants.

My chiro did a set of full body x-rays on my first visit (and some other stuff that I can't recall) and mapped out a plan where I saw him for adjustments and his occupational therapist for (a lot like a physical therapist) for strengthening exercises, stretching, myofascial(sp) release, etc.

There were a lot of visits for the first few weeks (like 3x a week) and then weaned down to where I go once a month for a tune up.

I also noticed a significant decrease in headaches.

ETA - I also know that my chiro will not adjust someone if the problem is something that should be treated surgically or if adjustments won't help, etc.

 

[Worknprogress]

Went the the Doctor!

Because of how my insurance "works" I had to see the Doctor first and go from there with referrals to a Chiropractor or Physical Therapist.

With the symptoms and location of the pain along with other specifics the Doc believes this to be a "misalignment." My left leg is shorter than my right and my left hip bone is a good 1 - 2 inches higher as well. Oddly enough, I was born with this and had my legs in braces as a baby and toddler to correct this shortage. Unfortunately, after years it has become an issue again. The Doctor said she specifically sees this in runners or people who do high impact aerobics - my exact symptoms - I guess all the impact eventually catches back up to them.

She is sending me to a "specialized" Physical Therapist for 12 visits - wants me to continue my regular physical activity and exercise so they can realign me through it, rather than resting my back, only to start exercising again and have it flare back up after the therapy.

Thanks for all of your input - I got a lot of information for your experiences. I will keep you up to date!!

 

[NRG Woman]

I am going to second the PT idea. In my health care I need to get a referral from my MD to get to the PT, but it is so worth it, and that way you have seen your Dr also. I just found a PT I love and am so excited. I have been telling her my laundry list of long term nagging problems and she thinks she can help with many of them. Can you imagine after years of every imaginable type of western and eastern therapy, if PT could fix it? Anyway I am so excited an hopeful for my future, yeah. I have also had luck with chiropractic so, basically whatever works for you.

I hope you find a professional that can help you and give you the same hope I have.

Shayne