What I was saying was try to stick to natural remedies. I was not saying to totally avoid doctors, just to stay away from surgery. I did not say ALL. I think that no one should jump to conclusions and assume that someone is downing the entire profession. ALso, no one made a blanket statement, and we are all entitled to our own opinions. I had a great experience with my chiropractor, and would recommend him to others. Keep your anger at bay and respond without being defensive and emotional. It will be beneficial to you in the long run.
my first chiropractic adjustment
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Mckmain
Cathlete
I knew this thread would get interesting!...I will admit I never in the world thought I would agree to chiropractic care. But, first of all I push my body way beyond limits sometimes as I run marathons and 50K trail runs. I started seeing a chiropractor in 1998. I used to get alot of low back pain from doing something stupid..he was a triathlete and explained the benefit of chiro care to me. I have gone 3 times a week for about 6 years. I have never had a bad adjustment and I feel great. I go now 2 times a week and as my Chirporactor is my nephew he will also adjust me on call. In my personal life I have known many people that have had surgeries on their backs. Most end up having more and more surgeries and never quite get right. My reason for going to a chiropractor is to avoid this! I also agree there are some bad Chiropractors out there, but on the other hand there are bad Surgeons too.
This is completely off this subject but where I live, a few years back a heart surgeon and his cardiologist were investigated for doing unneccessary bypasses and other heart procedures. Knowing they could get money from the Insurance companies. Would you have like having a bypass you didn't need?? This could happen with any kind of surgeon...the 2 I am talking about are no longer practicing.
My thoughts Amy, are give the 4 weeks a try. Then go from there. A second opinion is also a good idea....just my 2 cents...
...Carole
This is completely off this subject but where I live, a few years back a heart surgeon and his cardiologist were investigated for doing unneccessary bypasses and other heart procedures. Knowing they could get money from the Insurance companies. Would you have like having a bypass you didn't need?? This could happen with any kind of surgeon...the 2 I am talking about are no longer practicing.
My thoughts Amy, are give the 4 weeks a try. Then go from there. A second opinion is also a good idea....just my 2 cents...
...Carole
amyg
Cathlete
You're the only one I've heard of who goes that often. But I think your philosophy on chiropractic care is closest to mine, so I'm very glad you agree.
I swear, my neck felt liquid afterwards, and I swear I can turn it farther to the left.
I don't know if it's a placebo effect, but I'll take it either way.
I swear, my neck felt liquid afterwards, and I swear I can turn it farther to the left.
I don't know if it's a placebo effect, but I'll take it either way.
Mckmain
Cathlete
I wish I could introduce you to my sister, BIL, DH, coworker and the other's I know with severe problems that have been helped with Chirporactic. Another one of my sisters could barely lift her neck up when laying down. A water skiing fall messed some things up. It is a tendon deep inside her neck. If surgery was done bones would be fused and she would not be able to turn her neck much either way. With Chiro care she is slowly gaining strength back in her neck, plus doing exercises at home to help. She will most likely have to exercise this area the rest of her life, but to her it is better than surgery......I really do hope this helps you Amy. Massaging is also good......Carole
...I really do hope this helps you Amy. Massaging is also good......Carole
Miss Lee
Cathlete
Carole,
I hope people have read my posts carefully. I didn't say that people shouldn't go to chiropractors. I did recommend a 2nd opinion by an MD. I agree there are bad doctors in this world but there are also bad chiropractors. The problem I have is with the attempt to paint all doctors with the same broad brush. There are charlatans in every field.
Doctors are damned if they do and damned if they don't. One of the reasons health care costs have skyrocketed is because doctors are forced into practicing defensive medicine. They are sued if they don't do surgery, they are sued if they do surgery. They can't win. Let me reiterate that no doctor IN HIS RIGHT MIND would perform an unnecessary surgery.
You know of some heart surgeons that have bilked the system by doing unnecessary procedures. I know a chiropractor that rendered a patient quadriplegic. A guy went to see him for low back pain. The standard full body xrays were taken. He was told he needed adjustment because he was horribly out of alignment. It turns out the guy was in pain because he had bone cancer and never should've had an adjustment.
So where do we stop. We all have stories of horrible injustice at the hands of health care providers. For every doctor that commits malpractice there are 10 who don't. I also think it's much easier to spot a bad doctor than it is to spot a bad chiropractor. There is much more data available in the conventional disciplines than in the alternative methods.
When I had problems with my cervical spine my doctor didn't recommend surgery as a first option. I eventually had surgery because I re-herniated 15 years later resulting in a cord compresson. I now have a titanium plate and 6 screws in my neck and I have full range of motion. I can turn my head from side to side with ease. It's not always true that a fusion will result in loss of mobility. It depends on several factors not the least of which is patient compliance. You would not believe the patients that do not follow instructions, then are upset when they don't have a good outcome.
This is getting long and it's not my intention to preach, really it isn't. I have no problem with chiropractors, and I'm so glad that you have been helped by them, but I'm not going to sit back and allow an entire profession to be denigrated based on the contempt of a few. Everybody's closet could stand a good cleaning.
Thanks for reading this. I don't know how it came across, but please know that no disrepect was intended.
Michele
I hope people have read my posts carefully. I didn't say that people shouldn't go to chiropractors. I did recommend a 2nd opinion by an MD. I agree there are bad doctors in this world but there are also bad chiropractors. The problem I have is with the attempt to paint all doctors with the same broad brush. There are charlatans in every field.
Doctors are damned if they do and damned if they don't. One of the reasons health care costs have skyrocketed is because doctors are forced into practicing defensive medicine. They are sued if they don't do surgery, they are sued if they do surgery. They can't win. Let me reiterate that no doctor IN HIS RIGHT MIND would perform an unnecessary surgery.
You know of some heart surgeons that have bilked the system by doing unnecessary procedures. I know a chiropractor that rendered a patient quadriplegic. A guy went to see him for low back pain. The standard full body xrays were taken. He was told he needed adjustment because he was horribly out of alignment. It turns out the guy was in pain because he had bone cancer and never should've had an adjustment.
So where do we stop. We all have stories of horrible injustice at the hands of health care providers. For every doctor that commits malpractice there are 10 who don't. I also think it's much easier to spot a bad doctor than it is to spot a bad chiropractor. There is much more data available in the conventional disciplines than in the alternative methods.
When I had problems with my cervical spine my doctor didn't recommend surgery as a first option. I eventually had surgery because I re-herniated 15 years later resulting in a cord compresson. I now have a titanium plate and 6 screws in my neck and I have full range of motion. I can turn my head from side to side with ease. It's not always true that a fusion will result in loss of mobility. It depends on several factors not the least of which is patient compliance. You would not believe the patients that do not follow instructions, then are upset when they don't have a good outcome.
This is getting long and it's not my intention to preach, really it isn't. I have no problem with chiropractors, and I'm so glad that you have been helped by them, but I'm not going to sit back and allow an entire profession to be denigrated based on the contempt of a few. Everybody's closet could stand a good cleaning.
Thanks for reading this. I don't know how it came across, but please know that no disrepect was intended.
Michele
JAFitMama
Cathlete
Michele & all who are reading/respinding to this post-
Michele your responses are well thought out and very reasonable. There is no need to repeat the point here. But it would be helpful if people didn't generalize and entire population of health professionals based on one ot two skeptical members of that profession.
Having said that, I do approcah chiroprators with caution. They are not MD's and do not have the training that MD's have. They can be very helpful to many people. But a good Chiropractor will let you know when the limits of his practice can no longer aid a person's situation.
*And yes, I am a former health care professional (retired to be MOM) married to a cardiologist.
Judy
"Likes2bfit" since 1999
Michele your responses are well thought out and very reasonable. There is no need to repeat the point here. But it would be helpful if people didn't generalize and entire population of health professionals based on one ot two skeptical members of that profession.
Having said that, I do approcah chiroprators with caution. They are not MD's and do not have the training that MD's have. They can be very helpful to many people. But a good Chiropractor will let you know when the limits of his practice can no longer aid a person's situation.
*And yes, I am a former health care professional (retired to be MOM) married to a cardiologist.
Judy
"Likes2bfit" since 1999
benvonwojo
Cathlete
I had a herniated disk in my lower back and I went to a chiropractor for help in easing the agony. The so-called adjustments had me screaming in pain. I hurt worse during and after the adjustment then before I went in. I immediately stopped going. I went to an MD, had an MRI, and had surgery. Surgery saved my life.
The moral of this story is listen to your body. If the chiropractor visits make you feel better; then keep going. When/If the adjustments stop helping, and you are still in pain; then go to the doctor.
The moral of this story is listen to your body. If the chiropractor visits make you feel better; then keep going. When/If the adjustments stop helping, and you are still in pain; then go to the doctor.
Amy, this is normal. After the 4 weeks, there will be a reassesment, and then probably a reduction in how many times per week you go in. But you will always have to go in for "maintenance". I go every other week, others I know go once a month. Think of it this way, your body has been out of whack for a while, and wants to be out of whack. It takes convincing for it to change and stay that way. 2.5 years ago, my left leg was numb all the way down to my toes. Now, every once in a while I get a little twinge that goes down my hamstring part way, and if I think about what I have done, I usually discover I have been sitting on my leg too often, or picked up something wrong incorrectly or something that has misaligned me. I go in, get adjusted and am fine.
Editing after I read other posts. Folks, I went to an MD after I went chiropractor because insurance at first refused to pay for the rest of chiro treatment. I went through 8 weeks of physical therapy and the pysical therapist was helpful, and knowledgable and I still do the exercises she taught me. But after 8 weeks she said she could do no more for me and doubted I would ever not have a numb leg. 2 months later insurance changed and I went back to the chiro. 8 weeks later I had no numbness, and no pain. PT cost the insurance 85.00 3 times a week, chiro was 40.00 for 3 times a week. They both did ultrasound treatments for the inflamation but chiro also did accupunture, which I was a naysayer at first, and found wonderful results with it.
I was careful about the chiro I chose, getting recommendations from people with back issues first. BTW, my DH still does not trust this and walks around with severe neck pain complaining. He went through the PT route too, and still has pain. Now if he followed what the PT said and continued the exercises she taught, he would probably be better, but I do think chiro would help him.
Editing after I read other posts. Folks, I went to an MD after I went chiropractor because insurance at first refused to pay for the rest of chiro treatment. I went through 8 weeks of physical therapy and the pysical therapist was helpful, and knowledgable and I still do the exercises she taught me. But after 8 weeks she said she could do no more for me and doubted I would ever not have a numb leg. 2 months later insurance changed and I went back to the chiro. 8 weeks later I had no numbness, and no pain. PT cost the insurance 85.00 3 times a week, chiro was 40.00 for 3 times a week. They both did ultrasound treatments for the inflamation but chiro also did accupunture, which I was a naysayer at first, and found wonderful results with it.
I was careful about the chiro I chose, getting recommendations from people with back issues first. BTW, my DH still does not trust this and walks around with severe neck pain complaining. He went through the PT route too, and still has pain. Now if he followed what the PT said and continued the exercises she taught, he would probably be better, but I do think chiro would help him.
Mckmain
Cathlete
Michele...I was in no way offended with your or anyone elses posts!! As I said in my post I am well aware there are bad Chiropractors. I have never been very good with trying to type out my feelings here or my knowledge...I just wanted to let people know I've had a good experience with Chiropractic care, maybe even blessed to have picked the right one.......Carole
...Carole