chiropractic care - What do you think?

Question

Understandably some people are against chiropractic care and some are for chiropractic care. I am wondering what your thoughts are, being for or against and WHY you believe what you believe.

Answer 1

Like any sort of care, it completely depends on the doctor you go to. Some chiropractors are excellent. Some aren't. Same with physicians. Some are top notch. Some you'd want to avoid like the plague.

As for chiropractic, the premise is to allow the life energy of the body to flow unobstructed via the nervous system. The whole intent of chiropractic is to enhance that flow of energy.

The challenge that most physicians and allopathic medicine have is that the premise of allopathy is to look at pathology and is very much based on a Newtonian/mechanistic type of thinking.

Chiropractic and many other holistic health approaches come from a vitalistic and more quantum perspective.

Thus, that is why there is such a dispute between chiropractors and medical doctors. Chiropractors and doctors are looking for entirely different outcomes and are looking at the same problems through entirely different filters. It's very much the metaphor of different people looking at an elephant and seeing different things because of where they're standing in relation to the elephant.

Many chiropractors and most of the chiropractic colleges are trying to align themselves with a medical perspective. However, the thing that makes chiropractic so unique is the vitalistic approach to health, and where the chiropractor's intent is to restore the body's healing capacity to a higher level rather than try to 'fix' or 'alleviate' symptoms or disease.

Chiropractors who work in the 'medical' model will try to fix symptoms, pain or illness.

Chiropractors who work in the vitalistic (and the way chiropractic was originally intended to be) will work on enhancing the expression of the innate healing intelligence of the body, thus allowing your body to maximize its healing potential. As a result of this enhancement the body will often move towards greater health.

Answer 2

I am totally FOR chiropractic care. There is substantial evidence for both its effectiveness and its efficacy. As for risk, there is almost no risk at all for manipulation, other than cervical... and the risk of a CVA/stroke, mentioned by another member as a danger, is approximately 1 in 4 million. Some studies suggest 1 in 6 million. Good grief, you have a MUCH higher risk of being hit by lightening! Chiropractors are licensed in all 50 states and the US territories. Chiropractic care is covered by most third-party payors (insurance). Do you think this would be true if it was dangerous or voodoo? The schools are accredited by the US Department of Education. It is a recognised, accredited, licensed health care profession and deserves respect as such. I have seen chiropractors frequently help patients that have spent years going through the medical model with no success at all. Does this mean it will help everyone? No. Does this mean it can cure anything? No. Of course not. No health profession can make those claims. But it is a viable alternative for those that want a drugless non-surgical approach and I think most responsible physicians would agree that conservative care should always be tried before more dangerous invasive treatments. For more information, check out http://acatoday.org/level2_css.cfm?T1ID=13&T2ID=61

Answer 3

Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!!!!I have chronic muscle spasms in my intercostal muscle on the right side of my back .I have had several injections in the muscle even Botox and this muscle gets so tight and is soooo painful narcotics don't help but when I go to the chiropractor he can get that huge knot out of that muscle I'm a different person.How ever I do not have any bone problems so I cannot say anything about that but my husband has 3
discs that herniate and he swears by it .He will not go to a regular doctor ,he doesn't like pills and he gets fixed up everytime.I would recommend chiropractic care for those who are candidates.Alot more insurance companies are starting to understand there is something to this care and are paying for it and if you aren't sure if you should go talk to a nurse at your insurance company.It's very cost efficient care and I strongly believe it is the care for many in the next few years and it will be a great demand for these doctors,I think from people I know I have seen a 98 to99 % success rate on a wide variety of things.Good luck if you are having a problem.You will probably hear some horror stories but you hear them from surgery botched up.Once most people have back problems and see a chiropractic care they improve greatly.Hope this helps !!!!!!!

Answer 4

First and foremost, I will openly admit to being a second year chiropractic student. I love the path I have chosen because of how unique and powerful chiropractic can be. I agree with what many other users have said in the comments above regarding the efficacy of chiropractic care and adjustments. I firmly believe that chiropractic care has its place in the healthcare system because of how safe and affordable it is. As stated above by rhgindc, no matter what profession we are talking about, there will always be the ones who stand out, and ones who don't. It doesn't matter if we are talking chiropractors, medical doctors, dentists, engineers, or even taxi drivers. It is that simple. It is important to understand that it is ultimately the responsibility of the patient to do some research and find the right chiropractor for them. I often think about how picky parents are about choosing their child’s pediatrician, or even a pregnant mother’s search for that perfect obstetrician. Of course, as a licensed professional it should also be the duty of said professional to make sure that care is deemed appropriate for that patient. My point is that a doctor-patient relationship is a team effort. Communication is a priority. If lines of communication are poor, or the patient isn’t satisfied with the care they are receiving, something needs to change! I am eager to get out into practice and have the opportunity to establish trusting doctor-patient relationships that allow for me to treat, educate, and empower people.

The reason I feel that chiropractic is still (although much less) controversial in the eyes of some people is the fact that there is a lack of education about what exactly chiropractic care entails. Before I continue, I am NOT saying skeptics are not competent human beings, not educated, or not intelligent, I am simply stating there is a lack of understanding about chiropractic to the general public, and unfortunately even some health care professions. We, as a chiropractic profession, need to do a better job explaining exactly it is that we do! If people have these misconceptions, we have a great opportunity to explain and CHANGE that opinion or misconception. It is exciting to think that having a simple conversation with someone explaining the purpose of an adjustment could totally change the way one person looks at this profession. We can use this to our advantage! So what exactly is it that chiropractors do? If I only had a couple of sentences to explain this, I would say something along the lines of:

“I am a musculoskeletal specialist that focuses on muscle and joint function in both the spine and the extremities (hips, shoulders, knees, ankles). I assess soft tissues, and joint motion to see if dysfunctions within these systems are the underlying cause of the symptoms one is experiencing. After a thorough history and evaluation, I would address any joint hypomobilities (improper joint motion) by using manual techniques of joint mobilization and manipulation in attempt to restore proper joint motion and function.”

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence in the literature supporting the importance of proper joint motion, and the neurophysiological effects that can be a consequence of long standing joint hypomobility. So to answer the question, YES, I am in support of chiropractic care, but let me expand on this. Do I think chiropractic care is always appropriate? Not always. Although I am in full support of palliative care for patients with terminal illnesses, sometimes chiropractic care alone just isn’t enough. Do I think that as a patient you need to go to a chiropractor every week for the rest of your life? No I do not (unless the palliative effects of the treatment are what the patient wants and is on the patient’s terms). Do I think chiropractors should be the gateway practitioners for new and chronic musculoskeletal complaints (especially those of the neck, low back, and extremities)? Absolutely! As of right now, some (not all) patients come to us as a “last resort” and they have “tried everything else”. This is okay for some, but imagine if instead of trying out many different medications, injections, or even surgeries (all of which are sometimes appropriate or even necessary), that patients had a course of chiropractic care that abolished their symptoms and increased their activities of daily living. Everyone wins! The key here is to have competent chiropractors that have the ability to understand where and when treatment is appropriate, but even more importantly, when referral is important. As mentioned by other responders to this post, chiropractic care is extremely safe (numerous published peer reviewed articles say the same thing). The risk to benefit ratio is in favor of trying conservative care such as chiropractic before turning to more invasive approaches. Again, I am not at all against other medical professions or what they do, but if health care providers are truly putting the patient first, I strongly believe that minimally invasive treatments hold an extremely valuable place within healthcare.

If anyone would like some literature regarding the claims above please feel free to respond and I will gladly send it your way!

Answer 5

I always thought chiropracters were charlatans, but about a year ago, an old back injury of mine started acting up, getting worse and worse until I could barely move. For several months I was in constant agony. Someone finally talked me into going to a chiropracter, and after about three weeks of therapy I was up and moving around again. I was surprised, but it really worked wonders for me.

Answer 6

Just like there are good and not-so-good doctors, there are also good and not-so-good chiropractors. My friend went to one that seemed to make her condition worse so she quit him. I, on the other hand, had a wonderful chiropractor years ago that really helped me a lot when I suffered lower back pain.

First, try to get recommendations from patients if you possibly can. Some doctors actually keep letters written by patients that they've helped and use them for advertising purposes. I would say they are legitimate letters if the first and last name and address are listed.

Going to a chiropractor isn't an overnight cure. It takes weeks and even months of treatment. I went for about a year and a half, but really, after the first few treatments, I was feeling so much better. He also gave me exercises to do and much advice about things I was doing that weren't good for my back - - - like carrying a shoulder bag and not lifting properly.

Answer 7

As a physician, I have seen some of the complications of chiropractic care: patients with injuries to the arteries going to their brainstems resulting in paralysis, spinal cord injuries, etc.

There is minimal evidence that chiropractic care is effective, particularly for things other than muscular complaints in the back.

In short, don't waste your money or put yourself at risk for a questionable benefit.

Answer 8

for it.. all meadical research studies show that chiropratic works better then leaving the person alone to heal or medical intervention

also, it is so safe that the cost of chiropractic malpractice insurance are less than your car insurance and medical malpractic insurance is over 15 times more expensive, why? the numbers dont lie.
it is a safe and effective way to gain and maintain your health

Answer 9

Chiropractic care was absolutely for my family and me. Pick a good one and base it on feedback from your friends who have been helped.

Answer 10

I think if you don't have back/neck problems don't fool with your spine.

Personally I have been in a couple car accidents and I need to see my chiropractor for monthly maintenance. If this hadn't happened to me I would not be going to the chiropractor.

Every once in a while he does something that makes me worse rather than better. But on the whole it is positive results.

I have a 12 year old daughter and I don't take her to see him despite his persistance. Sometimes I feel like my chiropractor is just calling me to book appointments because he needs to get his monthly income up.

Plus it is like $30 for a two minute crack crack and your outa there.