Is Chiropractic a legitimate form of treatment?

Well, with this alternative way of healing, you have to be careful. I mean, there are colleges that have to be finished and on those you study only chiropractic and nothing else. So, look for people that have this kind of education and you will be certain that you are in good hands.

I'm not sure what Cello is trying to say in the previous post, but you have nothing to worry about with seeing a chiropractor. The simple fact is that the instruction and training that chiropractors get is along the same line as medical doctors, only chiropractors don't learn how to use surgery or drugs to improve health. Instead, they learn how to maximize the effectiveness of the nervous system by removing interferences from nerves and letting the body's own innate power heal itself. Drugs will just cover up a problem, a chiropractor should be able to get to the root of it.

As with any doctor, don't be afraid to shop around. Even among chiropractors there are many different specialties and one may help you much more than another.

Yes chiropractic is Legal, here are few notes about Chiro and neckpain:

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.


The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation,” also called “chiropractic adjustment.” The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.

Chiropractic adjustment rarely causes discomfort. However, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness or aching following treatment (as with some forms of exercise) that usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours.

In many cases, such as lower back pain, chiropractic care may be the primary method of treatment. When other medical conditions exist, chiropractic care may complement or support medical treatment by relieving the musculoskeletal aspects associated with the condition.

Definitely chiropractic treatment is a legitimate form of treatment! I suffered for years, being treated with pills by "Regular Medical Doctors". After 13 years I was sent by my new doctor to a Chiropractor and finally I have not only relieved most of my pain, but helped to improve my over all health!
Nora

Doctors of Chiropractic DO NOT recieve a similar training to MDs. The training is unscientific and dogmatic (not to mention MUCH less rigorous). In addtiton, chiropractic has shown ZERO health benefit outside of lower back pain (and even that is questionable). Although it is only a small possibility of being hurt by chiropractic adjustment, there is no evidence that it works beyond the placebo affect. Please go to a medical doctor who is trained to help you with treatments that have actually been shown to work. When will the chiropractic lie end?

A chiropractor detects, corrects, and prevents spinal or vertebral derangement or subluxation. This is done by using chiropractic adjustments. These adjustments are applied in a specific direction with the specific amount of force to remove vertebral subluxation and normalize spinal and nervous system function.

A chiropractor has a Doctor of Chiropractic degree (D.C.). He receives this advanced degree after many years of highly specialized training. This training teaches the doctor to detect and locate misaligned spinal vertabrae (subluxations) impinging on the nerves that send messages of communication to the body.

A chiropractic adjustment is a specific force applied in a specific direction to normalize nervous system and spinal dysfunction.

So it is safe to see a Chiropractor for pains and spinal problems as being a natural system of therapy there is least scope of any side effect.

Chiropractic is going to be the best form of treatment for musculosckeletal problems. The perspective that chiropractic is "unscientific" is either medical rhetoric or an out-right lie. Medical doctors would like you to believe that any treatment other than drugs and surgery is "unscientific". Medical doctors and the pharmaceutical industry has relentlessly opposed Chiropractors for the past 115 years. The fact that Chiropractic has grown despite the actions of allopathic medicine has only helped to further prove that chiropractic works. If it did not work, it would have easily been eliminated.

Chiropractic is wonderful and focuses on vitalism...the bodies innate ability to heal itself, exemplified when you cut your finger for instance....and a few days later, it is healed. Calling Chiropractic, "a lie" isn't correct at all and is a blatant sign of ignorance. Chiropractic is a different way of thinking about health...true health. Chiropractors try to get to the root of the problem, instead of just giving you a pill to mask the pain. The average person is on 12 prescriptions by the age of 50...something that big pharma absolutely loves...and is something that should actually make you wonder about MDs.

Why is it so hard to believe in natural healing?...homeostasis...the body is programmed to keep itself in line.

The nervous system is very powerful and controls all other bodily systems. Go get it alligned and get everything firing correctly. Then get adjusted once a month to keep everything working correctly. It's a very simple way of thinking about health...very basic.


Eat correctly, get sufficient rest, exercise, good posture, and regular adjustments = happy healthy body, mind, spirit.

I love Chiropractic very much, and MD's too...but go to an MD when it is absolutely necessary, when a prescription is the only thing that can help you. Use Chiro as your gateway to health...stop here first to see if your body can heal itself, before having to add the stress of that pill or surgery that the MD will give you or perform.

Stay healthy everyone.

Any perceived benefit from chiropractic care is the result of the placebo effect. I know of an orthopedist whose business took off when insurance started paying for chiropractors - he would fix the things they did.

I've been skeptical of chiropractors, and I'm a relatively young kid (22) who happened to get tackled into a brick wall (Drunk during my 21st birthday >.>) head first. I probably almost broke my neck, but for awhile afterwards I didn't have full range of motion, and I was very careful about moving it at all because I probably suffered a traumatic injury, but neglected to go to the doctor like a big boy and a college student without a lot of cash (although my family wouldn't have minded, I don't like being a burden... but I digress). I had some pain to the point that it was affecting me working out in my mid to lower back... I don't know if slower people don't realize this or whatever but I knew that I needed somebody to "pop my back." The chiropractors call this an "adjustment" and charge you like $100 for it but honestly I had a couple friends try to help me out before going in. Sadly, they're all failures, and because it was in my back I couldn't do it myself, despite desperately trying. After the first "adjustment," when nothing was fixed... I was pissed. But eventually, the pain led me to go back and try it again and... finally... relief. The chiropractor I went to took an x-ray before hand and I could visibly see a misalignment, probably from the injury. I've suffered various back pain for quite some time and I've learned to make adjustments that provide relief in various ways on my own. I would say that yes, chiropractors can help you if you get a good one, but also that I would never let them twist my neck, in fact I flat out refused to let mine, although he said I was being squeamish. It takes something like 6 pounds of pressure to break your neck, I just wouldn't risk it. That and the fact that you can manually adjust your own neck if you're careful, and I promise i'm so much more careful than some random doctor when it's my own life at risk.  ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** web addresses not allowed***

  was enough to scare me out of allowing that, but I don't mean to say that chiropractic care does not work: it worked for me. Basically, if you pop your shoulder out of its socket, even a MD is gonna pop it back into place for you to fix it. Chiropractors work in the same way, but have at least studied the ways to adjust more than your random friends >.>

I am a young, 48 year old male that had been having certain conditions develop and deteriorate over the past 10 years.  Specifically, neck tenseness and pain, worsening migraines, lower back pain, and my legs were starting to weaken to the point that I was having trouble with steps or putting on pants.  The migraines were so bad, I was being put on a cocktail of narcotics to ease the pain - which I hated!!  I had severely limited range of motion with my neck, shoulders and pelvis. The past 4 years my elbows would ache so bad i couldn't sleep well, or move them.  Due to severe work related stress, and being 30 lbs over my ideal weight, I decided to join a gym, get a trainer, and vigorously work out.  I had hopes that my joints would loosen up, my muscles would relax, and i would feel better.  After two months of working out 4-5 days a week with a trainer who understood my modest goals, I was getting stronger overall, but the pain was increasing. 

One day after a workout, a Chiropractor was in the lobby of my gym doing free checks of the pressure in the neck vertebrae.  The machine registered some concerning readings, and the Chiro offered to do a thorough check of my spine and such in his office.  I took his card and at the last minute, scheduled an appointment.  I then went home and began to do some research on the practice.  I found that Yelp had hundreds of reviews of this particular Dr. and the practice... and was rated 5 stars out of 5.  I then called some people in the medical field to ask for their opinion - which was basically:  Is chiropractic techniques pure hokum?  Is everything I heard about them not being Doctors and scamming people true?  To say I was careful and skeptical is an understatement.  I was urged to go by everyone.

So, go I went.  A full and complete workup by TWO doctors was performed, and they were so concerned by my spine and neck they took about 10 X-rays and asked me to come back after the weekend after they consulted.  During the 2nd consultation, I was informed that my back and neck was "wrecked" by multiple trauma's, that the pain in my joints was no carpel tunnel or any other ailment, but nerve interference from specifically misaligned vertebrae.  They had wrote out an extensive treatment plan that included spinal adjustments, traction, exercise, and acupuncture.  I asked them to provide me with a disc of my x-rays, which they gladly provided along with my treatment plan and schematics of issues.  I then contacted an Orthopedic Doctor and had them perform a review of the findings.  Did I mention I have trust issues??  The Ortho Doc confirmed the findings, took additional HiRez Xrays, and gave me an order for an MRI.  In addition, she wanted me to start immediate physical therapy, traction, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

I was thus faced with having to chose 1 of 2 therapy treatments: Western PT, or Chiro/Acupuncture.  After discussing with a few people, I was urged to try the Chiropractic route.  To speed this up, let me just say that the very first 15 minute adjustment netted huge, amazing results!  I was unable to turn my head side to side very far, and i could NOT even tilt my head sideways prior to the adjustment for probably 15 years.  When i stood up, he asked me to turn my head left and right and it felt like it was on a swivel!  My head felt clear and light.  So far I've had about 8 adjustments, and my body feels 25.  I can now touch my toes and pick up objects from the ground flatfooted.  I can move my torso side to side.  And the pain in my joints are mostly gone.  These are not placebo effects.

I'd also like to address the 2 acupuncture treatments I've had.  While it's true that I did have hopes the Chiropractic adjustments would bear fruit (and it is/was), I was perhaps far more critical of the needle treatments.  I did it because It was recommended to speed up my healing by my Chiro Doc.  The first treatment was kinda "meh".  However, I felt some residual, delayed effects after I got home, but it was still, "meh".  The following week she performed a more intense treatment which also included "cupping".  Holy Cow.. i had no clue what hit me afterwards!  I was so mellow, it was like I took a handful of "mellow pills".  I ate a bit of lunch, drove home and "crashed" in my bedroom for two hours.

In conclusion, there is something to chiropractic practice.  Of course, your mileage may vary - and it all depends on several factors, but when I listen to the customers getting treatment, they are more than satisfied with their results.  By the way, most of them are former Physical Therapy patients that received little to no relief after many months of treatments.

 

My wife was recommended to try it by her doctor for a shoulder problem. After about 18 sessions she was in worse pain and had more limited movement than at the start. She then took her X-Rays to an orthopaedic consultant who did a guided cortisone injection. He told her the treatment had been harmful to her.That was 9 months ago and she has had no problems since.
A neighbour went for a leg problem and ended up in a wheelchair for several weeks before also going for an MRI scan followed by conventional treatment.
Google composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and chiropractor/back pain for his experience followed by his months of pain and many operations.
Personally I would say avoid this very costly experience

I think what your friend is suggesting is right as chiropractic treatment is a non-invasive, drug free and pain free therapy. 

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Hello ..... I think Guthry wrote so long ago that he either gave up or by now has had his therapy. I started with a chiropractor less than 2 yrs ago after a bout with painful bursitis and even more painful sciatica. I thought of chiropractors as a follow up to physical therapy. After my 3rd ädjustment, I was able to sleep on a pillow again at night -- first time in 5 yrs.

So far, so good. Never have approved of their constant negativity toward the medical profession.  The office video screens play never-ending videos ranting about the FDA and elevating to sainthood an alternative-medicine physician whose practices killed a chunk of his patients by recommending daily doses of raw animal organs as cancer treatment.

The chiro has told me several times that "because of all the arthritis in my lower back, the sciatica will probably never fully heal." Such remarks coming from a supposed medical professional led me to believe I have severe arthritis in my lower back and thus need continued treatment.  My entire back and spine were  recently evaluated by  a physical medicine and rehab physician  who says I have less arthritis in my lower back than "most people my age"(63). I must say that my estimate of the value of chiropracty is somewhat at a crossroads.