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Chiropractor, what's been your experience

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Carolina Golfer

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Have a chronic lower back back problem (even the Theragun mini won'thelp much), and I just started the "wellness" monthly program due to a lower cost. What's been your experience? I've tried it off and on over the years with limited results. Yesterday's doc was very young and good. Gives me some hope. He said, my left side had more range of motion than my right side.
 
I was an auto claims adjuster for Allstate. We paid for a boatload of chiropractic services from accidents.
 
I had been going to PT and an Orthopedist for about 12 months off and on. I had very little overall success/improvement. At my wife's urging, I saw a chiro, and low and behold he discovered that I had hip issues NOT the back issues I was being treated for, he sent me for x-rays, and determined I was a candidate for a hip replacement. Showed the film to my Ortho and 8 months after that, new hip. So, all in all, I'd say it was a net positive that I went to a chiro for help. I am sure eventually my ortho would have figured it out - but it would have taken much much longer and been far more painful waiting for it to be discovered.
 
I used to go twice a week. I got minimal short-term relief, but I'd say it did help. My job doesn't really help matters as I'm sitting around quite a bit.
 
Chiropractor is a life saver for me. Any time something goes amiss in my neck or back it's my first call. When I first started going back in my mid 20's it was like magic, snap me back into place and I'm 100% recovered by the next day. As I've gotten older I've started to have to return for the follow up to get back to 100%, but that's simply a result of getting older.
 
I spent about 2.5 years going almost daily after a severe lower back injury. While I'll never be the same person as I was in my 20s I do believe that it helped a rather large amount.

Between neck surgery, knee surgeries and shoulder / elbow repair my body will never be even good again but it did provide some relief and help so I'm happy I went.
 
I love the feeling of it, but honestly don't feel as it helps me long term. I think for me it comes down to taking care of my body from a weight and diet standpoint will have a bigger effect for me.
 
I recently bought a Teeter inversion table. I am giving that a try 2-3 times a day. So far so good. Never gone the chiropractor route.
 
i've been to a few, but the one i have now is great. i'm in and out in less than 10 minutes, and he's not your typical guy who insists you do visits every other day for 10 years. he's very practical, and he loves golf so we can talk about how my issues affect my ability to play golf. i'm not fixed and never will be, but i have a lot less pain. right now i'm on more of a maintenance "plan" where i only go when i feel like i need him. i'd say that's about once a month.
 
I used a chiropractor for awhile back in the late '80s after I compressed a disc in my lower back. It helped a lot. I also worked security for a few years in the early '90s at a chiropractic college in the St. Louis area, one of the benefits of which was free treatment in their clinic. I am a fan of chiropractic.

I am not a fan, however, of some of the shiftier types who make ridiculous claims about things like curing a cold and other such nonsense. If something on your skeleton is out of alignment, though, I think a chiropractor is you best bet to fix it.
 
Carolina Golfer said:
Have a chronic lower back back problem (even the Theragun mini won'thelp much), and I just started the "wellness" monthly program due to a lower cost. What's been your experience? I've tried it off and on over the years with limited results. Yesterday's doc was very young and good. Gives me some hope. He said, my left side had more range of motion than my right side.
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I see a chiro off and on when my back or neck gets out of whack.
A good chiro has a light touch and its a process not a quick fix.

Sucks getting old!
 
I swear by my chiro, but it takes time, and you need to find the right one. These places that run hundreds through a day, are not doing you any good. They get paid so little and see so many, there's no true patient care. My chiro does maybe 8 appointments per day. Always reading on new practices even though he's been doing it for 30 years. And like @PatsFan said, it's not a quick fix. I've been going to my chiro for 3 years. When I have a flare-up, I'm in to him every day or every other day. When I'm feeling good, it's still once a month for maintenance so things don't go bad. I just really tweaked my back Sunday playing hockey, so am in to see him today, but figuring I'll be there every day this week and part of next week. But that said, he really works miracles. I've gone from barely being able to stand or walk, to reffing pro hockey in a week, mind you still had the pain and stiffness, but I was able to get out there and do my job. Was fully back to normal after 3 weeks that time. Hoping this time is less because I move in a week......
 
I had a good experience. I was in a walking boot for Achilles tendinitis, potentially on a path for surgery. Saw a chiropractor and the alternate approach (immediately out of the boot) provided pretty immediate relief.
 
My experience has not been good with chiropractors. I had some lower back issues a few years back and I tried 2 different chiropractors available and near me, and got absolutely no relief. In fact, the one made me feel worse than I was before. I think someone mentioned previously that you definitely have to find the right one. I think that must be true because I have friends that swear by them as well. Anyway I could not get relief. Couldn't hardly get in and out of cars, bend over for anything, let alone play golf, or teach tennis. So....with chiro's not helping I went to a physical therapist and got some relief. But that was minimal. Someone finally told me about this physical therapist/acupuncturist near me. I was desperate and went. He did all the physical therapy stuff, with stretching, exercises, and ultrasound AND then the electrical stimulation. But with that, he put in 30ish needles and did the electrical stim hooking the electrodes on certain needles. Best thing that ever happened! I was playing golf again in 2 weeks. I couldn't believe it. I was sold.
 
This is just my opinion and not here to debate. I refuse to go to a chiropractor. I think it’s an absolute quack profession and listen to my sports medicine Doctors, who do not want me to see chiropractors. They are constantly fixing damage done by the chiropractor.

One example from a few years ago - I had bad jaw problems. My dentist wanted me to see this chiropractor to get some “adjustment” that could fix it. I called my knee surgeon and he had me see one of the other doctors in his sports medicine practice. I went in and within 5 days was fine - all it required was a steroid pack to get the issue taken care of.
 
The only problem with Chiropractors is you have to go all the time in order to benefit from it. Like 2 or 3 times a week religiously for a while. At least that's the way it was with me. It would feel great that day & maybe the next, but it would go right back to pain the following days. I couldn't keep up with it.
 
golfinnut said:
The only problem with Chiropractors is you have to go all the time in order to benefit from it. Like 2 or 3 times a week religiously for a while. At least that's the way it was with me. It would feel great that day & maybe the next, but it would go right back to pain the following days. I couldn't keep up with it.
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I never even felt good after, so didn't want to keep up with it.....
 
I had a lower back issue a few months ago and saw a chiropractor for it. I think in total I saw him about 8-10 times and was great. It wasn’t just going in to get my back cracked, he actually worked out my lower back with therapy and told me to do exercises that he showed me. After about 3 weeks of treatment and stretching I was great.
 
Every now and then my hip gets out of alignment and i go get an adjustment. I use to go a lot but have been working on core strength and mobility for the last year and a half heavily. It is amazing how one little adjustment can relive some pain though!
 
I had a chiropractor try and steal money from me by telling me I was near paralysis with my spinal alignment. He also claimed that frequent alignments could cure my seasonal allergies, illnesses, and dietary tract.

Since then, I refuse to trust a "Dr. First Name."

Anecdotally speaking, the best thing for nonspecific low back pain is activity and strength training.
 
my wife swears by them but even she admits it is a short term relief. i went once and it did feel good but i did not like him trying to sell me 2-3 times a week. whatever makes you feel better or alleviates pain.
 
I used to see a chiropractor when I was more active and he was worth every penny. We did some minor PT as well and he had me feeling better from neck to hamstrings.
 
I agree with the fact that you need to find "the right one" and you can do that by asking everyone you know for recommendations. I tried one guy for almost a year. I was seeing him once a week and always felt good after I left his office, but it only lasted a day or two. He kept telling me that it was a "process" that had to run it's course to be completely effective. I then heard that he was getting his license revoked due to deceptive practices. So I started looking for a new Chiro by asking around. I found the new guy and saw him 3 times. I didn't need to go back for over a year. Then I tweaked my neck and saw him another 3 times and again, over a year between visits. I just went back to him last friday due to an issue with my low back caused by poor lifting of a very heavy office printer. I feel great after that one visit, but am going back this afternoon for confirmation and maybe another adjustment. But he said on Friday that we may not need to do anything more.
 
I have a weekly adjustment, just to keep me feeling good. My chiro and I both understand this is just a maintenance program for my old bones, and i do feel better after my adjustment. (Mainly my stiff old neck.) Is it a cure-all? absolutely not. Can it help alleviate pain? Sure.
 
Everyone is different (patients, injuries specific to them, and chiropractors). I think to dismiss the entire field because you didn’t find it helpful is a little off base :) I work on a rehab unit with many Ortho patients and some definitely benefit.
 
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