Chiropractor?.

doctor evil

If theres anther forum where this thread will get a better response, by all means Mods, feel free to move. Just tell me where or I might get;) .


Chiropractors, does any one have any thoughts or experiences of them?. Do they do what it says on the tin. Is it a sound therapy or is a bit gimmicky, I went to one for an assessment and I`m not too sure if I`ll go back as I know very little about it. Is it thought of as a main stream or alternative therapy. I couldn`t give a toss which as long as its safe and proven to work.


I do have pain in my back at times so I would like to get it sorted in some way. What is the difference between a chiropractor and a physiotherapist, do both start out as doctors.

Thank you all.

Duff_Man

hey man! iv had alot of experience with them! when i was ten i fell off a roof and bollocked my back big time! my shoulder plates were outta line and my lower back was in bits! went to them on and off for a few years! they kinda helped in the short term but every so often my back gets bad! it could be worth you going for a few sessions!

murfie

I can honestly say they work alright, although they are a bit rough, an osteopath I find are better as they use gentler techniques, more muscle relaxation before they adjust whatever needs to be fixed. but both will fix the problem in my experience.

Duff_Man

actually i just asked my mam about her bi aura treatment for her back and she said its alot better than any chiropractor she has went to! im very sceptical about it but if youwant i can get u a contact number for the p[lace that does it!

chuckles30

my best friend uses her chiro on a regular basis. She has a bad back and she goes on a regular basis, but if it gets bad in between she always goes and it always sorts her out. I just know what I hear from her, but it works for her.

Black Swan

doctor evil wrote:

Chiropractors, does any one have any thoughts or experiences of them?

In sports medicine the docs I have known do not refer to chiropractors, but rather licensed PTs (physical therapists). Was injured in a taekwondo tournament once and referred to a PT. Asked if I could go to a friend's Da who was a chiropractor instead, and my doc said "No way!"

projectmayhem

i've had major back issues since i was a lil baby. long story short every day has discomfort at the very least, at the worst, i'll be brought to my knees with pain.

saying that is important because having visited a few chiropractors in the past, it always eases the pain for a while at least, which is a huge help, and a near-miracle for me. so in my expert (:D) opinion, i'd say they do a good job... but there are other treatments out there that work just as well, if not better (view previous posts!)

amazingemmet

Chiropractors will relive the immediate symptoms of an illness/injury but they will have you coming back once a month forever with out ever treating the causes of it. personally i reccomend a good osteopath who will treat the causes of the discomfort rather then the symptoms.

smallpaws

I had good luck with a chiropractor after a car accident messed up my back, shoulder, and dislocated some ribs. I was really in agony and having the bones popped back into place was such an incredible relief and the follow up visits were short, to the point and she gave me tons of exercises and advice about what to do to keep my back healthy.

Depends, though--asking around your work, etc, and getting a little word of mouth never hurts. Mine was great, but one my neighbor went to was known around town as one who would keep you coming back for years if possible....*eyeroll*

I would, of course, run screaming from the first chiropractor that says they can cure everything wrong with you from asthma to migraines with a long series of adjustments....and there's plenty of them , it seems. that profession is fraught with real skanks, but when you find a good one it's like magic for your back.

Jim10000

My chiropractor constantly used to tell me that "he couldn't heal me but just help me maintain a healthy back". So after ages the penny dropped and I stopped going. I went to a physiotherapist about twice and she cured me! (more or less). If you happen to be in London I'll let you know her address cos she's a miracle worker.

When someone's back just 'goes' out of the blue it seems a chiropractor can sort them out, worked for me once or twice, but for long term care I think I'd go with an osteopath or physiotherapist.

medja

My chiropractor fixes my back when it needs to be fixed. He gives out about my weight, diet and amount of exercise that I take but he doesn't encourge me to come back time after time unless I need to.

Normally I go once a year for a check up and then whenever my back goes out, (which is about once every 18 months.) He can usually fix any problem I have in one or two visits.

On the other hand I put my back out in The USA 3 years ago. I wasn't coming back to Ireland for 6 months and went to a local chiropractor, he wanted to see me 3 times a week and told me it would cost 10,000 dollars to fix. I took the next flight home, went to my chiropractor. 20 minutes and 35 euro later I was back to normal.

Chiropractors are like doctors, there are good one's and bad ones. shop around and find one that suits you.

HemmingSay

I'd be skeptical of chiropratic remedies, i just don't believe the core idea that "subluxations" are the cause of medical problems. The skeptic dictionary has a good article here, although obviously some may view this as biased.

The manipulation of the spine probably can cause short term relieve, but as another user suggested -- i'd prefer to have my spine dealt with by a licensed physical therapist.

I'd suggest reading up on the matter, and if you are still interested, at least use a chiropractor that is registered with the Chiropractic association of ireland

Hope this helps

doctor evil

What is an osteopath and whats the difference between the two. When I was at the chiropractor it was mentioned that I would need to keep coming back. I can see the point that in most cases it takes more than one session, but I`m wary of it costing a fortune and only treating symptons.

Can any one recommend a decent one in Dublin, should I go to my regular GP first.

HemmingSay

I don't think osteopathy is state registered in Ireland, however i believe it's viewed more favourably than chiropractry. An irish site, that includes a register of members, is here. From what i can gather, it's a holistic approach to the treatment of pain/injury, and doesn't seem to be mired in the shady science of chiropractry.

The main difference to the patient is that it uses advocates use of minimum force for joint manipulation, and uses massage on the soft tissue around the area. Therefore it's less harsh on the body, and generally sounds more relaxing than a chriopractic session, though i can't comment on it's success rate.

I've never had to use the services of either group, and am not in the medical profession. I'd advise you to see your regular GP before you make any decisions.

Bodhidharma

Chiropractors are not legitimate healthcare professionals. In many countires (including Canada i believe) they are not recognised as being part of the health system.
THEY DO NOT WORK. They play on the mind, cracking bones sounds like they are doing something but all they are doing is releasing trapped gas from between your joints. I crack my fingers, it doesn't mean i'm altering their dtucture.
I've gone to them and they dont work. I remember seeing a programme on TV about how chiropractors do way more damage than good, and seeing how all of these leading medical experts were angry of the veneer of legitimacy the profession seems to have.
OP if you have an injury, go to a doctor or a physio.

medja

Bodhidharma wrote:

Chiropractors are not legitimate healthcare professionals. In many countires (including Canada i believe) they are not recognised as being part of the health system.
THEY DO NOT WORK. They play on the mind, cracking bones sounds like they are doing something but all they are doing is releasing trapped gas from between your joints. I crack my fingers, it doesn't mean i'm altering their dtucture.
I've gone to them and they dont work. I remember seeing a programme on TV about how chiropractors do way more damage than good, and seeing how all of these leading medical experts were angry of the veneer of legitimacy the profession seems to have.
OP if you have an injury, go to a doctor or a physio.

Okay, Bodhidharma, they may not work for you but they work for others. I had a very bad fall when I was 12, Put my back out in all kinds of ways. Couldn't stand up straight, doctor at the time gave me the name and number of a Chiropractor, most of my problems were fixed after a month or so.

I have friends who could'nt walk after sporting injuries. Went to a chiropractor and were playing again the following week. I do know one two people who got nothing out of the experience which is fair enough. Some found solutions elsewhere, some are still looking.

However, Saying they don't work at all is a grand statement which is just not true.

egan007

Simply put
Everyone is different
It works for some and does not work for others.
All you can do is try.

It worked for me.

beefa

Heighdiho neighbour! The merit of chiropractors is something Ive been wondering about for a while now so Im glad you brought it up. I attended a chiropractor alot last year, whom I plagued with questions about the validity of chiropractors, because I often hear doctors & physios speak disparagingly them. For the most part he answered them well, tho Im still not sure.

While having adjustments made is great fun, in my experience physiotherapist can do back adjustments just aswell. Also it seemed to me that the chiropractor didn't investigate my muscle problems just assumed it was spinal related. This particular guy was very honest though and he did say that there are some cowboys in the profession that will make unecessary adjustments to keep the patient coming back every week.

On the other hand, playing devils advocate for a minute.... if this is a hocus pocus profession how come chiropractors are one of the seven medical professions awarded Dr. status?

HemmingSay

beefa wrote:

On the other hand, playing devils advocate for a minute.... if this is a hocus pocus profession how come chiropractors are one of the seven medical professions awarded Dr. status?

Awarded Doctor status? Where, and from who? As far as i'm aware in Ireland there's no legal register of chiropractors. There is the Chiropractic Association of Ireland, a voluntary self-regulating supervisory body which models itself on the UK legally recognised body. And lets see what their code of conduct has to say about using titles like "Doctor":

C1.8 must not use any title or qualification in such a way that the public may be misled as to its meaning or significance. In particular, chiropractors who use the title of ‘doctor’ and who are not registered medical practitioners must ensure that they make it clear that they are registered chiropractors and not registered medical practitioners.

above is taken from here(pdf)

ponderosa

My experience with chiropractors: I did something to my back a few months ago (agonizing pain - couldn't move - hurt to breathe etc.). Went to a chiropractor near my workplace who told me I had a trapped nerve between my shoulder blades. He fixed the immediate problem but then had me coming back 1-2 times a week for 'maintenance' at €40 a pop. He also tried to get me to buy different numbing creams and lotions and even asked if my sister had similar back pains, going so far as to give me a concession slip for her to come and avail of his services at a reduced rate...

After about four weeks of a lot of frequent all-over backache and visits, there was no improvement and I worried that I might have a real problem (I'm not a hypocondriac at all, btw) so I went and got myself an X-ray and was told there was nothing strange or unusual with my back.

I immediately stopped going to the chiropractor and within days all backache was gone and hasn't come back since - I didn't change anything else in my lifestyle, just stopped going to that guy. He subsequently rings me up questioning me about why I discontinued 'treatment' and when I told him I wasn't going back he tried to give me names and numbers of chiropractors closer to my home and therefore more 'convenient' for me to attend.

All of this leads me to belief that chiropractry (sp?) is a cult (or at least this quack I went to) and despite all the impressive cracking and crunching noises it's a pile of sh!ite. I often felt tender and bruised afterwards and probably would have been better off with a deep tissue massage from a qualified individual or even a DIY back massager.

brid_m

My ma has a very bad back. A few yrs ago she found out that one of the discs in her back had collapsed and she was sent to this specialist who deals mostly with sport injuries, highly recommended .. blah blah.
Anyway, first few treatments went well, so at the next go, your one decided to push a bit further, all of a sudden there was a very loud crack, and my ma felt a rush of pain thru her body, I'd say she realised she had done something because then she said "eh, i think we'll leave it at that".
in other words, your one did something to ma's back. a few weeks later after a mri and an x-ray, it was found that mum had a prolapsed disc. We suspected she did something to make things worse. This was even clearer when she booked another appointment for my ma..... with a different person in the same practise!!!
Chiropractors might be good for some people... but if i were u i'd b careful who i picked!! She's somewhere in Dublin, but not for the life of me can i remember her name!!

jobonar

i've never had any problem with chiropractors! been to 2 different fella's in the last 4 years... the problem i have is with my pelvic bone after a fall off a roof around 4 years ago now. the problem makes my left leg an inch shorter than my right and after i go to him its back to normal so i can honestly say i can see a difference!

when i originally went to the chiro he saw me once a week for a month and then as i needed it after that... its now been 7 months since i was last with him but after a fall on hard ground playing football last thursday i'm going back to him today! in 4 years i've made roughly 10 trips. only reason i changed chiro was cos the other fella moved down the country.

MaeveD

doctor evil wrote:

What is an osteopath and whats the difference between the two. When I was at the chiropractor it was mentioned that I would need to keep coming back. I can see the point that in most cases it takes more than one session, but I`m wary of it costing a fortune and only treating symptons.

Can any one recommend a decent one in Dublin, should I go to my regular GP first.

Here's the difference imo put really simply... a chiropractor will work on bones straight away... an oesteopath will work the muscles first and then work on the bones... a physical therapist will work on muscles, ligaments etc.

I can recommend a practice with both an excellent physical therapist and a chiropractor that I go to regularly (if you're interested pm me).

If you go to the physical therapist, she will tell you if you need an adjustment and if they're not busy the chiropractor will do it there and then. I don't think you need to see a gp, they will just recommend a therapist or chiropractor. You will probably need to go back once or twice...

N8

MaeveD wrote:

Here's the difference imo put really simply... a chiropractor will work on bones straight away... an oesteopath will work the muscles first and then work on the bones... a physical therapist will work on muscles, ligaments etc.

If you go to the physical therapist, she will tell you if you need an adjustment and if they're not busy the chiropractor will do it there and then. I don't think you need to see a gp, they will just recommend a therapist or chiropractor. You will probably need to go back once or twice...

also the difference that a qualified chiropractor has spent five years in a full time course attaining a Bachelor of Science degree or a Masters Of Science degree where the physical therapist and osteopath qualified in Irland has completed a three year part time at best weekends otherwise attaining some qualification recognised no where and there is no regulation here for any of the above.

Does that sound right that the physical therapist tells the chiropractor what to do and when to do it, when the WHO (World Health Organistion) tell us it takes 1800 hours of extrea study for a GP to call himself/herself a chiropractor? eh sounds fishy to me.....

MaeveD

N8 wrote:

Does that sound right that the physical therapist tells the chiropractor what to do and when to do it, when the WHO (World Health Organistion) tell us it takes 1800 hours of extrea study for a GP to call himself/herself a chiropractor? eh sounds fishy to me.....

???? What I meant was, if she feels that something is out of place she asks the chiropractor to look at her patient... ie I went with an elbow problem, the physical therapist thought it was dislocated.... she asked the chiropractor to take a look. She did, the physical therapist was correct it was dislocated and the chiropractor adjusted it there and then! One trip to the Clinic, all done in one hour... not seperate visits to a GP, then therapist, then Chiropractor/Osteo.

The osteo I went to trained in Oz, he was excellent in my opinion... had worked for years with the Australian Rugby team as far as I remember. He got me back to almost normal from injuries sustained in a serious car accident in a relatively short period of time.

N8

MaeveD wrote:

???? What I meant was, if she feels that something is out of place she asks the chiropractor to look at her patient... ie I went with an elbow problem, the physical therapist thought it was dislocated.... she asked the chiropractor to take a look. She did, the physical therapist was correct it was dislocated and the chiropractor adjusted it there and then! One trip to the Clinic, all done in one hour... not seperate visits to a GP, then therapist, then Chiropractor/Osteo.

The osteo I went to trained in Oz, he was excellent in my opinion... had worked for years with the Australian Rugby team as far as I remember. He got me back to almost normal from injuries sustained in a serious car accident in a relatively short period of time.

sounds quite good - cross referral within the same practice - the Aussie osteo was most probably well trained in Australia - the problem with osteopathic education is there is no level playing field, in the states, osteos are trained to GP standards and regarded as such, in the UK they are well trained but it is not thought to be to the high level of the US, and in Ireland, it is a course predominantly made up of weekend seminars.

With chiropractors, the main problem is that Ireland appears to be one of the last english speaking countries in the world withot statutory recognition and regulation, meaning those not allowed to practice else where can set up here, even those with no qualifications can to!! Given the economy we have had for the last number of years and no regulation of your chosen profession, Ireland would be an attractive proposition for any self employed professional.

As with any professional word of mouth referral is always best - rather than gimmicky marketing and advertisement. Often it is not worth asking any health care competitors.

I often wonder what would happen if surgery or medicine was recommended and the patient suffered an unnecessary adverse reaction when a good chiropractor could have relieved and or fixed the problem?

I did read about this a while back in the states when a conservative route was not explored before surgery and the patient successfully sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars - any thoughts?

N8

N8 wrote:

sounds quite good - cross referral within the same practice - the Aussie osteo was most probably well trained in Australia - the problem with osteopathic education is there is no level playing field, in the states, osteos are trained to GP standards and regarded as such, in the UK they are well trained but it is not thought to be to the high level of the US, and in Ireland, it is a course predominantly made up of weekend seminars.

With chiropractors, the main problem is that Ireland appears to be one of the last english speaking countries in the world withot statutory recognition and regulation, meaning those not allowed to practice else where can set up here, even those with no qualifications can to!! Given the economy we have had for the last number of years and no regulation of your chosen profession, Ireland would be an attractive proposition for any self employed professional.

As with any professional word of mouth referral is always best - rather than gimmicky marketing and advertisement. Often it is not worth asking any health care competitors.

I often wonder what would happen if surgery or medicine was recommended and the patient suffered an unnecessary adverse reaction when a good chiropractor could have relieved and or fixed the problem?

I did read about this a while back in the states when a conservative route was not explored before surgery and the patient successfully sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars - any thoughts?

any thoughts?

daveg

I've suffered with sciatica for 10 years. Friend recommended a Chiropractor. Guy was a fúcking idiot. Has a large practice in Galway. Gave me 2 free sessions. Also took an xray (which amazed my doctor who wondered how the hell he had an xray licence). On my third visit he had kindly done up a payment plan which detailed the 12 months of sessions I was going to need and how I would pay the €3000 fees. Thanks but no thanks.

Went to my doctor who referred me to an arthopedic surgeon who sent me for an MRI to assess if he should operate on me (since met some guys in Pilates who had the operation and they would not recommend it). Turns out I was not bad enough to be operated on (even though it was ruining my life with pain discomfort). He refered me to a pyseotherapist.

She was brilliant. After a few months of (miserable) pain (for those that have been to therapy will know their massages are not relaxing) I began to feel a real difference. Touch wood I have had no pain for about 6 months. I also went off to the sun for 5 weeks which really helped (more active for 5 weeks as I sit down all day at work).

Having said all that a good mate of mine swears by his Chiropractor. Then again he is still in pain... I'm not.

daveg

ponderosa wrote:

had me coming back 1-2 times a week for 'maintenance' at €40 a pop.

Ditto

ponderosa wrote:

give me a concession slip for her to come and avail of his services at a reduced rate...

Mate gave me one for my first visit.

ponderosa wrote:

subsequently rings me up questioning me about why I discontinued 'treatment'

Ditto

ponderosa wrote:

All of this leads me to belief that chiropractry (sp?) is a cult (or at least this quack I went to) and despite all the impressive cracking and crunching noises it's a pile of sh!ite.

Agreed.

TallGirl

Chiropractors are the biggest joke going.
I got a sports injury and was due to go travelling a few months later so was determined to get it sorted before going. I spent a ridiculous amount of money going to one who cracked loads of bones every session. I didn't feel any difference at all. I decided to try an osteopath to see if there would be any difference and there was. Since then I have also attended a physio for another injury and asked both the osteo and physio their opinions on Chiros.... both basically say that they have very little training and just process people by cracking a few bones and sending them on their merry way. Both the osteo and physio did a full analysis of my injuries etc before starting their treatment.
I will never recommend a chiro again.

chiroassoc

Hi there. I'm the administrator of the professional association for chiropractors in Ireland, the CAI. Our website is http://www.chiropractic.ie and there is information there about training levels for chiropractic.

As someone else pointed out, unfortunately there is no statutory regulation of chiropractic in Ireland although we've been lobbying the government for years on the topic. In the absence of regulation, CAI membership is your only guarantee that your chiropractor is trained to the World Health Organization guideline standards.

We have association guidelines regarding requests for prepayment which you can find at http://www.chiropractic.ie/press/prepayguideline.doc.

If anyone has concerns about a chiropractor who is a member of the CAI they are welcome to contact me on 021 455 9243 or email me from the CAI website.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Imogen Bertin

daveg

chiroassoc wrote:

Hi there. I'm the administrator of the professional association for chiropractors in Ireland, the CAI. Our website is http://www.chiropractic.ie and there is information there about training levels for chiropractic.

As someone else pointed out, unfortunately there is no statutory regulation of chiropractic in Ireland although we've been lobbying the government for years on the topic. In the absence of regulation, CAI membership is your only guarantee that your chiropractor is trained to the World Health Organization guideline standards.

We have association guidelines regarding requests for prepayment which you can find at http://www.chiropractic.ie/press/prepayguideline.doc.

If anyone has concerns about a chiropractor who is a member of the CAI they are welcome to contact me on 021 455 9243 or email me from the CAI website.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Imogen Bertin

Fair play Imogen.

TallGirl

daveg wrote:

Fair play Imogen.

More like "Good Luck Imogen",
AS far as I'm concerned they are all a bunch of back cracking, back damage causing, money grabbers who just process people instead of fully assessing them. Other professions just laugh at them!

kuerstin

doctor evil wrote:

If theres anther forum where this thread will get a better response, by all means Mods, feel free to move. Just tell me where or I might get;) .


Chiropractors, does any one have any thoughts or experiences of them?. Do they do what it says on the tin. Is it a sound therapy or is a bit gimmicky, I went to one for an assessment and I`m not too sure if I`ll go back as I know very little about it. Is it thought of as a main stream or alternative therapy. I couldn`t give a toss which as long as its safe and proven to work.


I do have pain in my back at times so I would like to get it sorted in some way. What is the difference between a chiropractor and a physiotherapist, do both start out as doctors.

Thank you all.

Doctor Evil,

I am a chiropractor and I can tell you why the Doc's in the medical community don not refer to us. There are two specific scenarios, the first is that the PT's and the Sports Medicine guys will adjust although they have had only a weekend training seminar, or in most cases a chiropractor using the right tools and who is good at his/her job will get you better within 3-5 visits. You have to understand that chiropractors are in school for about 8 years learning their trade which is a science based education, we take anatomy, neurology, biochemistry, x-ray, nutrition, physical examination, pathology, enviromental science, orthopeadic testing, and treatment protocols, we enter into the chiropractic school with 86 hours in undergrad science including physics up to level four, chemistry up to level two organic chemistry, math up level two calc.,. Chiropractors are a group of intelligant people as long as you get a good one. Like the medical community we have "doctors" that should have their licence revoked. I had a medical doctor who barely spoke a word of English almost kill me by leaving a blood infection undiagnosed and sent me home, I had another medical doctor send my son home with a diagnosis of a sprained arm after a fall off the swing set to find out the next day that it was actually broken in 3 seperate places. You shouldn't give so much trust to the medical community the will disregard any alternative treatments because it will end up affecting their wallet or they are completely ignorant.