Lumbar pain - chiropractor???

davyjose

I have mild back pain which occurs from time to time, particularly when I train with weights. It's quite mild (but sharp, if that makes any sense i.e. a very localised pain) and in the lumbar region. I'm not asking for a specific diagnosis, but what I would like to know is: would I be better off seeing a chiropractor about this, or any other kind of back specialist?

Cheers

D

bushy...

Go to a physio , preferably one that deals with a good few sports injuries. All i've seen from chiropractors was making an obvious problem worse by completely missing it and delaying a proper (simple) solution.

N8

Best seeing a chiropractor M8 - seek out one in your area by recommendation and ask if they have an xray facility and have EMG equipment.

Physios are great but the truth is when it comes to the spine chiropractors are the best qualified to deal with it. They are the spinal health care experts.

Make sure the chiropractor is qualified and is a member of the Chiropractic Association of Ireland www.chiropractic.ie

Perhaps before hand ask a gym instructor to check your technique in case it is a case of poor technique overloading an area rather than there being a specific problem although seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis is a good idea.

DrIndy

Physiotherapists are better qualified than chiropractors and know more about the whole skeletal system than a chiropractor who has a partial training in diagnosing spinal injury.

davyjose

That's great - opinion seems divided but I'll try the Mods advice and go with a physio. One more thing, this isn't afflicting me ATM, but I plan on getting back into training real soon and would like to give it the once over before I start. Can a diagnosis still be made by a physio without any obvious symptoms (although there is defo a problem - it seems to be around my 5th vertebra), or would a chiro be better for this?

bushy...

After an experience with them , i'd compare it to something like this : your car tyres go flat
after a week , chiropracter is like young lad on summer work in petrol station and just pumps them up for you and they'll do another week. Physio fixes the puncture.

DrIndy

The concern is of course is the small chance of an injury to the skeletal vertebrae - a physio can diagnose if there is and refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon if they are concerned. Otherwise they will treat you very thoroughly.

N8

DrIndy wrote:

Physiotherapists are better qualified than chiropractors and know more about the whole skeletal system than a chiropractor who has a partial training in diagnosing spinal injury.

I know you are a moderator DrIndy but I believe you are quite wrong here. I haven't known any physios to take or read x-rays and the chiropractic courses which used to be a full time four year course giving a B.Sc. are now a full time five year course giving a M.Sc.

I hear this quite often from colleagues in Ireland and I ask what they have based their opinion on it seems to become a mumble moving toward silence. Can you explain why you are of the opinion physiotherapists are better qualified than chiropractors?

bushy... wrote:

After an experience with them , i'd compare it to something like this : your car tyres go flat after a week , chiropracter is like young lad on summer work in petrol station and just pumps them up for you and they'll do another week. Physio fixes the puncture.

Funny that this is not unlike how I compare chiropractic to physios. The physio would patch you up but in the end the puncture needs fixed.

davyjose wrote:

One more thing, this isn't afflicting me ATM, but I plan on getting back into training real soon and would like to give it the once over before I start. Can a diagnosis still be made by a physio without any obvious symptoms (although there is defo a problem - it seems to be around my 5th vertebra), or would a chiro be better for this?

A chiropractor would be able to do this objectively with an x-ray and EMG scan.

davyjose wrote:

That's great - opinion seems divided

No its bias when the opinion is not based on actually knowing something.

littlebug

Davyjose, i've tried them all, physio, chiropractic, osteopath etc etc all of them eased the problem a bit but none ever cured it (and I've stopped expecting a cure tbh). I wouldn't even begin to try to figure out how much I've spent over the years but what worked best in the end was a book called "Treat your own back" by Robin Mc Kenzie, as recommended by my GP. If anything I would recommend physio. As well as the intial treatment they work on exercises and stretches for you to continue by yourself between treatments. I've found that the exercises and stretches that they recommend are close to what is advised in the book but the physio would ensure that you're doing them properly.

My experience with chiropractors has been mixed tbh and I do suspect that they may have made the situation worse (that's hard to prove since my symptoms are long term and I have seen a lot of different professions but it's just my own suspicions). My dealings with chiropractors came to a halt when I saw one very strange one who was later convicted of sexually assaulting some of his patients. (Sorry N8 but it's just my experience.....I know you can't judge the masses on the actions of one individual but I won't be taking that route again).

N8

littlebug wrote:

My dealings with chiropractors came to a halt when I saw one very strange one who was later convicted of sexually assaulting some of his patients. (Sorry N8 but it's just my experience.....I know you can't judge the masses on the actions of one individual but I won't be taking that route again).

no problem littlebug thats a fair point and you 're right I do remember that one and if that were my experience I would probably feel the same. However plenty of medics have been found gullty of sexual assaulting patients too and worse abuses of position. It doesn't follow that the medical profession are all the same but points to the need to be prudent.

That's primarily why I say to make sure initially the chiropractor is a member of the Chiro Assoc of Ireland since there is no legislation protecting the Irish public here from chiropractors struck off in other countries.