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anyone see a chiropractor? does it help or hurt you?

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 7/6/2010 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
I do have a bulging disc, but I seem to hurt worse in other parts of my body. I happened to tell her about my arm pain and proceeded to get out her little instrument and now my arm hurts worse.
Posted 7/6/2010 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
Some chiropractors can be good. My old m.d. recommended one he trusted very much to me, although I never went to see her. (My doctor was quite aware that some chiros are dangerous, while other chiros are quite good.) Years ago, I saw a very bad chiro. He hurt me and put me in so much pain I had to go see an m.d. to sort it out. That same chiro hurt two other women who I knew as well. If you are in more pain after your appointment, I wouldn't bother seeing her again. If you are interested in adjustments, however, there are medical doctors called Osteopaths who are trained M.D.'s who also do such things. I'm sorry for your pain. If it is very bad, do let a regular m.d. type doctor evaluate your situation. You shouldn't have to suffer. You should never develop pain from an appointment.

Post Edited (TheChickenPrincess) : 7/6/2010 5:48:43 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/7/2010 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Same thing happened to me i was going 4 times a week the last time i went there from work and went home fell sleep woke up and couldn't move my neck i went back and he said what did u do and i said u did this not me and he said i didn't do that i walked out and never went back i think he just took my insurance for a ride i had good insurance and he had me coming back all the time i just started painmanagement instead take care hope u feel better soon Deb
Posted 7/7/2010 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
I have a great chiro and it does help but it is not a long lasting fix. I can't afford to go as often as I would like. What kind of tool did your chiro use on your arm?

about the osteopath doctor.........that is what mine is and one day he did the bear hug thing and just about killed me. I had to go to my chiro when I left so he could put everything back.
Posted 7/7/2010 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
I do go to a chiropractor occasionally, and usually it helps for a little while. It feels like pressure builds up along a fault line and she releases it. I went to a different one years ago, and sometimes it hurt. My mother's problem in her hip was actually made worse by this same guy, though I know he thought he was helping her. Seems it's like everything else, never 100% good or bad.
Posted 7/7/2010 9:47 AM (GMT 0)
I too have had good and bad experiences with chiropractors. I have a great one now and she always asks if I'm comfortable or if it's too much pressure or something. She takes the time to listen and I think that makes a world of difference. She's the one who encouraged me to see a rheumatologist. After my car accident five years ago, the first chiropractor was having me come a lot. I was in worse pain after each visit but he said that was normal. It kept getting worse and I think he was just trying to bilk my insurance. I went to a different one and it made a world of difference. I also see a massage therapist now and that has been helping too.
Posted 7/7/2010 12:25 PM (GMT 0)
I went to one who just wanted me to sign a contract for $4200 and commit to 18 weeks minimum. He wouldn't even tell me what he planned to do! I walked out.

I went to a second one who just pushed with his hands and hurt my L spine and my neck. I'm not going back there either. His theories of treatment just aren't based on science. It's taken me 2 weeks of gentle exercises on my own to get any flexibility back.

Maybe some chiropractors do good, but I'm going back to my pain doc.
Posted 7/7/2010 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
I think i will tell her not to work on my arms, and just do my back to help the bulging disc. I don't even like it when she cracks my neck. It hurts so bad afterwards. What I don't like is when she acts like she can fix all my ailments and also when she thinks she knows exactly what I have. When i was telling her about my arms, right away she said it is nerve pain, but I told her my nerves are fine, according to the nerve test I took. WHen I talk to her about how I want to get tested for fibromyalgia, she says it is just a "throw-away" disease. So i think if I do find out I have it, I might not go back to her. What I do like about her though is she is gentle for the most part.... but it still hurts.
Posted 7/7/2010 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
I would stay away from that one, Bridget. She sounds like she doesn't have a very open mind, already telling you about YOU. Also, I've heard so often that cracking the neck can do damage. I used to have it done, and it was always "shocking," and painful. The current consensus seems to be that they can help in the lower back, but should stay away from the neck.
Posted 7/7/2010 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
I agree wholeheartedly with keeping chiropractors away from the neck. I had my neck "cracked" and had shocking pain up into my head. I wasn't expecting it and didn't know any better. Never again after 2 weeks recovering!

I don't think they should be cracking anywhere in the spine if there is any sort of deviation like bone spurs or scoliosis. The chance of causing serious damage is just too high.

Gentle massage is probably fine.

I'd run from anyone, even a real doc, who thinks fibro is not real.
Posted 7/7/2010 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
I tried chiropractics.  I hurt like the dickens, see the chiropractor and then hurt even more.  By the time I started feeling a little better, it was time for my next scheduled appointment and more pain.  I decided to hang on to my wallet and stopped going. 

 

Sherrine

Posted 7/7/2010 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hi. I go to a chiropractor on a regular basis. It helps me a lot but he doesn't treat my fibro directly. I have multiple orthopedic, myofascial and mechanical issues that he works on. Helping those helps my fibro by default. He is an orthopedic chiropractor (yes there is such a thing) who uses other techniques and rarely cracks my back. On the few occasions that he has cracked my back it hurt and didn't help very much. Some days I do feel sore after treatment but almost always feel better in a few hours. I drive almost 2 hours to see him so if I didn't think it was useful I wouldn't be going. Like doctors not all chiropractors are created equal so maybe a different one might be in order for you. Good luck, Lisa
Posted 7/8/2010 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
When you said this part: "What I don't like is when she acts like she can fix all my ailments and also when she thinks she knows exactly what I have." That raised really big red flags for me. That was exactly one of the criteria my medical doc said you could use as a test for whether a specific chiro was dangerous. Run - don't walk. If she hurt you once, it will only get worse. You're worth more than that.
Posted 7/8/2010 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
thanks ladies. the problem is that my husband goes to her and loves her and we are on a family plan so it is pretty inexpensive that way. I think I will just do in one ear out the other with her, and stop telling her about what else is hurting. THis is a small city so there are not a ton of chiropractors to choose from. I heard there are others who are good, but are not gentle like she is. I also think I will her not to work on my neck and just do my back. She probably won't like to hear that, but oh well.
Posted 7/8/2010 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
it took me a while but i found a great chiropractor.. who also has a background in sports medicine and microbiology.... ( which is wonderful) i just let him know before hand that i am not having a good day and he is gentle on me....i found it helps quite a bit... i also get heat before the treatment to help make things move easier. and the sports medicine background is great since he can give me suggestions on how to stretch out problem areas
Posted 7/8/2010 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
I bought a tru-back from an infomercial and the thing works just like a chiropractor without the continued cost. Plus, I can take it with me when I travel and sit in the car for long times then sleep in an unfamiliar bed. It's a simple passive stretch tool that I rest on for about 10 minutes. It realigns the spine without cracking anything and relaxes the muscles into the correct position. It's actually based on some of the items that my daughter used working with patients in physical therapy. Works for me!!!
Posted 7/9/2010 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
I have been going to a wonderful chiropracter for about 17 years.  During this time, I have come to consider him to be a friend, and have referred a number of other people to him.  I first began going to him after I had been seen by a series of MD's  (including several at Mayo Clinic) for pelvic pain.  I had never received an exact diagnosis or successful treatment for this.  I had finally began to associate it with back pain.  He diagnosed me with Lordosis, and began treatment.  I was so impressed, because for the first time in over a year, I began to feel some relief.   He has never tried to talk me into signing a contract for a certain number of sessions in a given period of time.  He  has always left it up to me  to schedule appointments as I feel appropriate.  He has an associate, now, who takes the same approach.  I do notice that the results of the treatments do not seem to last as long as they used to.  However, I am also much heavier than I was back when I first started going to him.  I am also much more prone to tripping and other clumsiness that contribute to this problem.
Posted 7/9/2010 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
Jeannie, thanks for letting me know about the True-Back! I looked it up online and it sounds good. Does it help with bulging discs? My problem is not so much back pain, but it does radiate into my hip and foot, so I am hoping to get to the point where the disc is no longer pressing on a nerve.
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