chiropractic treatment

Has anyone used chiropractic treatment to help with their UC symptoms. I read an article about how the spine relates to the nervous system and how the nervous system controls the immune system. I'm guessing that the logical connection is that a "faulty spine" e.g. poor posture could ultimately affect the actions of the colon.

There are some online articles of people who have treated their UC via a chiropractor.

Kelly,

I don't know too much about it. I myself suffer from poor posture all my life and in my neverending search to try and rationalise my symptoms I just did a quick google search on colitis and chirpractors. There isn't too much on the web but there are some interesting articles. Again the basis of the argument is the (indirect) relationship of the spine to the immune system and the stress that can build up in the vertebrae.

Before anyone says anything I'm not saying that all UC is spine related and treatable by spine doctors!! It was an innocent lunchtime google search...honest!!!! ;->

I have no aches or pains so I've never been to a chiropractor, I too have heard that many benefit from their IBD using a chiro but because I don't have any pains or the need for a chiro I don't think I would want to go that route...afterall many feel that chiros are quacks, not saying that they are or I necessarily believe it but I just don't want to accidentally end up with aches or pains because of going to a chiro to treat my IBD.

Many also swear by accupuncture, now that I would consider.

:)

I went to a chiropractor yesterday and she told me my pelvis is significantly out of line....the spinal nerves that send messages to the bowel are severely impinged....she can correct it with treatment....she makes no promises in relation to colitis/ibs but she said a poor pelvic position doesnt help bowel function

Yes I've spoken to a few chiros...none claim to be able to cure colitis but they do stress that the spine has an effect on the nervous system and ultimately the immune system....so chiro treatment can lead to a more efficient immune system...what this means for colitis they say they do not know...which is fair enuf...i appreciate their honesty

They also mention that if you have back problems then you may not be breathing efficiently...ur breath maybe too shallow....ie not enuf oxygen and too much carbon dioxide....this is bad for the body...it places strain on a lot of the bodys functions

No she's just started on me actually!!...she wants to manipulate my pelvis and spine into a better position and then she'll give me maintance exercises

I go 3x a week and it has not helped my UC at all.

      Save your money, chiropractic does absolutely NOTHING for UC.  Been there, done that in my myriad of things to try to alleviate my suffering when I had UP (proctitis).  I went to a chiropractor for a few months.  While he never claimed to be able to "cure" UC, he did say he could manipulate my spine in spots that could help attain remission.  Well, that never happened.  What he did do was cause me to suffer two more fractures in my thoracic spine due to the osteoporosis from my prednisone use over the years.  I TOLD him not to crack my spine but on my final visit that is exactly what he did.  The moron!  I should have sued the SOB but I was so sick with UP, I didn't want to be more aggravated.  Long story short, after twelve years of suffering, prednisone dependent the last two years, 6MP, Remicade, Humira, rectal meds, twelve years of nine pills a day of Colazal, SCD diet, probiotics up the ying yang....all failing...I finally had the surgery...should have done that after first being diagnosed .  I feel terrific!

@Christine - Oh no! Did the chiro know he/she did that to you? I would want them to at least know so they would hopefully feel some guilt?

Hopefully this thread is not too old. My success with chiropractors is not as a cure for UC, but to reduce urgencies during a flare up or the tail end of a flare up usually lasting about a month. I was diagnosed with severe UC and have had UC for 14+ years. After many years, I seem to have been able to reduce the number of flare ups to once every year or two. I mainly take Azathioprine and Balsalazide. When one occurs with mucosal lining problems, I have found that when I get to the point that frequent urgencies do not produce any output, a visit to the chiropractor for a spinal manipulation seems to help greatly reduce frequent bathroom visits due to urgencies. My chiropractor readily admits that he is not aware of any tie between UC and chiropractic manipulation. I only need to go to the chiropractor once or twice to see the benefits. There is always some part of my spine that needs adjusting. Again, this seems to help the urgency part of a flare up, not as a cure for UC.

I have severely degenerated discs in my lower spine from years of reckless skiing, heavy weight lifting, and hitting thousands of golf balls. My lower back is shot and my discs degenerated to the point that I lost almost 2 inches in height since the early 1990's. And now that I am diagnosed with ulcerative colitis then probably some common side effects of UC like Ankylosing Spondylitis thrown in too.

Anyway I found a chiropractor randomly on the internet and was delighted how effective she was. She would crack my back and restore space between my vertebrae, and that would return me to a relatively pain-free normal again. As long as I didn't slouch in a chair or continue other bad posture then I wouldn't need to see her again for 3-6 months for another 10 minute session.

I moved out of state three years later and searched for another chiro. I went to a dozen different ones and they all sucked. Not only were they totally ineffective but they insisted that I needed to get a package deal of a dozen sessions before expecting any kind of relief. Then I would need to see them bi-weekly for “maintenance”. I began to think that chiros were a bunch of holistic wackos, except that my original chiro was so darn effective.

So now I travel 500 miles to my home state every 3-6 months for no other reason than to visit my old chiropractor. Of course that is also a good excuse to visit some old friends.

There is some promising stem cell therapy that should be available in the near future that hopefully will regenerate cartilage and restore my spinal discs. In the meantime I prefer to avoid surgeons bearing gifts as long as my chiro is available.

In the UK osteopaths are more common. I have just searched out an osteopath who practices visceral and craniosacral osteopathy as I am hoping it might help with stimulation of the vagus nerve.

As I've posted elsewhere, trials of vagus nerve stimulation via an implant that is electrically stimulated have shown great results for RA and is in trial for Crohn's. I have no idea if the osteopathy will help but I'm giving it a go.....

I agree with IamCurious and Gary, that if you can find a good chiropractor, it's worth hanging on to them.

I went back to see my Chiropractor when my vagus nerve was playing up last year, I was having that "small animal living in your chest sensation" that can sometimes feel like an irregular beat, and once again he managed to sort that out for me, so I am fortunate, but if you get someone that is not very experienced they can do an awful lot of damage, which is why I guess people are so wary of using Chiropractors.