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OT- Can’t win medically

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

I went to a chiropractor the other day because I’ve been having some minor issues with my neck. It’s a little stiff, a little tender, my range of motion a little restricted, and mostly it’s pops a lot.

We’ll chiropractor did some x-rays and wants to see me A LOT over the next few months to “fix” the issues he found. I’m a little skeptical but then again I’m not blind and even without him pointing out things I could see some issues with my x-rays.

Mainly there is a slight curving to the side and then the curve that is supposed to be there doesn’t exist at this time. So now I’m concerned. I don’t want to dump over 1200 into this guy’s pocket for an issue that may be a serious as this. I mean if the curve that is supposed to be there its, that’s a pretty big deal.

I’m thinking for seeing my GP and bringing this up with them but I’m concern I’ll come off as a hypochondriac. I mean I feel something’s off but it seems a bit dramatic to go in and claim a chiropractor says my spine is wrong.

If they are willing to do x-rays I should be able to get them done for free through my hospital but the visit itself will cost a tiny bit. Then IDK how they would correct the issue. I don’t feel it’s bothering me enough for surgery. So really is it worth it?

OH on top of the neck thing he pointed out a spot in my lower back where he says it looks like I’ve had a compression facture….. Ummmmm I don’t remember anything that would have caused it or any pain in their area?

Comments

tog redux's picture

Do your research, because chiropractic techniques have zero evidence behind them - except for in the case of certain types of lower back pain. I would definitely check in with an MD before you do anything. 

NoWireCoatHangarsEVER's picture

But chiropractors aren't real doctors.  They haven't been to medical school.  Sometimes they can do serious harm.  Chiropractors are in the same category as acupuncturists.  It's alternative and complimentary medicene to real healthcare when real health care has no answers or you find it relaxing and it feels good like a massage.  Would I pay $1200 for complimentary and alternative medicene???  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No, no, no, no! 

I might be a little bias as my step daughter which I've blogged about is a type 1 diabetic.  It's also called juvenile onset diabetes.  I like alternative medicene like healing massages like most people do.  Sure I'd like to try a spinal adjustment for some aches and pains and I've always had an interest in acupunture and aromotherapy. Well BM only trusts and believes in alternative and complimentary medicene.  She took my stepdaughter to a chiropractor when she first started demonstrating symptoms of her diabetes.  Her blood sugar would go high and low and she would get bad headaches and North Korea thought spinal adjustments would fix that and DD5's dad played right along with it.  So for a long time my SD needlessly suffered and didn't get the proper treatment she needed because no one was doing a simple blood test.  She was just getting her spine adjusted as an 11 year old.  I feel like they could have killed her with their sheer incompetence.  The only benefit I saw was the chiropractor suggested a food diary and I started seeing trends before I figured it out.  Again, I know they call themselves doctors but they aren't real doctors.  They haven't been to medical school.  Read up on them.  I'd go to my GP and be honest that you saw a chiropractor because they do have their place... complimentary and alternative .. and  I don't think you'd be laughed out of the physicians office.

   

Kiwi_koala's picture

How scary. Didn't your stepdaughter have other signs of diabetes aside from headaches?

notsofast's picture

Do you have a reversed cervical curve? I have that, but diagnosed by medical not chiropractor. Nothing to do about it except pt, according to my Dr, and pt wasn't that effective. 

Kiwi_koala's picture

Be careful if you do go. The chiropractor could herniate your discs. I actually see a chiropractor for my lower back pain and it helps a lot. My chiro doesn't crack spines though. She uses a different technique.

Ursula's picture

I wouldn't go to a chiropractor beyond whatever is covered by your insurance.  I've never met anyone who visited a chiropractor and wasn't told that they could fix the issue by coming to their office for months for treatment.

Kiwi_koala's picture

Same

ESMOD's picture

Go to a real doctor.. I also thought I might want to try a chiro because I was experiencing a bit of nagging lower back pain.. I had been doing an exercise program (CD) and there were a few moves that seemed to aggravate my back. thougth perhaps I was just a bit out of alignment.. or needed a stretch.. My EX boss used to go to a chiro.. and I figured.. he wasn't a whack job.. so maybe going to one had some merit.

Well.. here is how THAT appt turned out.. I go in.. get my evaluation.. along with XRAY.. where he points out all the degenerative disk issues.. and also bone spurs.. and curves.. oh and you have a mild case of spina bifida.. did you know that?  I will do X adjustment today.. and then when you come back we can go over the "treatment plan" for ongoing care.

So.. I go lay in a dark room with a roller going under my back.. for a bit.. then I paid my fee.. and got the heck out of there...

I should have known with the variety of snake oil potions that sat on the receptionist's desk that chiro wasn't for me.  When he blew my "minor" twinges into some huge problem that would require ongoing therapy at least 2x a week.. and that I had Spina Bifida?  I basically wrote the whole thing off as a waste.

You know what I did to fix my issue?  I stopped doing the excercises that aggravated my back..lol.  Simple solution.  Doc.. It hurts when I do X.. well stop doing X.  I wasn't having mobility or life impacting issues.. just a bit of lower back stiff/soreness... so stopped the stuff that aggravated it and voila! cured without some expensive hooha therapy.

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

To respond to everything above. While I like the chiropractor for select reasons I don't see them as a magic cure all. I know that the "benefits" I receive could be placebo. I DON’T agree that he should be the one to “fix” this issue if there is one.

My concern is how to address it with a medical doctor without them dismissing me because it’s a chiropractor who did these x-rays. Like I said even before he said anything I could see the issue on the X-ray and it does connect with the neck issue I have been having. The cervical vertebras have no curve in them. It’s complete 100% straight while there should be an easy curve.

I said something to my coworkers who are nurses and one of them said her son had the same issue because of rickets he had as a child. She looked at me from the side and want’s to say she sees it too but again I don’t put much faith in that because it’s not like she’s that kind of nurse.

ESMOD's picture

I don't think there is any harm in telling the doctor that you have gone to a chiro and he showed you some things on an X-RAY that you thought might be concerning.  That you are obviously not trained in reading an X-RAY.. but between seeing that and the discomfort/symptoms you have been experiencing.. you wanted to get a medical opinion on whether you have a condition that needs medical treatment.

justmakingthebest's picture

^ Exactly. Just tell the doctor that you went for an adjustment for discomfort and they did an x-ray that raised concerns. 

tog redux's picture

Get the X-Rays sent over. An X-Ray is an X-Ray - the doctor can take a look at it and give his/her perspective. 

susanm's picture

^This.  The x-rays are your property as part of your medical file and a service for which you paid.  If the office gives you any push-back then that tells you that the office is not even close to legit as medical professionals should always work collaboratively.  If they give you any problems, tell them that you are coming to pick up your file and take it to your GP yourself.

bananaseedo's picture

THey have their place and do wonders, it is NOT snake oil grrr... Studies/money FUNDING studies don't normally cover chiro care...the ones WITH the money conduct studies-hence why so many can discredit alternative treatments.  That said, that much out of money to 'fix' the issue seems out there to me .  I use what my insurance covers -  He completed healed my neck disc from injury issues (car crash) as well as sciatic during pregnancies and after....both my husband and i have greatly benefited (my DH has scoliosis btw).

My chiro also doesn't do the crack bones but uses his table lowering type technique...much gentler.

 

ESMOD's picture

The stuff I am referring to as "snake oil".. were all the creams and lotions that were sold to "enhance" the therapy... CBD.. Hemp.. and other Blue Emu or other "exotic" sounding compounds.. that in reality were likely to be mostly placebo.. with perhaps some menthol for cooling .. or capsaicin for warmth.. both of those might make you feel better.. but if you truly have a physical spine issue... I doubt rubbing lotion on your back is gonna fix it.. mask a bit of the symptom at most.

That's what I consider snake oil.. selling something as a cure.. when at best it may be able to make a symptom appear to briefly improve while the underlying issue is not resolved.

The fact that the guy was so eager to set me up for some multi faceted treatment plan?  when merely stopping a few exercise moves fixed my issue?  makes me feel like the profession is partly made up of people that are basically creating more of an issue for people.. so people will think they keep needing to go to the chiro.  Like all the chiro's that set up at the local field day in my area.. or at the mall etc.. what other medical profession sets up at the local county fair.. and gets people who have zero pain and talks them into an issue because they see something "concerning" on their on the spot exam.

tog redux's picture

That is completely untrue. Lots of independent studies have been done, showing the chiropractic techniques do not work. 

It mostly is Snake Oil. 

"Chiropractic Education, with the help of federal grants and partners in established medical schools, is aggressively addressing the need to create more Evidence-Based savvy graduates".

So at least they are trying. 

Exjuliemccoy's picture

Regardless of where you stand on chiro, it never hurts to get a second opinion.

I'd ask the chiropractor for a copy of the xray and take it with you to your PCP.

justmakingthebest's picture

I love a chiropractor! However when they find "serious issues" I would want a second opinion. Make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor before you start shoving money at a chiropractor for more than an basic adjustment. 

 

bananaseedo's picture

"That's what I consider snake oil.. selling something as a cure.. when at best it may be able to make a symptom appear to briefly improve while the underlying issue is not resolved."

Isn't this the same for most pills that are prescribed today though as well?  I use emu oil cream on my broken leg- it did wonders with the scar buildup. I don't do cbd but plan to try it...i do meds and 'alternative' stuff as well.

tog redux's picture

 You think that most pills just make symptoms improve while the underlying issue is not resolved?  I'm guessing no doctor prescribed you emu oil, that came from the supposedly effective "alternative medicine". 

bananaseedo's picture

You're damn right!  Pain relievers, mask pain they don't take care of the issue....even anti-depressants aren't a CURE, they take care of a symptom, not the underlying cause.  Let's look at muscle relaxers, same thing.  Let's look at HBP meds- if you STOP taking them and don't find what is the 'cause' it's just taking care of a symptom.

My physical therapist is a big fan of EMU oil for massages of the broken leg to help with pain/inflammation...next thing you're going to tell me PT's are 'snake oil salesmen' too...pffft you and I are on COMPLETE opposite pages on these matters but just stop thinking you are the hold of all truth, you aren't. 

If I STOP taking my metformin/insulin, and don't curb my diet/lifestyle entilrely (underlying issue) then my BS ns go up-they are 'artificially' held down by the meds.

Do you always have to be so dismissive of others people TRUE LIFE experiences as if they (people/experiences) simply don't exist- in YOUR world, only your POV and 'truth' matters.  It comes across are your typical selfish knowit all, conceited, arrogant, prideful...it doens't matter who you may hurt/offend in the name of shoving down your views/truth down peoples throat. Entirely dismissing them as dumb, idiots, liars if their reality is different then what you think it should be.  For all that is holy, give it a damn break. 

Next you'll say it's the 'data shows' DATA is often skewed, data is also often obtained by special interest groups.  To  deny that shows YOUR ignorance.  So people do often feel different about data for a reason.

The latest DCM scare in dogs- although the FDA has assured there is no conclusive evidence, the studies done were funded by the 3 large companies whose food they are telling us are THE only safe foods in the country...pfffttt LMAO...ok.

 

tog redux's picture

LOL! You are the one hurling fake truth around as real, insulting everyone who doesn't agree with your beliefs, and yet you are accusing me of that.  If you want to believe bullshit and sound ignorant, you go right on ahead. I prefer to believe in science. 

 

Livingoutloud's picture

Where do you get all these fake news and conspiracy stories? It’s the second thread where you do that. I seriously don’t understand where you get all these things from? 

oneoffour's picture

Visit your Dr and tell him/her you are looking for a 2nd opinion. You saw your Chiroprator and he said blah blah blah. What does your PCP think?

Then you can make your decision from there.

I am a little skeptical about chiroprators. I worked in a Diabetes office with an anti vaxxer whose husband is a Chiropractor. She told me all babies need to get their necks adjusted striaght after birth due to travelling down the birth canal. No medical professional is getting their hands on a newborn baby's neck if I have anything to say about it. 

Livingoutloud's picture

Anti-Vaccer and a chiropractor, match made in Heaven. Omg Adjusting newborn necks one at a time, hoping they don’t contract deadly diseases. 

Livingoutloud's picture

Your neck hurts and pops. Why would GP say you are a hypochondriac? It’s pretty normal and expected to see doctors when things bother you. In addition I’d see a doctor versus chiroprotactor, who isn’t a doctor. Then I’ll decide what to do next.