Chiropractors neck manipulation.....safe?

[BigNick]

Do yourself a favour and go to a good Physiotherapist and/or Massage Therapist instead... Will help the tiny muscles, increase blood flow and make you feel better!

There exists NO study that demonstrates the effectiveness of chiropractics in the long run, and NO scientific basis for any of their claims/theories (and it's been around for over 100 years). Even Wiki "chiropractic" and see! (If wikipedia says it.. it MUST be true haha)

I'm not bashing the occupation, since it does seem to help some people. Just remember, it is still considered "alternative medicine", no chiropractic school is affiliated with any university or college (i.e. they are all stand alone "schools") and many countries now do not cover chiropractic care in health plans. There IS a placebo effect, and most people I know experience this and find relief in the first few visits, then it just stops helping. Very few people "swear" by chiropractic care. They are a vocal minority however which impacts the general impression of chiropractic care.

Stroke from a manipulation IS very possible. Arteries and veins travel through tiny holes in your skull and bones. As we age, plaque may develop. "Manipulations" may kink these arteries causing damage and/or plaque disruption. This "damage" or "disruption" is what leads to embolization and "clogged arteries" which EQUAL heart attacks and strokes. People don't realize it's almost never JUST the plaque that causes heart attacks or strokes.... It's the disruption or damage to the plaque deposits that cause an over reaction by our bodies that lead to complete blockage. This can occur by chemical means (eg. smoking) or possibly other means (eg. mechanical .. as in manipulation gone bad)

I would never recommend anyone over 45 years old to get a neck manipulation... unless it's a LAST resort.. But that's just me!

 

[97prizm]

All I know is that an acquaintance on campus had herself "adjusted" and the Chiropractor pinched a nerve causing her to lose vision in her right eye, and now she can't become a police officer. It was a bummer as she was only a semester away from graduating too.

 

[ryan2022]

Thanks folks, good feedback.

Its nice to get some reassurance, when you hear some spooky stories.

Like I said, the chiropractor I went to years ago fixed my scholiosis. Which normally, wouldnt go away on its own.

Everything in moderation I guess.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
That's not how it's done. Usually the patient has restricted neck movement due to muscle spasms and cannot attain the "normal" full range of motion. The manipulation forces the range of motion by manually separating the "stuck" muscles.

Exactly. They move it as far as it will go, and then push past that point. That's what I said.

Any time you push through an obstruction, there's a risk that you will overshoot. Likewise, a neck manipulation necessarily involves the risk that the "push" will twist the neck far more than it needs to be twisted. Hence, the risk (however small) of damaging something.

Chiropractors also use many very subtle techniques of relaxation and distraction to overcome reflexes that would impede the adjustment, e.g. neck muscles tensing up. The safety and effectiveness of the manipulation depends on those techniques. If they fail, the odds of a side-effect or damage will increase.

And by the way, you should tell chiropractors what you just told me, i.e. that it's about muscles and not bones. All the ones I see and read about seem to think that they are correcting vertebral misalignments or "nerve integration."

 

[BearZDefect]

My summary of many good points above: Chiropractors are like any other professional - you have to find a good one. The good ones are gentle on your joints, focus on soft tissue rather than crunching, pay attention to your feedback, and keep up with new developments and complementary treatments and diagnosis, learning to incorporate these into a best practice.

The nice thing is they are surely less constrained by a cookbook than conventional medical practices.

 

[Schmoe]

WOW. Talk about timing. I go to a chiro regulary as I have degenerative disc disease. He did an evaluation 4 years ago that included xrays. These past couple of weeks, my neck has been killing me. He'd make adjustments and I'd be OK for a couple of days, but it just kept nagging. So, he did another evaluation on Monday with xrays. He pulled out the old xrays and we compared them. Geesh, you'd think I ate superglue or something. C6-C7 are now fused and that's whats causing the neck pain. He asked to let him to treatments for about 3 weeks, 2 times a week and if he can't get it better, he'll send me out for a MRI. He said that the neck problem resulted in an injury or some other tramatic episode. No. Nothing like that has happened to me. The best thing I can think of is sex, drugs, and rock n roll. All those years playing drums and "head banging" caught up with me I reckon. I've also had some major stress lately with the wife getting laid off and then being recently diagnosed with breast cancer. So anyway, I've about met my castrophic limit under Blue Cross, so from this point on, money isn't a problem. I am absolutely terrified about having some sort of neck surgery, but this pain is a royal, nagging, wakes you up at night, pain. If he can't "fix" it and the problem is just going to get worse as time rolls on, should I maybe go see a surgeon? Lot's of nerves in that area of the neck and don't want to be waken up paralyzed or something to that effect. What would ya'll do???

 

[d00df00d]

I'd go to a real doctor.

 

[Footpounds]

x2 REAL doctor for me too.

 

[Schmoe]

I don't know why people say the chiro's are not "real" doctors. They go to medical school like everyone else. A "real" doctor that manipulates spines is a D.O. They do the exact same thing as a chiro, except they have a M.D. next to their name and they can prescribe medication, chiro's can't.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
What would ya'll do???


Good question as you get over 50-55. Before that you're fully confident with odds.

I too have this debate before me with my herniated disc. Do I go with the steroid shots and have a never ending story of recurring dysfunction ..or take the (good) odds of what's behind door #3 with surgery? Even low percentages are 100% when you're it.

I share your anxiety over this.

I don't think I would be satisfied with some "managed dysfunction" if there are alternatives available that could restore somewhat full function ..and I'd hate to have fear as a guide in the choosing.

I'm really getting tired of too many "cross roads" of critical decisions that keep popping up. Health, economic/investment, employment ..etc..etc. There seems to be a higher incidence of limited choices were one has to weigh things carefully and it involves gambling. The floor keeps moving underneath me.

 

[ryan2022]

Gray, I know the feeling.

Its hard to make educated descisions these days. Heck, even the health pro's cant.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
I don't know why people say the chiro's are not "real" doctors. They go to medical school like everyone else. A "real" doctor that manipulates spines is a D.O. They do the exact same thing as a chiro, except they have a M.D. next to their name and they can prescribe medication, chiro's can't.

A "real" doctor is one whose practice is based on current robust science and subject to extensive regulation as such. Chiropractic is not. That's why MDs can prescribe medicine and perform surgery, for example, whereas chiropractors cannot.

MDs and Chiropractors certainly do not get their degrees from the same schools. Some of the basic topics are shared but that's about it.

 

[Schmoe]

AMA lobbyist???? I don't believe that just because they are not "M.D.'s", they are not qualified to treat. They too go to school, not just a bachelor's degree in biology or something like that. I also believe the "real" doctors are exactly why our health care problems are so massive. I don't simply agree with them on a lot of issues whereas they just throw pills at you. You see three doctors, you'll get three prognosis. Not an exact science. At least with chiro's, they don't operate or throw drugs at you. They advocate better living and exercise along with manipulations. I've seen what they've done for my wife when she was in an accident ten years ago. Fact, I just got back from the chiro visit about an hour ago. Neck pain is gone. They did some electro-muscle stimulation and simple traction. If I start off with an orthopedic surgeon....it would be either MRI or Cat Scan, operate then drugs to allieviate swelling, pain, etc. etc. then come back and see him in about two weeks.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Chiropractors are subject to a great deal of misinformation and outright propaganda by many. This includes "real" Doctors.

They are extensively educated and can be extremely helpful. Their treatment generally carries a holistic undercurrent and most are very up to date with alternative medical treatments.

The basic premise of their treatment is undeniable: cut off nerve energy and whatever is connected to that nerve will wither and atrophy.

I wouldn't try to treat my allergies or high blood pressure there but I would go in a minute if my back or neck hurt!

 

[Schmoe]

Now, there is a need for doctors other than the chiro stuff, I believe that.

 

[kb01]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
I don't know why people say the chiro's are not "real" doctors. They go to medical school like everyone else. A "real" doctor that manipulates spines is a D.O. They do the exact same thing as a chiro, except they have a M.D. next to their name and they can prescribe medication, chiro's can't.


Your description doesn't make much sense. A DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) would have DO after his or her name and not MD. Both DOs and MDs are types of medical doctors but they have different licensing and somewhat different outlooks towards medicine/patients. In practice, medical school for a MD and DO is virtually the same and OMM is only a small part of a DO's training. If your family doctor is a DO (which is very common), there's probably a 0% chance that he or she would do any manipulation that even slightly resembles what you'd get at a chiropractor's office.

A DO is significantly different than a chiropractor and it's much more than just writing prescriptions.

 

[kb01]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
They advocate better living and exercise along with manipulations.


A MD or DO should be doing exactly the same thing (sans the manipulation). If you go to your family doctor and she recommends pain pills and not going after the underlying condition, I'd highly recommend finding another doctor.

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
They did some electro-muscle stimulation and simple traction. If I start off with an orthopedic surgeon....it would be either MRI or Cat Scan, operate then drugs to allieviate swelling, pain, etc. etc. then come back and see him in about two weeks.


Based on my experience, when you go to your family physician with back or neck pain, they first recommend X-Rays to see how serious the issue is. Based on the severity of symptoms and the results of the X-Ray, an MRI might be recommended (it was in my case).

After that, I got referred to a spinal specialist (not a surgeon) and then physical therapy. The physical therapy was pretty much what you described -- mechanical traction, electrical stimulation, and lots of exercise.

Surgery and narcotics are a complete last resort. I did have a consultation with a neurosurgeon (who was supposedly one of the best on the east coast) and he recommended against surgery because of my age.

 

[Pesca]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
If he can't "fix" it and the problem is just going to get worse as time rolls on, should I maybe go see a surgeon? Lot's of nerves in that area of the neck and don't want to be waken up paralyzed or something to that effect. What would ya'll do???


That is where you will know if you have a good chiro: A good one will know he reached his limit trying to help you and will send you see a "real" doctor. A bad one will try to extend his use.


d00df00d, I believe we are more interested in Good doctors than in Real ones. I know a lot of "real" doctors that are not really good and I will avoid them by any means.

Like I said previously, I never believed in these types of practices until I could not endure a pain in my elbow. Following the recommendations of my wife, a little bit against my will, I went to see a chiro and then a physiotherapist. They solve the problem... for a while (but they did a good work nonetheless).
Then we met our current chiro (she was the scout chief of the two oldest children), and following the first not-that-bad experience, I decided to try again... and what a success.
Depending of what I complain about, she can either work on realigning the bones, work on the muscles (acupression), or the ligaments. She also teaches me some exercises to do in case the pain comes back, and try to educate me on a better way to sleep, sit, etc... That is a complete work, it is not just about pops and clungs.

But until you met someone like her, I can understand you have your reservation about those "non real" doctors.

 

[Schmoe]

Well, the DO I'm referring about is limited to my experience here. He does just about the same thing as the chiro does, but more. The DO is currently working with my daughter whom has a slight bend in her spine and complains of back pains already at age 6. I'm quite sure a chiro can do the same thing, but momma wants the best for her little angel....if you know what I mean.....it's also a 40 mile one way commute to see him whereas there are good chiro's in my town....but.......

 

[SteveSRT8]

In ANY area of medical practice there are good ones and bad ones.

Lucky you, you got a good one.

I have seen so many friends suffer in agony before during and after back surgeries that I regard it as nearly quackery.

And it was performed by an MD!