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It's like any other profession: there are some excellent chiropractors, some awful ones, and everything in between.

Chiropractic was preceded by one of the branches of Chinese Medicine- Tui Na, practiced for thousands of years in China. Tui Na includes soft tissue manipulations (we call that massage therapy) and joint manipulations (we call that chiropractic).

It sounds like chiropractic did not work for you, but you found some different things that do work by listening to your body. I know many people who swear by chiropractic, and could not live their lives without it, and some people who were hurt, like you were. Maligning the entire profession isn't cool. For instance, just because I came across a bad bookkeeper, I don't dismiss the entire profession.

The best things for your health are diet and exercise. Get vaccinated and don't smoke. Education remains the best predictor of longevity. For most of what goes wrong in life, there isn't much to be done, no matter how much you spend. People have problems, and quacks of all kinds sell interventions that don't really help. I don't dismiss medicine entirely, nor even chiropractic, but 90% of your health depends on (a) your own behavior, (b) genetic factors outside anyone's control, and (c) dumb luck. There is little or no correlation between how much you spend and what benefit (if any) you get, in fact above a certain point there is probably a negative return on investment.

I used to crack my neck because it was so uncomfortable. Regular doctor couldn't help me so I tried out a chiropractor. He adjusted my neck, and it helped me out SO much. I think they could be quacks, but some are great.

There are some excellent chiropractors that know their "art", I have found advanced Activator chiropractors very helpful, no bone cracking. One can check out the Activator technique by searching for their site.

Indiana Jones says

It's like any other profession: there are some excellent chiropractors, some awful ones, and everything in between.

Yup.

I've been to chiropractors who refused to treat me until I was cleared medically. I've also been to one who billed my insurance for "supplements" I never received. There's good & bad.

Go to: chirotalk

They are a group of ex-chiropractors who warn people from going to, or becoming chiropractors.

Depends upon if the "happy ending" is included as part of the massage.

Michael Cooke says

quacks practicing pseudoscience

In other words, they'll soon be mandatory. Can they operate a C-T scanner and call it "preventive care"?

If you want to know what quackery is, just look at western medicine as a whole. Western medicine is all about cutting and precriptions.

I had two surgeons tell me I needed surgery for a herniated disk in my neck (C4/C5). I had an MRI done and took it to a chiropractor. I had tingling in my fingers and I couldn't turn my neck. Two visits per week for a month and a half. This chiropractor saved my financial life.

So who is the quack? The surgeons or the chiropractor?

My dad had a quadrouple bypass 30 years ago and is still alive, his angina disappeared.

Which part of the body do you crack to arrest heart disease?

Any "Medical Procedure" developed by a Green Grocer from Iowa after getting a massage from his wife and feeling better is suspect.

When I was in my early 20's I was leaving a Home Depot, and at the door, there was a Backquack at the exit, doing impromptu screenings.
He had this portable device with what looked like a barcode scanner, with a long coiled cord connected to a relatively small grey unit with a small crude monochrome monitor on it. It had the size shape and look of a portable clothes steamer. I agreed and he ran the wand down my spine starting from my neck. Then the unit displayed a crude skeleton sketch of a spine (in graphical terms not an actual representation of my spine).
He then showed me in the neck region a few vertibrates in my neck region that were bent twisted and croocked. He told me he was supprised I could even walk. I told him, I've never had a problem and felt fine.
He then proceeds to dig his fingers into the back of my neck, asking me, "how about now, can you feel that?". I told him no, to which he just used more force, "how about now?". Finally a sharp pain shot down my arm and my neck was throbbing. "Ow! Yes damn it, I felt that!"
He then gave me his card and told me to call him for a visit.

I left the pain stopped, I tossed his card, and I never thought about it again until about a week or so latter. My neck was kinked, and I had a sharp pain down my right arm for three years after that. It was the main reason I got out of the Flooring business. I was rendered a manual labor invalid.

I could only sleep on my left side.
Finally after about three years the pain finally went away on its own. And I've never had a problem since.

If I ever see that guy again, I'll take a Gallagher hammer to his Quack-o-meeter.

Chiropractors are Quacks, they take bad backs and make them worse, while trying to convince you they are helping.

Forget my opinion. Go to: www. chirotalk This is a website of EX chiropractors who expose the whole chiro scam.

As it happens, I voted against (that is to say, did not vote for) one of the candidates for District Director of Health Care last week for being a chiropractor. Call it a prejudice if you must.

Here's what I notice about everyone I know who goes to a chiropractor. They are never cured. They often talk about how great they think their chiropractor is, but invariably, after a few weeks, they have to go back. Seems almost like an addiction.

There is obviously a huge disparity on this forum with strong opinions on chiropractic care. It seems that each individuals' opinion reflects their experience at a chiropractors office.

Personally, I have had great success, and never had to go back for treatment more than 2 times for an injury.

I like this explanation of the history of chiropractic care.

cvos says

Personally, I have had great success, and never had to go back for treatment more than 2 times for an injury

How many times have you seen a chiropractor in your life?

robertoaribas says

it is total quackery...

Get a massage, and start stretching, eating better.

100% agree.

They are probably the biggest quacks in the medical field.

@homeboy 3 different times, about 3 years between each.

I have no personal experiences because my grandfather, the orthopedic surgeon, always warned me against them--"chiropractors break people and we have to fix them."

My good friend is a chiro. I don't believe half the stuff he says. He intimates chiro can cure all sorts of things...in theory like colds and vertigo. But I don't believe it, and he doesn't really know how to make it happen anyway. It's all theoretical.

That being said, I think a chiro can help alleviate pain temporarily for people with spinal misalignments. Or if you have something out of alignment that's minor, they can put it back. But with stretching and time it would probably go back anyway. Anything seriously wrong with your back, it's just temporarily relief.

I agree with the sentiment that there are good chiropractors out there, but many (most?) in the field are charlatans and quacks.

I saw a chiro once, he gave me an obvious baffle-em-with-BS answer to specific questions. My sister once ended up at a chiro over lower back pain; he did an adjustment but the pain remained because the underlying cause was a UTI. This one also gave a lengthy, irrelevant, and flat-out WRONG explanation.

To the carpenter who is ONLY a carpenter, the entire world is made of wood (and every tool is a hammer.)

If someone has a predisposition to a particular ideology or method of treatment then it is likely they will have success or failure depending on their belief.

Thus if you are rigidly skeptical of chiropractic, it is unlikely you will see benefit from it and you should seek treatment elsewhere.

If you believe in chiropractic medicine, it will likely work wonders for your pain.

There are some good astrologers and some bad ones (but of course astrology is complete nonsense regardless)

New comment by robertoaribas in What's your opinion Chiropractors?:

"chiropractic and astrology are roughly the same in terms of their science basis...

The most recent, large scale, scientific study done, showed that pins stuck randomly into you was 90% as effective as when the chiro puts them in the right place... The newspapers ran with it as, "chiro is so effective, it doesn't matter where you put the pins..." horseshit!

[for the scientifically illiterate, it is kind of hard to perform a true double blind study of chiropractic care; people tend to notice things like pins being stuck into their body, and hence the placebo effect is impossible to eliminate]

Ok, so do you want 90% of the effectivity of chiropractic for pennies on the dollar? go buy some needles and sterile swabs at your local Walgreens, and have a friend stick you wherever the f**k he/she wants to... bingo 90% as effective, and it will cost you $5 for a years worth of treatment!"

Er.....I do believe you are speaking about acupuncture, and this topic is about chiropractic. Two totally different modalities. Needles vs. cracking.

Although, since you mention it, Acupuncture has been around for over 3000 years. How do you explain this medicine's longetivity? (Western Medicine has been around for roughly 500 years, and modern medicine since the 19th century)

@indiana

"The most recent, large scale, scientific study done, showed that pins stuck randomly into you was 90% as effective as when the chiro puts them in the right place"

I would love to see the link for this study.

Indiana Jones says

Acupuncture has been around for over 3000 years. How do you explain this medicine's longetivity?

Astrology and faith healing have been around even longer.

OTOH, some customers of modern medicine might not be around much longer:

What's new is that CT is being marketed as a preventive or proactive health care measure to healthy individuals who have no symptoms of disease [but there are] No Proven Benefits for Healthy People

Beware of anyone trying to sell you stuff, especially if they try to make it mandatory. The harder they try to sell it, the more likely it serves their interest but not yours.

My chiropractor spared me from choosing between enduring on pain killers or spine surgery in my neck, like Elliemae's experience, my chiropractor only started his work after medical clearance.

Astrology is not a medicine.

Faith Healing is religious.

Acupuncture and chiropractic do not need the individual to believe in them for the treatment to work. Nor does the medicines need validation from western medicine.

The fact that these modalities still exist, that people obtain relief and feel better, is proof they work, at least for part of the population. Especially in light of the fact that both professions have in the past been viciously attacked by the AMA. Chiropractors and acupuncturists thrown in jail for practicing "without a license", (as if pharmaceutical drugs and cutting people up are the only treatments that constitute "medicine"). Attacks continue today, although more subtle. Take their trying to shut down supplements and herbal products.

I think Chiropractic works for some people. However for others like me, it totally does not. Back quacks don't explain this. Instead they present it as a one size fits all solution. Even though everyone has different kinetics. By the way; Kinetics are another field of study rarely taken into account by back quacks.

I also don't see any medical proof or science behind Chiropractors claims. At best they show the "best examples" using X-ray photos which they credit to back snapping. But I think the healing comes from:

1) The Placebo Effect
2) Cracking your neck or spine which causes some kind of self correction body response/effect in a large amount of people.

If you combine the two reasons above it's easy to see why people are "healed".

The quacks also don't focus on the muscles as being the source of the problems. Just the joints. So they treat the symptoms instead of the root cause which is the muscle(s).

Back quacks also have no business claiming Chiropractic cures all these other things (stomach pains, stress, etc) when there is no proof. I think these might have something to do with Chi. Some kind of side effect from the bodies self correcting mechanism after being cracked.

In any case I think they just want your money. You will notice how they want you to take pain pills (which mask the pain and can make things worse in the long run) and "bed rest" with "some walking" etc.

This is because they just want your money. They want to keep you a "patient" for a certain amount of time before you are "healed". Taking matters into your own hands means less money for these charlatans.

I thought chiropractic was quackery till I tried it. And the only reason I tried it was because traditonal medicine only offered meds to deal with the pain or else surgery near the spine in the neck. Nothing to lose by trying the chiropractic.

The interaction with my chiropractor was clinical as with the physicians. It seemed to me like he was performing physical therapy. Perhaps I could have got the same result with a physical therapist, but it did not occur to me at the time, and the docs did not suggest it.

Check out QUACKWATCH

Indiana Jones says

The fact that these modalities still exist, that people obtain relief and feel better, is proof they work, at least for part of the population.

Actually, no. The only way to actually PROVE that a given medical treatment works is to do a valid double-blind scientific study.

I think most chiropractors are well-meaning folks who truly believe in the wonders of their chosen profession. To me a quack is one who knowingly deceits people for profit. I also think some treatments to work while some don't. Some treatments don't do much, while some cause harm.

B.A.C.A.H. says

traditonal medicine only offered meds to deal with the pain or else surgery near the spine in the neck. Nothing to lose by trying the chiropractic.

The interaction with my chiropractor was clinical as with the physicians. t it

It sounds like you had a good experience, who did you go to?

B.A.C.A.H. says

traditonal medicine only offered meds to deal with the pain or else surgery near the spine in the neck. Nothing to lose by trying the chiropractic.

What happens when you keep snapping a rubber band?

This to the MD's who bash chiropractic.
I am tired of hearing you call us quacks. Although I regret becoming a chiropractor due to the struggles that we go through getting decent insurance reimbursement, considered alternative, and people like yourselves that bash our profession - I still think it is a very good healing art. There are some bad apples in our profession as there are in yours. By stereotyping you show your ignorance. I myself realize the ridiculousness of attributing all causes of disease to misalignments in the spine, although you as an MD will have to agree that distortions to spinal nerves can affect conditions other than just causing back pain such as paresthesias and other things - as published in your own medical journals. Also many chiropractors work with nutrition and natural healing methods, a thing that most MD's gave up long ago due to the corrupt influence of the pharmaceutical industry. What ever happened to - you are what you eat, an apple a day, a teaspoon of cod liver oil ? Have you guys sold your soul to the devil or something. The pharmaceutical industry is like witches and warlocks conjuring up evil potions that merely treat symptoms with all kinds of horrible side effects. It is the body that heals itself, not your medicines. God gave us what we needed on this planet for healing, however the distortion of nature to make medicines fueled by the root of all evil (money and the pharmaceutical industry has merely played on the weaknesses of peoples lack of discipline to eat right, exercise, etc. Or is it still more sinister than that - yes I think it is. Since birth we are inundated with television commercials promoting medicine for each and every possible symptom. Symptoms are warning signs from the body that something is wrong. Don't cover them up thinking you have fixed the problem. C'mon, take your head out of your asses MD's. If you paid attention in school, you know that medicine is hard on the liver, and our bodies can only take so much, then the kidneys go, etc, etc. Whatever happened to your hippocratic oath "first do no harm" oh, I know, you thought it meant to be hypocrites. I myself come from a country where the average life expectancy is in the 90's, most people never get sick, and live long healthy lives - a country where so called alternative medicine and the medical field work together to achieve the best results possible. Here our healthcare system is a disgrace, and is money driven instead of results driven. There is a place for medicine, but not as a first line. Benefits should outweigh the risks, and if there is a safer more natural way, then that should be explored first. The trouble is that you are not educated in these areas ever since the money grubbing big pharma took over. In conclusion, I think it is many (not all) the MD's in this country that are the quacks working like legalized drug pushers using potions and concoctions made by satan and his minions. What a wonder that the medical symbol is a snake. Just like Satan, you give something to entice (treatment of symptoms) for the weak and unsuspecting victims to enjoy, but it is full of horrible side effects. The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.5) I honestly don't know how you can sleep at night. I will pray for you all, and your victims.

Dr. Paul, you sound like a quack. If I got syphilis, I would go get some penicillin, not some fucking ground up herbs or apples or whatever nonsense you guys are peddling. And if my appendix blows up, I'm gonna have a real doctor cut it out of me, not go meditate on a mountain and hope my body "heals itself".

Earlier this year I read a Stanford magazine article about John Ioannidis's study of medical studies. According to his research, about 40% of medical studies are biased and therefore are not true. That means that medical doctors of all professions are working with about 60% correct information. I would say that it's about right.

I've gone to three chiropractors over 15 years. 2 were pretty bad and one is great. Yes, for certain problems and injuries he is ineffective, but for some he can really help. It's important to recognize the limitations of the provider.

Good diet, mild stretching, tai chi, walking or similar exercises are essential to good orthopedic health.

treatmentreport says

Earlier this year I read a Stanford magazine article about John Ioannidis's study of medical studies. According to his research, about 40% of medical studies are biased and therefore are not true. That means that medical doctors of all professions are working with about 60% correct information. I would say that it's about right.

Researchers generally try to duplicate findings in multiple studies. This corrects for mistakes. If a study finds a particular result, but that result cannot be duplicated, then it tends to cast doubt on the study. You build up a body of evidence, and when that body of evidence is large enough, you can be fairly certain of your conclusions.

You can criticize the scientific method if you like, but what is the alternative? Just guessing? Blind faith? Science is the most reliable method we have of discovering the truth. Even if it were only 60% reliable (which is false, of course), it still would be better than 0% reliable. People who believe in nonsense "alternative" medicine fear the scientific method, because deep down they know their beliefs won't stand up to scrutiny.

Stretching does nothing and can actually be harmful. Waste of time.

Diet and exercise? Of course it's beneficial. You don't need any b.s. "alternative" sources to learn that. ANY doctor will tell you that.