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I just lay on the floor and soon my kids start crawling, walking, and jumping on my back. Occasionally their attacks are too enthusiastic, but generally it makes my back feel better.

If the chiropractor intends to limit treatment to a short period of time and doesn't go into any woo, they're probably fine.  Subluxation completely baseless to begin with.  The Skeptic's Guide to The Universe had a pretty decent interview with a "reform chiropractor" and their forum usually has some good discussion.

Next time ask yourself if you want to let someone manipulate, or even near, your spine (your spine!) who also believes they can cure cancer and any other ailment.

I'd stick with a physical therapist.

Or in this case go with your anecdote, the back massager did more, is cheaper, and won't try to sell you herbs.

I would go to a different chiropractor.  I've been going to one for about 4 years, on and off.  I originally went in for issues I was having with migraines, somebody suggested I go to a chiropractor and I since I was having no luck anywhere else, I figured I would try it.  He was able to help me, and also fixed a couple of issues with my wrist.

I've never come across any of that weird showmanship and pressure you described from your chiropractor.  Also, my adjustments usually take around a half hour, he works on my spine by feel, no magic lights like you said.

Chiropractors are definitely not for everyone, but I would give another one a shot before you write them off all together.  I feel better all around when I am seeing mine.

I use to go to a chiropractor who was a nutritionist, and knew kinesiology.  I learned so much from him.  He spent anywhere between 5 min and 45 min with me depending on what was wrong.  He told me about foods I should and shouldn't eat and why.  Most of the time I felt great after seeing him.  The way he put it was to stop eating such and such take a vitamin and come back in 3 days if I still had problems.  He became a very good friend of mine.  He was later killed in a car accident and I haven't felt the same since   though I do still practice what he has taught me.

Find a different chiropractor.  What you told me sounds kind of like a scam.  I have never heard of a chiropractor asking for a years worth of treatments in advance and it just smells bad.  Your wife may only need a month or two of treatments, but they won't know, or care as they have your money already.  So it may be a good idea, just a matter of finding the right one.

Good luck, and don't go back to that guy

I think the problem with saying "You can't cure cancer, just fix my wife's back" is that it's like going to a psychic and saying "My cousin Joe just died in a boating accident" and being amazed when they tell ask if the letter J has anything to do with water.

It'll put them on guard not to be too blatant with the woo, and to follow the more subtle tactics of pushing "alternative medicine".

And sure the body is great at healing itself, but does that mean it can cure everything without any help from medication?  There are some areas where medicine will be vital to a recovery and there will be naturopaths, etc. who will say they are unnecessary and just infringe on the body's natural healing.


thelegendofjohn has a pretty typical story as well.  I don't intend to pick on you or anything, but there's one line that specifically stands out.  "...and since I was having no luck anywhere else, I figured I would try it."  I'd ask what else you had tried so far.  Had you tried conventional MDs?  What was it the chiropractor did that you associate with curing the migraines?  What else did the chiropractor do before reaching success?  Again, I'm mostly just curious to hear what exactly you found effective.


From the research I've done it doesn't seem that chiropractors offer anything of substance that you won't find from a medical doctor and what they do offer that is different is questionable efficacy and without the scientific research to back it up.

My wife's doctor basically said to wait for it to fix itself.  She's been taking Tylenol almost nightly for 8 months as she waits for the pain to go away.  Massages to the affected area helped, so we figured that chiropractic treatment would be a more "permanent" fix.

jeff-o wrote:

My wife's doctor basically said to wait for it to fix itself.  She's been taking Tylenol almost nightly for 8 months as she waits for the pain to go away.  Massages to the affected area helped, so we figured that chiropractic treatment would be a more "permanent" fix.

I wouldn't suggest against getting a second opinion if you've only been given the "wait" line and he won't take another look.

Keep in mind that any chiropractor that wants you to keep going back for treatment for a year and more, probably isn't going to provide a "permanent" fix.

Fracai wrote:

Keep in mind that any chiropractor that wants you to keep going back for treatment for a year and more, probably isn't going to provide a "permanent" fix.

That's what we're thinking - they claim that it takes time for the new position to set, which I can understand.  But, why sign everyone up for a year?  Surely every person is different, shouldn't the time be different too?  I don't want to pay for a year if it should only take six months.  It's just so hard to trust anything they say.

Don't bother with chiropractic.

I wasted way too much money over 4 different chiropractors in two years. I've been seeing a physiotherapist on and off again for a few months and I feel better than I ever did seeing a chiro.

My dad has been seeing an Acupuncturist for his back.

My Ex never got over the back pain following her epidural with rugrat2
I think the anesthesiologist hit the nerve

Epidural FAQ wrote:

- Persistent, chronic backache is significantly greater among women who have epidurals during labor (MacArthur et al, "British Medical Journal" 301:9-12 [1990]).

http://www.fensende.com/~swnymph/Epidural.html#stories
scroll down about 1/3 page

try Aleve

massage therapy, maybe

I might add I'm not trying to say it was a miracle cure or anything like that but a few conventional MD's had no success and the chiropractor had noticeable success after a few visits.