Why Aren't Chiropractors Taken Seriously As Doctors?

Because they're so limited in their scope.

Why Aren't Chiropractors Taken Seriously As Doctors?

Credentialed "Doctors" have MD's.

Lack of training/education

The medical community were threatened by their care. They launched a campaign against them in the '70's claiming they were quacks.

Yeah, how do they get away calling themselves doctors? Ought to be a law!

They are quacks!

Because they're not doctors. It's like asking why isn't my accountant referred to as a doctor.

I have had better results from various chiropractors over the years than "medical" doctors. They truly can heal an individual. As opposed to unnecessary tests and meds. Have you ever tried chiropractic??

[quote] Credentialed "Doctors" have MD's.

And what are DOs?

I've been to both physical therapists and a chiropractor. The first physical therapist helped me a lot - while warning against the 'evils' of chiropractic care. Interestingly enough, one of his aides whispered to me that much of what they do in physical therapy is similar to what chiropractics do. A couple of years later, i had issues again and went to a new physical therapist - who spent six weeks working on me and did absolutely nothing for me. I got no better. I then turned to a chiropractor down the street and found the treatment to be about 80% the same as the physical therapist and he helped me just as good as the first therapist did. I've gone to him off and on ever since. So, there are good and bad in both fields, but both can serve a purpose in helping people.

I went to various chiros in my 20s. None of them helped at all. A few session with a physiotherapist and I could feel the difference. I should have looked into before I handed my money over. Quacks.

A lot of people are badly mistaken in thinking that chiropractors are the medical doctors for the specialty of spinal conditions. Chiropractors are not medical doctors. They are only slightly ahead of homeopaths., but in practice they are worse than witch doctors. Their procedures have caused many back and neck injuries. They should be outlawed.

Everyone I know who has gone to a chiro has had their acute problem turn chronic. Gotta keep themselves in business.

DOs are doctors. Their training is about the same. As MDs. That is 4 years of med school and an internship and residencies for specialties. Exams for medical specialty boards. Not like 1 yr of chiropractic school.

I've had good luck with a chiropractor when a physical therapist couldn't get my sore back well but I wouldn't use them as a first resort.

If you do go to a chiropractor, be sure he limits himself to musculoskeletal conditions and doesn't try to diagnose or prescribe for other conditions.

Chiropractors also can cause harm to patients by ordering unnecessary xrays. I remember a study from about ten years ago on chiropractors and it was insane how chiropractors were needlessly exposing folks to radiation. Chiropractors were also trying to treat a host of medical conditions, far out the range of their clinical skills.

Chiropractor is based on a belief that spinal misalignment is responsible for illness, and is so far removed from modern medical practice...they are similar to homeopaths, with their theories about dilution.

I have been doing chiropractic adjustments for over 20 years. It got me through my professional dancing years and many other injuries. Their approach is to treat the body in a way that physicians do not. They are healers. The good ones know what's wrong with your body. It has worked for me. Most naysayers have never even tried chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractors are akin to phrenologists. They are in the business to make money, not cure illnesses.

I agree with most of these posts- if you want to be called "Doctor" - then complete four years of college, four years of medical school, possibly an internship, three or more years of residency and then a fellowship if you want a specialty. A chiropractor is simply not a doctor.

I have been able to walk, dance, move freely because of their treatment . One needs to find a good chiropractor.

Agree with r12. They're quacks. Utterly useless.

It's cheaper, safer, and as effective to take a sugar pill instead of paying a chiropractor to fuck up your neck and spine.

Under Social Security regulations for disability, they are not considered "medically acceptable sources".

If your insurance doesn't cover a chiropractor, see if they cover DOs. They can do the same thing, but mine was covered by insurance just like a primary care physician.

I agree with r23. They're the equivalent of a walking talking placebo.

Because, OP, you can be a high school dropout, get your GED, take a handful of pre-requisites science classes at a community college, and as long as you have a pulse and can get a mountain of student loans, you'll be able to get into a chiropractic school. The founder of chiropractic was a known charlatan and snake oil salesman. He came up with the crackpot idea of "subluxations", which have no scientific basis.

An MD, on the other hand, has to have a four year undergrad degree, bust their ass on the MCAT, and compete with 1000s of other candidates for US med school acceptance. After 4 years of med school, they have 2 to 3 years of residency and then possible specialization.

As others have said, this is a silly question.

Chiropractors are quacks. Medical professionals don't respect them because they aren't a real medical professional. Physical therapists get real, scientific training. Chiropractors don't.

A chiropractor saved my life. No shit.

And comparing them to an MD is absurd which is I used a PT comparison. A chiropractor is in no way, shape or form a physician. I don't know why you are even comparing them OP.

medicare pays for chiropractors. the logic probably is that even if it's a placebo, people who think it's helping will not opt for expensive and often ineffective back surgery

Chiropractors are the Scientology of health care.

r32 well said.

r10 that probably has more to do with the lack of regulation of the health care industry generally, and doctors specifically, than it does with the success of chiropractic care.

Can Chiropractors write scripts for opiods?

[quote] If your insurance doesn't cover a chiropractor, see if they cover DOs. They can do the same thing, but mine was covered by insurance just like a primary care physician.

All insurance covers DOs.

Chiro is who you run up bogus bills with when you're trying to scam some money from the insurance after a fender bender.

[quote] If your insurance doesn't cover a chiropractor, see if they cover DOs. They can do the same thing, but mine was covered by insurance just like a primary care physician.

DOs = MDs

DOs can be general practitioners, psychiatrists, etc. What are you referring to?

Chiropractors aren't taken seriously as doctors because they're NOT doctors. So there's that. What was the question again?

Can we call masseurs doctors now, too?

I've never been to a chiropractor. I live in part of the country where they are very popular so I have friends who go frequently. I understand the appeal. They spend more time with you than an MD. They also will check what your insurance will pay before determining a treatment plan.

That said I also don't use an MD for my primary medical care. I go to a physician's assistant. I trust her to bring in an MD if necessary. If you're lucky enough to have a MD who spends time with you - great. But stats verify the vast majority just can't.

i agree with R37 DOs aren't just like a primary care physician. They can be primary care physicians, unless that isn't their specialty.

For the record not all doctors are MDs. Chiropractors have and a Doctor of Chiropractic. There are physical therapist who are Doctors of Physical Therapy. If you have ever been to college I'm sure you run into more than one professor who insisted he/she be referred to as Doctor.

It would be like calling a high school guidance counselor the head of psychiatry. Or calling the person who teaches underwater basket-weaving a Doctor because it's a college-level course that he's instructing.

Quack! Quack!

Thank god they exist . My husband had severe back problems and only a chiropractor kept him working !

[quote]Credentialed "Doctors" have MD's.

Wow you're so wrong. PHDs are "doctors," Chiropractors are "doctors," Podiatrists are "doctors," Veterinarians are "doctors," even a dentist can properly be called a "doctor." The term is wide open.

What you mean is medical physician. In the US and Canada, physicians have an MD or a DO. To complicate matters, in the rest of the world (most of it anyway) Osteopaths are not medical doctors. This is why they call themselves Osteopathic Physician in the US and Canada, because the training for an DO is pretty much, if not identical to an MD. Elsewhere Osteopaths have very different training and schooling, somewhat, but not exactly analogous to Chiropractic.

There is a very big difference between a Doctor (MD) and a PhD. You can get a PhD in just about anything, some requiring high levels of academic rigor, and some completely useless BS. The way I think of it is: BS-we all know what that means; MS-More of the Same; PhD-Piled Higher and Deeper.

Crummy chiropractors are a dime a dozen, but there are some really great chiropractors out there that are miracle workers. You can't lump them all together.

I first saw a chiropractor when I had an ongoing problem with my neck. My M.D. was prescribing pain pills and muscle relaxers, neither of which got to the source of the problem. When I called my friend who subbed for me at work, he suggested I see his chiropractor friend. After the guy worked on my neck until it loosened up and stopped hurting, he invited me into his office where he asked me what I had done at work the day before. Funny thing, my M.D. never asked that and following his lead, I never asked myself either. I had a work task every month that was causing a repetitive injury but I was able to work out a schedule so I could keep that from happening again.

Now I know to always ask why something hurts. Oddly enough, then I didn't know enough to ask.

A good chiropractor is extremely valuable. I have an old whiplash injury and a problem with one of my hips and I've gone to chiropractors to treat those old injuries. I don't want to take pills and I don't want surgery, neither of which is effective solution. That's whatl M.D.s do, prescribe or operate. A simple chiropractic adjustment and I'm good for several months or years.

D.O.s fit somewhere in the range between chiropractors and M.D.s. At my request, my current PCP is a D.O. Although my HMO doesn't cover adjustments, I'm perfectly willing to pay for those treatments on my own. She's not gougy and doesn't overcharge. She doesn't prescribe unless it's absolutely necessary, which I appreciate.

DOs are WAY closer to MDs than to chiropractors on the professional spectrum, r47.

DOs ARE physicians, just like MDs. They get the exact same license to practice medicine as MDs get.

[quote]D.O.s fit somewhere in the range between chiropractors and M.D.s.

Oi!

I went to one in the 90s, I really had my doubts but he was a former X-ray tech at my hospital so everyone was like "oh you HAVE to see Desi for your neck pain." So I went and after one visit he says I need to come back 2-3 times a week for the next 12 weeks. I immediately smelled a racket. Turns out he caused a neck injury for one of the nurses' husband, I think he's out of business now. And he took an awful lot of X-rays, that I remember. Seemed excessive.

[quote]medicare pays for chiropractors. the logic probably is that even if it's a placebo, people who think it's helping will not opt for expensive and often ineffective back surgery

R31, I work in Medicare programs. Medicare only covers spinal manipulation billed by a chiropractor. In fact, only three CPT codes, and even then, they must be billed with specific diagnosis codes to be covered. It's appalling to me when I'm processing claims how chiropractors will submit dozens of claims for months on end, billing office visits, X-rays, physical therapy codes and various orthotic devices, knowing full well that Medicare is going to deny all those other charges, and the member can then be balance-billed for the full amounts. If you plan to see a chiropractor, please do your research and read reviews first, or ask for recommendations from friends who have been satisfied with theirs.

[quote]Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers manual manipulation of the spine if medically necessary to correct a subluxation when provided by a chiropractor or other qualified provider.

[quote]Medicare doesn't cover other services or tests ordered by a chiropractor, including X-rays, massage therapy, and acupuncture. If you think your chiropractor is billing Medicare for services that aren't covered, you can report suspected Medicare fraud.

Chiropractors are just people who wanted to be real doctors but couldn't get into medical school for one reason or another.

That is giving them too much credit r53.

Most people who couldn't get into medical school become dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants etc. Still a real medical professional.

Chiros are not a real medical professional.

R48, I suppose I should have prefaced my statement by saying, "For my purposes…" I keep forgetting DL is a stickler for perfect wording.

For my purposes, D.O.s fit somewhere in the range between chiropractors and M.D.s. They can do the invasive stuff like M.D.s, but they can do adjustments to better their patients' lives without drugs or surgery.

My first AA sponsor was a DO and so was her husband. I was pretty beaten up by the time I got sober, and they put me back together. I can't imagine what kind of condition I would be in now without them.

So maybe you like the idea of them being M.D.s, but I have to admit I love them for being able to do adjustments.

R51, you obviously have not read the stats on how many M.D.s kill their patients every year.

Chiropracty does come from a long line of quakery. The profession is made up of people who could not get into a medical school.

Sure, they may help your back with manipulations, but then there's alot of "you have unresolved issues from your childhood causing this knot in your back" bs.

I usually look for and go to D.O.s but have had to ask for an adjustment if I wanted one. Otherwise they've never mentioned it to me. Like to know if something is physically out of place they could move it back in for a few minutes. Every time I have been to a chiropractor I usually see some religious stuff on their walls along with the charts that link every condition with a spot in the bones that need to be manipulated. Both things require more faith than I've got to believe so for me a person who's been through medical school and leaves the speculation out of the office is more appropriate for my thinking.

They’re the jelly to injury lawyers’ peanut butter.

I've been very selective about the chiropractors I've gone to. I drove a friend to a chiropractic appointment a few years ago and saw first-hand one of those practices that were based on signing suckers for weeks and months of visits. They may as well have put in a converor belt. My friend was from LA and he said that's how all of the chiropractors he knew in LA ran their practices.

Not one of the chiropractors I've gone to has done that or implied they would do such a thing.

Because you become dependent on their care and have to be seen sometimes 3 times a week. They get rich on ruining your body. I went for years, due to significant pain. Sometimes I would be seen twice a day? Yikes! My body is better now after not living at the chiropractor. I needed surgery and that is finally what alleviated some pain.

You people claiming chiropractors have no education are talking out your asses. To get a D.C. you need a BS in science, preferably bioscience (kinseology is preferable) and chiro school is almost 4 years. Like 3.75. It's all intensive anatomy and physiology for the first four terms before you ever move onto adjusting. I know because I looked into it.

As others have said there's good and bad. A good chiropractor says come see me when you need me. A crackpot says come in 3x a week for 6 months. Those you avoid.

R61 true! Although, I'm R60 and my chiropractor won chiropractor of the year here or some title. Not sure how?

[quote]You people claiming chiropractors have no education are talking out your asses.

No, we just know what we are talking about.

That they go to school doesn't mean anything. "Naturopaths" also go to "school" for four years, who cares?

Chiropractors are quacks and the education they receive is not scientifically sound or based on evidence based medicine.

They are not doctors and they are full of shit. They convince "patients" that they must see them once a month or the pain will continue. Which, it does. And would anyway.

My 16 year old was hanging out with a friend and went with them when they went to a chiro appointment. The chiro did some sort of treatment or diagnosis of my kid, all without contacting me, and sent her home with a treatment plan. I contacted the state licensing board and they sent him some sort of 'knock it off' letter. I really question the judgment of a professional who would take a risk like that.

They have no right to call themselves Doctors! How have been allowed to get away with this fraudulent representation is beyond me.

You outta know Dr Oz, you sold you soul and medical degree years ago.

R61, you absolutely DO NOT need a bachelor's degree to get into Chiropractic school. You can just have a high school diploma or GED and take a handful of science pre-requisites at a community college. You don't need to take any standardized exam like the MCAT either. The barrier to entry is extremely low.

The same reason the people selling Proactiv at the mall are not taken seriously as Dermatologists, OP

Because they're chiropractors ... ?

I swear by my chiropractor. Several years ago I had such severe back problems that I couldn't even stand up straight and was hospitalized for 5 days with severe back spasms. After I was released I went to physical therapy for 1 month and was released from the PT's care. About a week after that the spasms returned so I tired chiro. Within the first treatment my pain went from a 9 to a 5. after a week I was down to a 1. And insurance covered my visits. So, you can scoff all you want, but it worked for me. And the poster who said they get into the "it's because you hate your mother" crap-you're full of shit.

Because too many of them don't know their own limitations and don't know when to [italic]not[/italic] treat a patient. I visited one for back pain a few years ago, local, good Yelp reviews, etc., and he didn't recognize that his form of treatment was not indicated for my condition. He took a bad back and made it infinitely worse.

The morning after his "treatment," it took me 20 minutes to get from the bedroom to the bathroom, where I downed enough Advil to at least keep me going long enough to call a doctor. Fortunately, my PCP knew me and was willing to prescribe medication over the phone sight unseen and, equally fortunately, my local pharmacy delivers. I was out of commission for two weeks.

Doctors just want to keep you coming back forever and just treat symptoms.

A good chiropractors sees you a couple times and you are done.

I had a chronic condition that demanded two specialists see me every 3 weeks to "monitor." I dd this for five years.

Then I went to a chiropractor. He said he needed to see me twice a week for 10 weeks. After 4 weeks I was better so we stopped. Every three years or so when I have a flare up, I go back and get it taken care of.

When I think of how those doctors wanted to kept me coming back for years, I get so angry.

I don't know if that's true, R73. I have been seeing my Chiro every month and a half for years.

It takes 8 years; 7 years of education in which they receive their DC degree, and then 1 year training to become a licensed Chiropractor, a DC. I have been to chiropractors on and off for two decades now (mostly off) and it has worked for me. They can't solve every back issue and they are not for everyone.

A lot of this is like complaining that dentists cannot help when you have a cold.

That is true. They cannot.

But when you need a dentist, a doctor cannot help.

Pretty much the same with chiropractic.

Yes, why AREN’T Christophers taken seriously as doctors?

A misaligned spine isn't the source of all our suffering. That being said, I've actually been to chiropractors that were pretty good, and ones that sucked. But they all seem a bit to fond of the title "Doctor". That kinda rubs me the wrong way. And I say this as someone with a doctorate. And I never, ever, expect people to call me "Dr". It's kinda considered uncool, if not inappropriate.

If you have a problem stemming from a misalignment, they’re great.

But I have a problem when they claim they can cure allergies and colds and stuff.

Why aren’t faith healers taken seriously by the AMA?

They are in Egypt

I went to a good chiropractor for a painful hip (nerve pain) after a medical procedure in a hospital. Two sessions on a Tue & a Thur and I was put back into alignment and the pain disappeared. I didn't need meds or surgery or a bunch of visits. I think chiropractic treatments can be a reasonable alternative for non-invasive care.

Lol, op. Chiropractors are for people who never had a serious education - the practitioners and the consumers. Similar to homeopathy.

The ignorance and delusion here are incredible.

Chiropractors aren't faith healers, sometimes they actually do help, but a lot of times the relief is temporary.

Chiropractors are who your attorney sends you to after a car wreck to add up phony bills before you sue the other driver.

"But I have a problem when they claim they can cure allergies and colds and stuff. "

R79, you expect us to believe any chiropractor would make such a claim. Really?

They deal with spinal alignment.

For r86

Number 1 is "weakened immune system"

R86, you are misinformed. Once that chiropractor opens an office, anything can happen. Homeopathy. Aromatherapy. Lots and lots of supplements. All of it may have its place, but none of it is medicine.

I always thought chiropractors were quacks.

A couple of years ago, I injured my knee and ended up needing a knee replacement. After surgery my body was a mess, lower back and shoulder pain. Went to a chiro as a last resort. he saved me. He said my pelvis had become misaligned and I saw him twice a week for about 6 weeks. He never tried to push any other treatment or X-rays on me. I have every good insurance though and I did get the feeling he would have me continue coming forever if I didn't stop on my own.

Just some historical background. Make of it what you will.

I have been to a few chiropractors. I have NEVER heard any of them claim to do anything but align the back. One of them had a massage therapist who worked in his office. But no aromatherapy or homeopathy.

I guess you can find more fringe chiropractors if you want. But I sure has heck never found them.

If you are that freaked out by the possibility of quack chiropractors, why not ask your M.D. to recommend one? I doubt any doctor is going to recommend a chiropractor who does that other stuff.

R86, SOME of them make that claim. Some of them want you to be adjusted weekly. I think that’s bullshit.

But I had a temporary issue with sciatica from being heavily pregnant that was resolved in one visit. I don’t think that’s bullshit. The chiro I visited (with a referral from my OB) was not some New Age wacko. He fixed me up and that was that. Just like any other doctor.

It’s not any different from sports doctors and physical therapists who do this.

I broke my tailbone as child -and a chiro was the only person who could do anything for it.

I like how doctors have no trouble sending patients to chiropractors and physical therapists, but the good people of Datalounge know better.

It's a quality we replicate time and again, R95, on all sorts of helpful topics.

Double blind studies say their treatments don't work. They rely on placebo effect. Listen to all the people say they were helped. Placebo. Hate dumb people!!!

I hate them, R97, but provide a link to further the discussion.

A chiropractor saved my neck. Literally.

Most doctors don't recommend chiropractors, it used to be against AMA rules for doctors to refer patients to chiropractors actually.

And you put physical therapist and chiro as the same makes it clear you don't have a grasp of this issue, physical therapists are not chiropractors. Absolutely doctors recommend them all the time.

Obviously referring to r95.

I’m thinking about going to a chiropractor but concerned about stroke. I have no luck and don’t want to stroke out after an adjustment.

[quote]I have had better results from various chiropractors over the years than "medical" doctors. They truly can heal an individual. As opposed to unnecessary tests and meds. Have you ever tried chiropractic??

Yes. He fucked my back up for weeks. Literally could not walk out of his office unassisted, missed a full week of work after. Getting in and out of bed was agony. He did a very rough manipulation and a week later an x-ray showed I had a herniated disc. I went to him for mild back pain and he fucking herniated a disc! No malpractice attorney would touch my case since it would be hard to prove and I eventually recovered after being treated by a proper orthopedic doctor, but that fucker should be out of business.

Look, I know plenty of people like you who swear by them (one of you wackos talked me into it in the first place), but they are glorified massage therapists with huge egos and reckless standards of care. Yanking someone’s spine forcifully when they come in complaining of back pain, without benefit of an x-ray (because you’re not a “real doctor” in the first place) is completely insane. I’ll never go back and I tell this story to everyone I hear considering “chiropractic.” The “true believers” like you I just ignore.

[quote]Everyone I know who has gone to a chiro has had their acute problem turn chronic.

This! A woman I know swears by her chiro because she “feels AMAZING!!” after every visit. She also can’t miss a weekly appointment or she is in agony and can barely walk. Somehow she can’t see the truth that she has a chronic problem that her chiro is only helping short-term at best and is probably making worse long-term. We have similar back problems and she gives me side-eye when I mention the cortisone injections that keep my pain at bay for up to a year without any other treatments or meds. She one of those “hates ‘chemicals’” types so I know she probably thinks seeing an M.D. for cortisone injections is as bad as snorting crystal meth under a highway overpass or some b.s., but she’ll let a quack in a strip mall yank her spine like a dog wrestling with a chew toy.

Good insight r103

Oh and I heartily, highly and heavily endorse physical therapists. It’s hard work, but every round of PT I’ve had has had a profound effect on my quality of life. At 50 I have a lot of back and joint problems so I know of what I speak.

Pseudoscience.

All my life people have been telling me how great their chiropractor is. I’ve tried a few. They seem to be overly religious and for me that’s a real turn off as far as rational conversations go. If something is really out of place like a dislocated this or that, then they would be extremely helpful. But my D.O. would be just as helpful. I’ve felt slightly better after an “adjustment” but always thought when opening my car door when leaving probably slips whatever they just slightly moved; back to the location it was before the “adjustment”. They must be great healers for the believers but not so much for the everyday guy. R57 I think you summed this up really good.

Chiropractors? You have to go to like a week of school for that.

Don't look at me!

Studies have completely discredited chiropractory. I doubt physio is much better. Studies show stretching does not prevent injuries, for example.

My doctor recommended seeing a chiropractor.

Not sure what a physical therapist does, but I know people who have doctors who recommended them.

I had sciatica and physical therapy helped me immensely.

[quote]My doctor recommended seeing a chiropractor.

Get a new doctor

[quote]Not sure what a physical therapist does

Really?

Family docs are busy and often show horrible judgement. Chiropractory is fraud.

How is it fraud? You can run your hand up your back and feel when vertebrae are out of alignment and when they are. It is not exactly something that a chiropractor can fake.

Are massages frauds? Personal trainers? Dentists?

What does the fraud consist off?

R116, chiropractors have been tested. Treatments don't work. Massage? I don't know.

What works for one person will not work for another. That's just how it's always been. Chiropractic treatments / adjustments and massages aren't for everyone.

Once a month I get a deep-tissue massage and also a chiropractic adjustment and have no problems with my neck or upper back. At All. I feel great and also have more energy. If I skip more than one month the back problem and tightness and headaches. etc., gradually starts acting up again and I wind up with lost work time, not too mention being in discomfort, enough to keep me up at night. As long as I keep up with both, and take the hour every month to get both, I feel better. So it works for me.

R117, what tests?

I just know that when my vertibrae juts out, it gets put back in place by the chiropractor. It usually takes 3 or 4 times to get it to stay there. Then I am good for another few years.

Are you claiming it would fix itself? Or that the elimination of pain and realighnment are a placebo effect? I honestly do not know how you can claim this is not happening.

I have had a few doctors say that surgery is not a certain cure and that chiropractic is the most effective treatment.

The real problem is that there is no regulation of the medical industry as a whole. It's all about the money now, which leads to all kinds of havoc, like pill mills. Blame Big Pharma all you want, but at the end of the day, the MDs had the script pads. And they were all educated, licensed MDs. That's a regulatory issue.

They’re quacks and frauds.

^ Depends on one's experience with them. For many years my sister thought the same. Couldn't convince her otherwise until she started having neck and back trouble and finally went to a DC. Now she swears by them. Chiropractic may not work for everyone but for those who got relief from going to a DC you'll never convince them otherwise.

Enjoy your torn carotid after getting your neck “adjusted.”

Guess which.

Which kind of doctor ask you to hold your arm out, place different compounds in your hand, and press down to determine which ones your body is "lacking."?

Are you serious r124?

[quote]I’m thinking about going to a chiropractor but concerned about stroke. I have no luck and don’t want to stroke out after an adjustment.

Find you a DO that does manipulative medicine. It's usually a cash-only operation, but they're out there. We do plenty of stuff that doesn't involve the forceful cracking. We weren't even really taught to do it in school, just how to position the patient without the actual cracking part. There are other, safer things that you can do for someone's neck pain.

While I know from a scientific standpoint that a lot of it is bunk, I can tell you anecdotally that it works really well on my back pain.

R124, what the fuck are you talking about?

If there are doctors that do that kind of thing, then no one has any right to rag on chiropractors!

I think to answer the thread's title, the reason that chiropractor's are not taken seriously is because their practice is limited to the mechanics of how the body works--and we do not respect that.

Meanwhile doctors messing around with compounds is mystical enough to gain respect.

R127, obviously real doctors don't do that, but it's common among chiropractors who often practice homeopathy and other "alternative" medicine.

R128, I have been to a number of different chiropractors over the last three decades. It is NOT common to do that compound shit. Nor did any of them do any "alternative" medicine.

I am beginning to think that a lot of the complaints on this thread are about alternative medicine rather than mainstream chiropractic.

There are a lot of nurses on the DL. They only believe in mainstream medicine. Threads about alternative medicine or proven home remedies ended quickly and not on a positive note. Same with Chiropractic.

R124 The only doctor who ever did that to me was a chiropractor.

Glad you can still use your appendages, R129.

Well for starters "CH" is not pronounced as a "K." If you can't even get that right, why bother with anything else.

[quote]Well for starters "CH" is not pronounced as a "K."

It is in Greek, witless wonder, the language "chiro" comes from.

Your spinal column runs through all those vertebrae that you are paying a person (with only one year of training in a very questionable methodology) to push and shove 'back into alignment.'

If your vertebrae ever actually are not in alignment, you will be in a wheel chair. If not dead.

[quote]Your spinal column runs through all those vertebrae that you are paying a person [bold](with only one year of training in a very questionable methodology)[/bold] to push and shove 'back into alignment.'

I thought chiropractor school was longer than that.

^ BS degree with lots of biology and anatomy & physiology classes, plus 3 intense yrs of chiropractic school plus 1 year of training.

7-8 yrs total to get their chiropractic license and open a practice.

[quote]There are a lot of educated people on the DL. They only believe in medicine based on real science.

Fixed that for you.

[quote]There are a lot of educated people on the DL. They only believe in medicine based on real science.

No chiropractor has ever gotten me stuck on some horrible drug that's misery to withdraw from. I'm looking at you, Cymbalta and Valium. Or a drug combo that made me crazy (Wellbutrin/Prozac). Gotta love "real science."

No MD has helped my neuropathy except to give me pain meds which my partner and i enjoy on weekends with martinis

But my chiro treats me with a magnificent tens machine that zaps the pain away by forcing normal muscle contractions . I think i may have put a bullet in my head by now if I hadn't found this guy.

So chiros aren't for everyone and some of us swear by them.

Do they help with neck pain?

Does anything help with neck pain???

I can't recommend chiropractic, but I do osteopathic manipulation on myself when I get a stiff neck. It usually works. The general idea is about using isometric contraction to stretch out muscles that are tight. I've done it on patients too.

Can you point me to an online tutorial or something, r142?

It's hard to talk you through it even with a video. You need have it done to you once to really get it.

Why is the OP labeled a troll?

Uhm, because they're not real doctors, and chiropractic results are not provable in a double blind study. It's pseudoscience, basically.

[quote]Why is the OP labeled a troll?

Because Muriel decided they were behaving as a troll. Who knows which posts specifically triggered the red-tag.

Because they're not real doctors.

It’s a crap-shoot, really. If your problem matches the skill of the practitioner, you’ll do well. Otherwise, then, ”no”.

I saw a massage therapist until he moved out of town. He really helped me in a way that chiropractors, DOs, various MD specialists, and physical therapists did not. Now I see a Rolfer, and he helps a lot.

Do many of them bill themselves as anything other than glorified massage therapists with the built in advantage that their services are generally covered by medical insurance?

Years ago, before chiropractors were commonly covered by medical insurance, I went to a DO. He was covered by my insurance with a $20 co-pay, and did about the same thing, as far as I could tell. If you have that problem today, check out your local Doctor of Osteopathy. Or vice versa.

Because "misalignment" is pseudoscience.

Because they just poke your arms and legs around.

Toddlers can do that. (And often do.)

I know a hot guy who goes to a chiropractor all the time.

He's also married to a woman but closeted.

I had neck pain for 6 months and the orthopedic surgeon was worthless. Two different chiros said I was favoring my right side and it was causing the pain. They both gave me every day tips on how to sit, what not to do, and one of them gave me exercises to open up my chest and arm pit muscles which were contracting. The neck pain has now gone down by 80% and I'm happy I got their advice.

I don't know why but this thread cracks me up

r156, this thread is about CHIROPRACTORS, not proctologists.

‘Your humors are unbalanced against your spinal subluxations—QUACK! QUACK!”

Lol r158

[quote]They launched a campaign against them in the '70's claiming they were quacks.

But they AREquacks, Blanche, they are.

The first time I went to my chiropractor’s office I was brought in in a wheelchair, as I had thrown my back out so badly I couldn’t walk. I was only 24 at the time. He did some minor work on me, but there was too much swelling for him to do any manipulation. He sent me home with strict instructions for hot and cold therapy and had me come back every two days for the next week. Thankfully it worked and I was able to walk and live pain free. Once I had finally gotten past the excruciating pain of my back ailment my chiropractor asked me why I hadn’t been seen by anyone sooner. The truth was I had been seeing doctors for my back for years and had been given handfuls of pills to take. Pain relievers, muscle relaxers, my head would be spinning from all of the pills.

My chiropractor and I worked it out so I would come see him whenever my back would start to flare up. Which eventually became only once to twice a year. When I would start to have problems I would see him for a few weeks, and then everything would be back to normal. After a couple years of this he suggested that I get an x-ray to see what was going on with my spine. Turns out I had a congenital defect of my lower spine that was very visible on the x-Ray. He sent me home that day with very strict instructions regarding body alignment and things I had to be careful about. My visits to him have now been cut down to once a year, and typically only after I’ve spent a few weeks not following his advice. It may not work for everyone, but it's made a world of difference in my life.

r161 = chiropractor

They're just glorified masseurs. They don't receive real training other than from other chiropractors, anyone at all can become one, they know little about medicine, and most of all, there isn't even a noun for what they do.

That’s not true for all of them, R163. I first saw a chiropractor for my back over 20 years ago and she was utterly worthless, and in fact made things worse. It put me off chiropractors completely. It was only 5 years ago when I was in excruciating pain and a friend forced me to see his chiropractor did I realise that, like everything else, there are good ones and bad ones. The guy saved my life. After 6 months I was completely pain free, when I had needed a cane before. It felt like a miracle.

Unfortunately he left London for Canada two years ago and my back has slowly deteriorated again. I’m now on my third chiropractor since he left but none of them do the same things he did, and they really don’t make much of a difference.

R161, so it took your chiropractor YEARS before ordering an X-ray to reveal your real malady? And this is who you venerate?

Chiros around here take a so-called balance to health approach in their treatment. Many of them claim to be able to diagnose and treat problems such as: adrenal fatigue, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, type 2 diabetes, digestive disorders, Hashimoto's disease, low thyroid, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, the list goes on. Even physicians with their training beyond the 7-8 years of a chiropractor aren't going to be able to treat these various maladies alone and refer patients to specialists. Yet a chiropractic doctor thinks he is as much an expert as an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, internist, orthopedic surgeon, rheumatologist all rolled into one? They seem to be knock-offs of physical therapists with a physician complex.

They are basically physical therapists/rehabilitation, after you are cleared with an cat scan or mri.

Well, because they aren’t actual “doctors” for one thing.

Do they give happy endings?

R165 He suggested that I have X-Rays for a few years before I decided to finally have them done. Other than my first really bad episode, I didn’t feel that my pain was bad enough to justify the hassle, expense or radiation exposure. I was perfectly fine seeing my chiro every few months. Once I would start to notice that my back was getting stiff or beginning to ache, I’d give him a call and be back on the path to feeling better, no big deal. My job is very physical and I do a fair bit of heavy lifting, so I figured that an aching back was just the price I had to pay. I’m thankful I finally took his advice and got the X-rays done, following his recommendation has probably saved me hundreds of dollars of co-pays.

You were afraid of the radiation exposure from an X-Ray so much that you avoided getting one for [italic]years[/italic]? We’re you too busy waiting for the black helicopters or watching chemtrails?

Ok, r171, you made me laugh!