Chiropractor Question...

[Robby712]

Has anybody ever been to one?  What's your opinion?  I have been having lower back pain for about a month now and I've tried exercise, rest, stretching, Aleve, IBProfen, electric muscle stimulators, etc...and NOTHING is making it any better. 

I made an appointment with a chiro today...wondering if any of you have had any experience with them.  Or if there is anything specific I need to point out to them other than I am a dialysis patient.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

[Romona]

My husband went to one. He had horrible back and hip pain. He feels much better now.

[kidney4traci]

My husband is a chiropractor and I think everyone should go to one to get their nervous system checked.  Problem is, not all chiropractors practice the same.  My husband is a straight chiropractor.  You want one that will teach you about subluxation.  You live in a city with Logan Chiropractic College, not the best school but not horrible.  My aunt and uncle are chiropractors in Chesterfield just outside of St. Louis is you need a good referral for one.  PM me if you want.  But I say GO!!!! 

[Chris]

I just saw one last wek due to back pain since physical thearapy isn't working. Problem was all the treatments that he wanted to do was mostly not insurance covered. I'm not going to take out a loan and have trouble paying for it when possibly another doctor can do it thru insurance coverage. The doctor made perfect sense of  what my problem areas are, but admitted I will need surgery. So make sure that the ofice takes all your insurances and try not to sell you things you can not afford or practicallity of functioning. I should have asked this same question before I saw one

[Jill D.]

I just started seeing a chiropractor early this year after suffering with neck pain since December. She was able to help and I felt wonderful (better than I had felt in years) within a couple of weeks. Like so many people, I carry a lot of stress on my shoulders and neck, which leads to headaches. I get relief by getting adjusted by my chiropractor and deep tissue massages by the massage therapist that works in the same office. I also have a bad hip from hip dysplasia (I have a shallow hip socket, which causes my hip to pop out of the socket and has gotten increasingly painful over the years.) My chiropractor has also helped that area become more stable and less painful.
I think that most people with chronic pain may benefit by seeing a chiropractor. It is non-invasive and since taking anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, is bad for your kidneys it's worth a try! BTW, my chiropractor is NOT the type that thinks she can "cure" everything with chiropractic.

[kitkatz]

I see my chiropractor regularly and have for years.  I get sore shoulders, neck and back from work stress and had injuries fro car accidents.  Wonderful jobs they do! I got rid of a multi year headache by going to one.  Check them out and get recommendations.

[KICKSTART]

Its worth giving it a go even if you only try them once. I had bad knots in my shoulders ,giving me headaches (loads of tension) and i went to one ..wow ! The next day i felt like i had been kicked all over but the day after i never felt so good , my shoulders and neck were really loose and it lasted for 4 weeks !

[stauffenberg]

I went to a chiropractor when I was first diagnosed with endstage renal failure to test the possibility that chiropractic manipulation might be able to preserve some of my residual renal function.  On osteopathic principles, a reallignment of the bones can influence the function of the nerves, which in turn can stimulate a functional improvement in diseased organs.  I cannot attribute any positive benefits to chiropractic, since I was trying so many other alternative therapies at the time I could not isolate which helped to preserve residual renal function and which did not.  But I can say I was able to maintain normal urination levels for the first five years of dialysis, which is unusual.

Two concerns I have about chiropractic are 1) the fact that some manipulations they perform carry a small risk of causing severe paralysis if things go wrong; and 2) I am not sure how safe vigorous manipulations of the bones are in people who, like most dialysis patients, have serious osteoporosis.  I would have preferred going to an osteopath, since they have greater medical expertise, but in the jurisdiction where I live they are not allowed to practice.  In some American states D.O.s have full or almost full medical licensure, sometimes with the restriction that they cannot prescribe drugs.  In England and Canada, however, they are not eligible for a medical license, and in Germany their legal position is no greater than that of a massage therapist.

[KR Cincy]

It's like any of our doctors, the good ones are great and the bad ones ruin it for the rest. I have a wonderful chiropractor who is very holistic, has training in sports medicine as well, and does what he can to "rename" some of his treatments to fit the insurance coverage. He's been a big help to me for many years, and is helping now with a hinky neck due to all the stress and sitting each day for treatments.

[Robby712]

Thanks for all the input folks.  I'm going tomorrow at 2:30 and I'll keep everyone updated.  (If I can still walk/type after) :

Thanks again,
Chris

[del]

I go to a chiropractor and massage therapy regularly. It has worked wonders!!