Your Opinion on Chiropracters
 

Some people swear by them. Some swear about them.

Where do you stand?

From the middle of my upper back,,,just between my shoulder blades and a little bit up I've been suffering from muscle spasms and very sore back for years.

I've tried chiros before because of my headache issues and can honestly say I never felt any differently.

One side of me thinks they create a dependence and aren't very honest,,,,but the other side of me really wants to believe they can help me.

Where do you stand?

I am all for them, especially when I have back problems.

I don't see one on a regular basis, but I have noticed that after an adjustment, I feel much better - and it just isn't my spine/back. I feel better in my overall health.

I have some close friends who are chiropractors and they are all quacks. I don't believe in it. I have a friend who swears by it and gets adjusted every week. I tried explaining to him that if he has to get adjusted every week then it's probably indicative of something more serious that his chiropractor can't cure. But I am sure he is his chiropractor's favorite patient.

It just seems that most chiropractors, including my two friends that practice are really into the holistic medicine stuff and prescribe all sorts of alternative medicine along with their adjustments.

My only advice would be to have x-rays done and reviewed by as physician before letting anyone screw around with your spine.

After that, I highly recommend yoga. (I'm trying to imagine our Rocky in yoga class. :))

I wouldn't go to chiroprators. I'm sure Dr. Waters agrees.

I heartily endorse Barbara's yoga suggestion.

all i know is that I threw my back out in February and couldn't move. I had an MRI done saw my physician and I finally decided to see a chiro... In a couple of weeks they had me feeling 500% better. Once I got better I stopped going as there was point in going because my back was healed....

My point.. they are good if you have back problems... quacks with other problems

think of chiros as a specialized form of physical therapists. They can assist with some types of back discomfort, they can also help you if need "active release" a la sports injuries, but they should be used sparingly otherwise.

I don't know - I think all physical therapists are special.

There are quacks in every profession. Chiropractic seems to have more than their fair share of them. They spend a good portion of their training in alternative, holistic treatment methods. As a result, many extrapolate their education and specialty into areas they ought not to go. Visceral manipulation in one of these areas that I have issue with, among others.

I think they certainly have their place in the medical model. The evidence concerning the validity of adjustments/manipulations/mobilization is out there. However, the bulk of the research is not being done by chiro, but by PTs. Like MRD says, a good chiro can definitely help with spinal mechanical misalignments, just as long as they leave it at that.

What is "active release"? Is that visceral manipulation?

I agree with this. It's when the chiro who adjusted me then tells me I need to start taking ultra high doses of vitamin C daily among other things that can only be found at Wild Oats.