chiropractor: should I?

[magomago]

Since most people here are tldr:


(a) few months ago sprained left foot, never fully 100%
(b) every year or so I pop out my right knee and it hurts like a bitch
(c) had a health fair @ work - got a free massage at some booth as well as "two free sessions with massages"
(d) turned out to be chiro when i went in for my appointment
(e) i was very skeptical...kept pushing back at suggestions that i have crazy back pain ("No my upper back is fine, and I don't really have that much lower back issues")....but without telling her, she asked if i sprained my left foot because "it seems like you have pronation and the leg muscles are really tense as if they are trying to compensate for something. I don't notice this in your right foot at all, and your arch is pretty good there, but your left is somewhat odd"
(f) i told her about my knee issue as we discussed my health, but not which knee, and she quickly found it was the right knee.
(g) she thinks its connected to my hips, because some muscle name on the side is, according to how i wobbled slightly when i lifted up my knees, somewhat weak

(h) i got a free "back relaxation therapy" which was some kind of weird electrical simulation (i googled it later, jury still seems out on it), on a machine that streched my back, with a nice warm pad on top (Warm pad seemed to make the most difference)

(i) i've gone to my regular doctor several times in the past (including with different primary care physicians since my insurance has switched around) and every single one told me there was no issue, and rest and relaxation is fine...however its never been fully perfect


(j) so do i trust the chiro for now? I have a follow up in a week to assess x rays i took...for now I'm thinking potentially yes so as long as I can rationally understand it; i just don't want to hear sublixations as the problems for everything

still probably is tldr

 

[uli2000]

This is my secret to a good chiro: The shittier the office, the better the chiro. Why? Because a crook that keeps you coming back week after week and always has the newest gizmos is a hack. Most people don't need weekly therapy. Plus if they have to work a second job. Minus if they have a tv, radio, or huge internet advertising presence. Go by word of mouth only.

Myself, I prefer a good osteopathic physician (DO). If you live near a osteopathic medical school, call them and ask where they send their students for 3rd year family practice rotations. There are quite a few DO's, but most complete allopathic residency training and don't practice OMM and other osteopathic-specific therapies. A good DO is like a cross between you regular doc and a chiro, but without all the weird shit that alot of chiros pimp and peddle.

 

[TridenT]

NO.

srsly

 

[the DRIZZLE]

IMO its better to go to a physical therapist than a chiropractor. A physical therapist can help you with the issues she pointed out but with less quackery than chiropractors.

 

[Mike Gayner]

LOL chiropractors. Yup you should go, then stop and get some homoeopathic remedies on the way home and make sure you wish away your pain as per The Secret. Let us know how you get on.

 

[TridenT]

LOL chiropractors. Yup you should go, then stop and get some homoeopathic remedies on the way home and make sure you wish away your pain as per The Secret. Let us know how you get on.

You forgot the acupuncture bro. That's essential.

 

[Mo0o]

I would check out a physical therapist first just to see if they have any additional thoughts.

Otherwise, might as well give chiro a try if you think you have a problem and conventional medicine isnt identifying anyting. Even if it's a placebo effect, you can be your own judge of whether a) you're getting symptomatic relief and b) it's worth the money. Just know that the objective data on the efficacy of chiropractic medicine is very poor, especially for anything thats not completely musculoskeletal based and you might be paying money for sham treatment.

 

[nanette1985]

If the chiro helps, then go. Don't expect too much. Don't listen to the allopathophiles here, chiropractic isn't total BS. Just a lot of BS.

Try a DO first, a really good one. Check out PT, but I've been hurt a lot by PT and I don't trust them all that much. As you've noticed, regular MDs are pretty much useless.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[DirkGently1]

Homeopathy is the worst kind of scam because it not only preys on the weak and stupid but those in poor health too.

See a medical professional.

 

[DrPizza]

I was amazed when a chiropractor did something similar to me. I went in for neck pain and chronic headaches. He pointed out something that I thought was completely unrelated - tingling in my right hand. "I'll bet you have tingling in your right hand." "Wow, how'd you know that?" "It's your <something or other>." The headaches went away; the tingling went away. 3 or 4 visits later, they were gone for years. This is something that I had put up with for over a year, with a doctor saying "just take some advil." It's absolutely amazing to feel tension in muscles practically disappear in seconds after someone twists your back just right and things go pop.

However, in your case OP, I'm going to guess that a physical therapist might be the best bet. There are several simple exercises that you can do that build your knee and ankle strength.

 

[Gibsons]

Sprains can be nasty, even long term. Here's something try - lay down on your bed with your feet hanging off, pointed at the wall. close your eyes and relax your legs and feet. Then look at your feet, are they oriented the same way? Close your eyes again, and try to hold both feet straight, soles perpendicular to the ground, toes pointed at the ceiling, then look. Are they both oriented the way you tried to get them?

If your sprained ankle/foot flops over, you probably need some PT. For one thing, you're at great risk of spraining it again.

 

[uli2000]

You forgot the acupuncture bro. That's essential.

Call it BS, but acupuncture got my wife off of stadol, a very potent opioid she was having to take for debilitating migraine headaches caused by a benign brain tumor. She did one session in 2003, and in almost 8 years now, she has had less than 10 migraines and no trips to the ER for migraines. Before acupuncture, it was 2-3 migraines a week and a trip to the ER or her neurologist every 4-6 weeks. Had they told her she would require regular visits, I would have called bs myself, but the practitioner told her that if she didn't feel better after two sessions, then acupuncture couldn't help her.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Call it BS, but acupuncture got my wife off of stadol, a very potent opioid she was having to take for debilitating migraine headaches caused by a benign brain tumor. She did one session in 2003, and in almost 8 years now, she has had less than 10 migraines and no trips to the ER for migraines. Before acupuncture, it was 2-3 migraines a week and a trip to the ER or her neurologist every 4-6 weeks. Had they told her she would require regular visits, I would have called bs myself, but the practitioner told her that if she didn't feel better after two sessions, then acupuncture couldn't help her.

Awesome story bro, good to know magic works.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

A fool and his money...

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Seriously, just read the scientific literature. The jury is in, there is no serious debate here.

 

[MiniDoom]

save your money and buy a bike. sounds like you just have weak legs.

 

[PokerGuy]

I've never been to a chiro, but the general consensus is they are pretty much all quacks. Don't know though, modern medicine seems to anxious to use some pill to solve everything, I'm sure there are better ways to handle certain problems like back stuff.

 

[zinfamous]

LOL chiropractors. Yup you should go, then stop and get some homoeopathic remedies on the way home and make sure you wish away your pain as per The Secret. Let us know how you get on.

I prefer crystals.

 

[pcnerd37]

I can't recommend chiropractors enough, assuming you get a good one that isn't just some crook. I've been going to them for years and for the past year or so, I rarely need to go but when I sleep wrong or something and can't move, they can work wonders! It may take a day or two to get back to normal sometimes but they have helped me a LOT over the years.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Chiro didn't help with my lower back, but I still don't discount them. However, I think seeing a chiropractor for anything but your back is like seeing a dermatologist for a heart attack.

 

[uli2000]

Awesome story bro, good to know magic works.

Call it what you will, but acupuncture and other traditional remidies have been helping people for over 5000 years. I work in healthcare, I see the poisons we prescribe as medicines these days. Anything I can do to avoid it, I will.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Call it what you will, but acupuncture and other traditional remidies have been helping people for over 5000 years. I work in healthcare, I see the poisons we prescribe as medicines these days. Anything I can do to avoid it, I will.

It's old, therefore it's good. Nice argument, Socrates. You've got me stumped.

 

[Fritzo]

 

[Nintendesert]

It's cheaper just to make your own pyramid hat and wear that for a few months. That'll fix up all your health problems.

 

[Bateluer]

Asking ATOT for medical advice is like asking the beggar under the bridge to fix the nuclear reactor on the Nimitz.

I've had positive experience with my chiropractor and I've noticed marked improvement since I started in early March. Its not a cure all, nothing is, but the blanket attitude by the tards in this forum, who have the medical training of a hamster, is irritating.

OP, try the chiropractor, don't let the children on ATOT deter you.