Question about chiropractor treatment

[z0mb13]

Guys so I pulled my lower back muscle last Friday and went to a chiro doctor and he prescribed me some anti inflammatory medicine and told to ice pack it for a day or two. He also made adjustments to my back (cracking it) and told me to get x-ray for my spine.

Now I feel much better (but still some tightness), but when we looked at the xray results of my spine it doesn't look good. The chiro doctor said I have a straight neck spine, skoliosis, and military back issues (straight lower back). Normally neck spine and lower back spine needs to have slight curvature but mine is for some reason straight. This might be reason why I pulled my muscle after doing some exercises.

So the chiro doctor recomended me to go thru a series of adjustments for my spine. He told me that I need to do 3 months session at 3 times a week (at $60 a pop!!) to fix my spine issue, and he will review my progress.

He also told me not to do only very limited exercises (like swimming but not even running), and to forget doing heavy weight lifting (I pulled my back doing crossfit). If I don't get my spine issue solved I might have more problems when I get older ( I am 32 now)

My question is if the treatments are beneficial at all? Can going thru a series of back adjustments really fix my spine curvature issue? If it really does I don't mind paying the fees but I just don't want to waste my time and money if it doesnt.

Thanks for any inputs guys.

 

[DAGTA]

You're going to get about 99% negativity here on ATOT regarding chiros.

As for me, I went through the treatment plan and had great results. Results, in fact, that my MD told me were not possible.

That said, I prefer to go to a chiro that uses an instrument. Not a fan of the 'back crackers'.

 

[Drako]

You pulled a muscle(s), so ice/heat and muscle relaxants/anti-inflammatories are good. The back "adjustments" are total BS, but they make the chiro more money.

 

[z0mb13]

You're going to get about 99% negativity here on ATOT regarding chiros.

As for me, I went through the treatment plan and had great results. Results, in fact, that my MD told me were not possible.

That said, I prefer to go to a chiro that uses an instrument. Not a fan of the 'back crackers'.

What kind of instrument are u talking about? So far my adjustments were just back cracking

 

[DAGTA]

What kind of instrument are u talking about? So far my adjustments were just back cracking

There are several. Here is one example:

http://www.goimpulse.com/index.php?p=69769

 

[SparkyJJO]

3x a week for 3 months? Sounds excessive to me, but then if your spine is all kinds of jacked (which from your description it sounds like it very well might be) then it might be actually necessary to keep putting things where they belong until your body reverts to holding it properly again.

Have you ever been to a chiro before in the past?

I go about once a month (at $35 a visit) for maintenance purpose. I tend to do stupid stuff a lot and twist my pelvis or some spots in my neck or upper back from improper lifting and stuff I forget the technical names, something like C5 and C6 or something like that. Sometimes I'll go a little more often if I went and did something really stupid, or had an bad fall like the one time a few years back I fell 6 feet onto concrete on my lower back.

My chiropractor uses a mixture of instruments, massages, and just general "cracking" (but NEVER forceful).

 

[z0mb13]

3x a week for 3 months? Sounds excessive to me, but then if your spine is all kinds of jacked (which from your description it sounds like it very well might be) then it might be actually necessary to keep putting things where they belong until your body reverts to holding it properly again.

Have you ever been to a chiro before in the past?

I go about once a month (at $35 a visit) for maintenance purpose. I tend to do stupid stuff a lot and twist my pelvis or some spots in my neck or upper back from improper lifting and stuff I forget the technical names, something like C5 and C6 or something like that. Sometimes I'll go a little more often if I went and did something really stupid, or had an bad fall like the one time a few years back I fell 6 feet onto concrete on my lower back.

My chiropractor uses a mixture of instruments, massages, and just general "cracking" (but NEVER forceful).

Ive never been to chiro before and this was first time i did full body xray. I think the skoliosis is genetic and nothing i can do abt it. The straight lower back and neck he said he can fix. Im just worrying that i am paying a lot of money for nothing. If it works then i dont mind paying.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

A physical therapist is a great option. Particularly for muscular problems like this. Do a ☧ too if it makes you happy; but don't skip out on the PT.

 

[nephilim2k]

Can insurance not cover some of this? Also as it was a previous job that did this, shouldnt associated costs from getting this treated fall too them?

 

[tcsenter]

My question is if the treatments are beneficial at all? Can going thru a series of back adjustments really fix my spine curvature issue? If it really does I don't mind paying the fees but I just don't want to waste my time and money if it doesnt.

Of course it can be beneficial. Let's recap what his treatment plan amounts to:

- Do NOT place any high-load stresses on your back in the next three months (duh, this is universal, you already have a muscle injury, it needs to HEAL before you put heavy strain on it, else you'll just reinjure or injure it worse)

- DO light exercises, mostly range of motion without heavy weights, high-strain maneuvers or techniques (duh, see above)

- Come in three times per week for a massage. You'll feel better (yes, you will, even if your wife does it)

- Use anti-inflammatory agents, you'll feel better (yes, you will)

- Wait three months for the final result (i.e. 99% of injuries get better, resolve on their own eventually, or you die, whichever comes first. Three months is a sound time frame for full recovery from a muscle strain in your back)

 

[bigpimpatl]

how about going to a real doctor, and getting a real medical opinion instead.

 

[Murloc]

I don't know about chiropractors, usually people go to physiotherapists around here. Back problems are probably worth getting fixed anyway.

 

[highland145]

Where's eits?

 

[z1ggy]

You pulled a muscle(s), so ice/heat and muscle relaxants/anti-inflammatories are good. The back "adjustments" are total BS, but they make the chiro more money.

Didn't read any of the other posts after this because this says it all. My girl friend is a physical therapist and says chiropractors are totaly BS. I am sure they do some good work and obviously are around for a reason, but mainly this dude just wants your money.

You should probably be doing physical therapy, not getting your back cracked. I would at least see a PT first and see what they say.

 

[acheron]

Chiropractors can be beneficial but the treatment is really no more effective than getting a massage or something. Don't pay too much for it.

 

[jaedaliu]

Do you have medical insurance? go see your primary care doctor and bring your xrays with you.

If you don't have one already, go see a DO, they are better than MDs at these sorts of things.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Everyone's back curves differently. I'd say there are probably 2-3 different primary issues with backs. I'm not a doc, but these happen or have happened to me.

1. Herniated disk....that's where a disk in your back bulges out and is out of alignment. It can pinch nerves, make it hard to move. Inflamation is your enemy...can further pinch nerves and take longer to heal. Advil or other anti-inflamatories work best in high doses if your gut can handle it. For lower back, put a pillow under your chest and sleep on your stomach to push your spine into its natural curve and help promote proper alignment and reduce swelling/inflamation.

2. A catch in your back....basically, where you have muscular inflamation or a few vertebrae that are rubbing up against each other. This is where a chiropractor can help....not that I've ever been to one. I just get my wife to step on my back or push on it to pop it back in. I have had this happen a lot lately from lifting construction materials. I feel the catch when I work overhead or sometimes even just breathe in and out.

3. General back soreness or whiplash. Very different things, but they are both general soreness with no 1 sticking point.......just takes time for the swelling to go down.


As stated before. Physical Therapy is the way to go. They can even do ultrasound treatments to push oxygen to your muscles and help healing occur faster if they have the equipment....exercises and massage can help the muscle tightness/soreness where needed.

 

[preslove]

A physical therapist is a great option. Particularly for muscular problems like this. Do a ☧ too if it makes you happy; but don't skip out on the PT.

This x1000

Physical Therapy > Chiro

 

[PhoKingGuy]

How old are you? If you really do have all of those problems (doubtful if you havent been complaining of back issues prior to this) you're going to need a full ortho/neuro workup, not just some "adjustments"

Odd pain sensations on your arms? Numbness? Tingling? All very relevant questions and much more that need to be answered before you can really go anywhere.

 

[John Connor]

I had bad Sciatica and went to a Chrio everyday for 3 months! I was leaning over to one side because I couldn't stand straight. He was able to help. I no longer have severe sciatica, but I do have this tightness in my lower back if I stand too long. I will most likly get a MRI and have laser surgery. My chiro used a device on my back that can read the heat coming from my back. If your chiro has something like that then he's good. I also had a straight neck without a natural curve he was able to fix that too and was so impressed by my progress he wanted to share his success with others. Not all chrios are good. I would look at something like Angie's list.

 

[highland145]

I had bad Sciatica and went to a Chrio everyday for 3 months! I was leaning over to one side because I couldn't stand straight. He was able to help. I no longer have severe sciatica, but I do have this tightness in my lower back if I stand too long. I will most likly get a MRI and have laser surgery. My chiro used a device on my back that can read the heat coming from my back. If your chiro has something like that then he's good. I also had a straight neck without a natural curve he was able to fix that too and was so impressed by my progress he wanted to share his success with others. Not all chrios are good. I would look at something like Angie's list.

PT 1st. As long as I stretch/work my core I'm pain free. Thanks to my PT. Best $700 I've spent. Your insurance may require it anyway.

 

[IronWing]

A physical therapist is a great option. Particularly for muscular problems like this. Do a ☧ too if it makes you happy; but don't skip out on the PT.

☧

 

[Dr. Zaus]

^It's a combination of the Greek letters chi and ro

as in chi ro practor

ok, it was a bad pun

 

[grohl]

Truth is, an xray of your spine just shows what YOUR spine is like. It's well known that spinal imaging has very little correlation to back pain. (shitty looking back on a film = normal person). I mean, he said you have a "military back" - like a straight back is BAD?

Sounds like a con artist.

As someone who had back surgery (disc) 11 years ago, I can tell you, everyone will strain their back at some point in life. And everyone's back is different.

key points:

- backs will get strained from crazy stuff like crossfit, or bending over to pick up a pencil

- 3 months for complete recovery is not out of the ordinary

- for me, a combination of daily stretching, yoga, and ice work best.

- well known that there is no perfect specialist for back pain (docs: too much expensive tests/surgery, chiro/PT - sham exercises to "help" do very little)

- don't rest it and sit around and expect it to get better, see above.

good luck

 

[alkemyst]

Chiropractors and Dentists go hand in hand.

If you don't have a good one they will make you pay.

For Chiro work I pick Doctors of Osteopathy that specialize in Sports Medicine.

For Dentists, I have gotten by with only one 'surface' filling at 40 years old.