Are chiropractors legit?

[snoopy369]

Most back and neck problems are caused by lack of muscle mass in the abdomen and back.

So go to the weight room

[Dr Strangelove]

There are some studies showing that chiropractic care has a role in alleviating the pain of acute lower back pain. Studies vary as to whether chiropractic is better, worse or the same as physical therapy with regards to alleviating acute back pain. Pain alleviation in and of itself seems to speed recovery from the common back injury. Chiropractic does not seem to be effective in speeding recovery from chronic back pain, herniated discs or sciatica in most rigorous studies.

I've heard of a number of chiropracters who engaged in dubious practices, such as claiming that chiropractic had positive effects on aspects of health other than the spine and musculoskeletal systems. One of them in this area claimed to have an electrical device capable of diagnosing food allergies.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

My sister suffered a back injury as a teenager. Having sampled the whole range of medical care, she swears by chiropractice as the most effective in alleviating the pain.

[DanS]

One of them in this area claimed to have an electrical device capable of diagnosing food allergies.

I have been exposed to this part of the field.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove



I've heard of a number of chiropracters who engaged in dubious practices, such as claiming that chiropractic had positive effects on aspects of health other than the spine and musculoskeletal systems. One of them in this area claimed to have an electrical device capable of diagnosing food allergies.

I just go for spine and musculoskeletal matters. While I can theoretically accept a more holistic approach whereby feeling better in one aspect of your health may help in other aspects, the connection is too abstract for me.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
It's a quack profession that has some decent members. The fact that Canada liscences and degress such BS means nothing, since states in the U.S. do the same. Just because quackery manages to fool lots of people doesn't mean it isn't quackery. Chinese medicine is BS even if 1 billion people believe in it.

hmmm so a billion people are fooled but YOU know the TRUTH. Ok . . . got it, moving on now .

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
There are some studies showing that chiropractic care has a role in alleviating the pain of acute lower back pain. Studies vary as to whether chiropractic is better, worse or the same as physical therapy with regards to alleviating acute back pain. Pain alleviation in and of itself seems to speed recovery from the common back injury. Chiropractic does not seem to be effective in speeding recovery from chronic back pain, herniated discs or sciatica in most rigorous studies.

I have a somewhat more positive view of chiropractic than Dr. S. But then again, my older brother was the biggest chiropractor in Hawaii for years....until a 300 pound Samoan fell off his table, my brother caught him and herniated a disc in his own spine. Ironically, his first thought was to go to a medical doctor...but then the obvious hit him: that a goodly portion of his practice was build on injuries medical doctors had made worse. So, he went to the...er, second best chiroprator in Hawaii and did a lot of physical therapy. It took years and a lot of pain, but he's much better now, and without having to have his spine fused.

I've heard of a number of chiropracters who engaged in dubious practices, such as claiming that chiropractic had positive effects on aspects of health other than the spine and musculoskeletal systems. One of them in this area claimed to have an electrical device capable of diagnosing food allergies.

The field of chiropractic has more than its share of nut cases. I can top Dr. S's story. I had one chiropractor who claimed he had an electrical device which could diagnose problems by reading my aura. I did not see him a second time.

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
My sister suffered a back injury as a teenager. Having sampled the whole range of medical care, she swears by chiropractice as the most effective in alleviating the pain.

So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too.

[Dr Strangelove]

What I don't understand is this: if I tried something like that I'd lose my license and probably go to prison, but I know of a number of instances in which chiropractors got away with that sort of stuff. Truly baffling is that there is a state board governing chiropractic just as there is one for medicine, and that board has some supervision from physicians, yet the quackery continues. I don't know exactly how many chiropractors practice outside of the scope of their profession, i.e., make claims that their techniques offer health benefits that are unproven or offer bogus services other than legitimate chiropractic, like electrical diagnostic devices then work on dubious principles. I would hazard a guess that the portion might go as high as 50%. The undeniable fact is that most chiropractors have no substantial background in the sciences and that few know how to critically analyse data in order to seperate bogus from legit claims.

[Blake]

I'm a little divided, on the one hand I know that chiropractors do indeed work. Oh and Osteopaths too (the difference? osteos are more likely to be gentle...). I've been to them before, back when I used to have back/neck problems as a teenager and it was really effective - as in instant relief, or within an hour the pain will be entirely gone, just the residuel stiffness. As an adult I've never had problems (or they've gone away within a few days with nothing more than stretching & relaxation (ie applying heat)), mostly lucky I guess.

Anyway my parents are also firm believers in chiro, and here's the problem. Their chiro (or osteopath, i don't know which, but I think chiro) has both of them, and my brother, going every week or fortnight. I'm pretty sure that most of these uh... physical therapists.. make the majority of their income from regulars. And I'm pretty sure they convince, or let their patients convince themselves, that they need to keep coming back, when they probably actually don't. So I think my parents are being gullible, heck my Dad has even admited he might be.

Oh yeah they (my parents) tried to convince me to go the guy too, and I did once - I mean I had to, curiousity demanded it, had to know how he manipulated (heh!) people. But I remained quite unconvinced, I'm way too cynical and charisma doesn't work on me anyway. Basic idea? Convince the patient that they should be feeling like superman. heh.

So yeah... go once, a followup session is okay of course, maybe two. But once you're no longer suffering, then is a good time to turn skeptic mode on.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Flubber
hmmm so a billion people are fooled but YOU know the TRUTH. Ok . . . got it, moving on now .

And you're going to claim that just because billions of people believe in ghosts that there actually are ghosts? You know better than to try that.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
[And you're going to claim that just because billions of people believe in ghosts that there actually are ghosts? You know better than to try that.

Can you prove there aren't??

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Chinese medicine is BS even if 1 billion people believe in it.

Even though the theory behind TCM is wacky to the West there is no doubt to the curative effects of the herbal remedies.

[DaShi]

There is doubt to the curative effect of many of the herbal remedies.

And the theory is completely wacky. You could say it's based on superstition.

[MRT144]

rhino horn?
ginseng?

if aphrodesiacs are indicitive of eastern medicines take on curing what ails ya then its crap.

furthermore western medince was created because eastern medicine is crap