What do you think about chiropractors

[thedendrochronologist]

Just that really.

For the past 18 months I've seen one for a chronic low back problem with no specific cause. (Exhausted nhs options)

Chiro worked but disliked business model of this one practice(pressurising for 22 sessions and a "plan")
Or it won't work". Stopped going after a while. Worked 60%. Nice practice beautifully clean and branded but super gimmicky.

Back seized again so painful. went to a differ one with a different model. He is wondrous and back is easing already he said at between 3-4 sessions and a top as and when.

Dh has used a good one in the past. Now live in a different town and gone due the osteopathy route - really good.

Bloody amazing. Sorted a major back issue out for me and now just have a 6 month tweak which keeps it under control.

I meant to say

I'm not a 100% convince

Is it quackery or genuine?

Fantastic if you find a good one.

quacks

Sorry, rant alert!

Some are decent and knowledgable and others are absolute cowboys.

Beware the ones that demand regular treatment to ‘adjust’ something. If it’s not better (long lasting benefit, more than 1-2 days) after 2-3 sessions don’t go back. And for heavens sake don’t let them anywhere near your neck! The number of strokes caused by neck manips in the elderly or people with other vascular risk factors is alarming! Google it.

Remember they are not evidenced based… so the treatment they give does not have to be backed by studies which prove it to be helpful. This is the reason their treatment cannot be given on the NHS, as this must be evidence based.

I know a few people who say they are helpful… but majority do not get any lasting relief. Most will say they were advised they had an ‘upslip in the SIJ’ or something ‘out of alignment’ that they need to ‘adjust’ on a regular basis. The manip ‘crack’ you hear is gas within the joint capsule being forced into the liquid, which is what happens when you crack your knuckles, all joint do this… this releases a shot of endorphin which makes you feel good (as you pay/walk out) but has no lasting effect as the joint was never out of alignment, and wasn’t in any different position after.

Sorry, more info than you asked for… some good, others out to fleece you based on dubious pseudo science.

I had success with a physiotherapist, saw several chiropractors that didn’t help at all and I’m not keen on the “crunching” that was done.

Physio looked at the issue as a whole, treated and gave exercises to stop the issues happen again. 5 years of sciatica stopped!

It's absolute quackery. The story of the founder is quite jaw dropping.

There are also some videos on YouTube of doctors warning about the dangers of chiropractic manipulation.

It’s better understood now to have an impact on neurology and how your brain perceives and controls your body. It helps create new ‘neural pathways’ which are firing in your brain all the time, in the same way a baby develops or you learn a new skill. That’s why it’s particularly good with long term pain issues or repetitive patterns of pain. It’s also why athletes and F1 drivers use it - quicker reflexes!

The research also says that it promotes parasympathetic drive (calm healing state of your nervous system) which is the opposite of the stress/fight or flight state.

Not bad for something which has very low risk compared to other interventions.

I think it’s been misunderstood for a long time, is all.

It's interesting reading other people's thoughts. I was in an awful lot of pain when I was first pregnant. The pain was very intense in just a very small area of my back. Chiropractor said my back was not in alignment and it was placing pressure in a nerve, which is just what it felt like. I had about 5 sessions and it was completely cured. It was massive relief as I couldn't get through the day without having a TENS machine in all the time.

Is this in actual research though?

I've seen many, many chiropractors, osteopaths and physios in my life. I've had varying success with all of them and conclude it's down to the individual practitioner as much as what they practice.
Most long-lasting successes though have been with a very high-end sport-specialist women's health physio and then, later, with a completely bonkers but very good sports osteopath

What also helped was learning more about the psychology of chronic pain (watch or read Lorimer Moseley on this) and being open to the idea that it often has a psychological basis (long-held trama, etc) (see John Sarno on this).

Best of luck on your pain relief journey. I have the utmost sympathy as it is often gruelling, and expensive

I think it's nonsense, quacks.

If you want to sort your back out find a local pilates class.

I see an osteopath - they are regulated at least.

quackery

see a physio and do the exercises.

I put more store in physio and pilates pilates pilates. Osteopaths it seems to depend on the individual who you see. Chiropractor, quacks imo.

I had a long term upper.back issue cured by a chiropractor but it was the acupuncture she did that finally got rid of it. I still have sessions for thst area if ot flares up and one session gets rid of it. So I trust chiropractors on the whole due to this experience.

I too have a lower back issue and despite lots of sessions it's not improved at all. So I'm going to an osteopath tomorrow as I'm in so much pain

Pure quackery.

Have a look at the origins of it.

Friend's mother had a stroke after seeing one and was in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Amazing wouldn't be without chiropractor they've assisted me on numerous occasions

Id rather see a good physio and work on strength and mobility.

Most pain in the lower back that isn’t an identifiable injury isn’t caused by something wrong in the lower back. It’ll be your hips or knees and some kind of muscle imbalance or something.

I developed chronic piriformis pain about 20 years ago, we had private healthcare at work and a colleague recommended a chiropractor, I went for months, always felt better for a day or two afterwards but never got any lasting relief, I didn’t really know the difference between them, physios and osteopaths back then. I only ever use physios now and whenever I have done so they have completely cured me and given me exercises to do at home as part of that, much better. I don’t imagine I’ll ever go to a chiropractor again.

If you have a serious or recurrent problem with your back you need to get your gp to refer for imaging. Many chiropractors diagnose and treat without this.
Having somebody perform “treatment” which is not evidence based or used by the nhs is at best a waste of money and worst actually harmful.
If you have money to spare see an orthopaedic consultant privately and get any necessary imaging done via that route instead of wasting it on those whose only recommendation is largely anecdotal.

Used physio and osteo for a long while - both good but the chiropractor I had refused to visit (despite my husbands suggestions) made an enormous change. Also never tried to book a block or follow up. I have more mobility than I had for decades.

@Cheeesus

Yes lots of research and lots of newer studies (2020+) to show The chiropractic adjustment increases heart rate variability (HRV) which is the measure of nervous system state.

one example here of many (note this is a small study 30 participants) but is one of very many.

scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2020&q=chiropractic+parasympathetic+&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5#d=gs_qabs&t=1711657757668&u=%23p%3DAynoGQynH6YJ

Perhaps check out Heidi Haavik, she is a chiropractor and has a PhD in human neurophysiology. Her mission is to educate the public on what chiropractic is.

On a side note it really fascinates me that many people believe what is a fully regulated (and in the UK recognised as primary healthcare) profession, is often misunderstood as unregulated quackery.

The governing body is the General Chiropractic Council and chiropractors train medically including differential diagnosis and neuroscience, and all to a Masters level.