To think a chiropractor might be able to help an immune system?

[Kangaroosjump]

I thought they did spinal adjustments that were meant to strengthen an immune system?

Due to an ongoing issue with my tot that doesn't seem too serious - drs not worried, but I'm seeing a few things and thinking they could be connected in a bigger holistic picture I thought we might try one for him...

Have I got the wrong thing? My mum is telling me they just sort bad backs...

What alternative health treatments (except homeopathy thanks) would be likely to help a toddlers over stressed immune system? There's a few behavioural issues im convinced are linked but it's just not enough to concern my doc... (Thankfully)

Thanks!

To be fair to chiropractors they do train like medics

Oh FFFFFSSSS. There are not enough facepalms in the fucking world for this ^

I can't tell you how my heart weeps and my brain bleeds for this shit.

Like medics? I can only assume you know not what you say.

OP - do some reading about digestive enzymes. It's very basic - but problems with digestion can cause systemic inflammation which leads to problems. As far as I know, it's safe to experiment with digestive enzymes and they might provide a simple solution to the problem.

There are good osteopaths and bad osteopaths. In our case it was the osteopath who told me after seeing and feeling my dd's torticollis that she would more than likely need surgery. She didn't even recommend those helmets you see some kids wearing. She helped relieve the tension in my dd's neck so she could eventually crawl at 13 months and walk at 16 months. The physio and paediatrician Dd saw on the NHS were very impressed we had taken her to see one whilst waiting 3 months for her appointment. You can say physio is just as good but I have spent many wasted hours in physio with a screaming toddler who does not want to stretch her neck and just screamed herself sick. At least the osteopath knew how to calm and relax my dd and she had more movement after those sessions than before. I doubt the placebo affect applied in this case. For muscular things i think they are worth trying, anything else they claim to cure I mistrust and never believe anyone who says you don't need to see your Doctor as well. This includes faith healers, crystal wielders, and people trying to sell you ground up bits of endangered species.

As far as I know, it's safe to experiment with digestive enzymes

No. It really isn't. I have to glove up and sometimes wear face masks.

Oh sorry, you mean the Holland and Barrett version. Oh yeah, that's fine.

Going back to the original OP, and leaving aside the quackopath chat...(as it happens have had quite good experience with a chiropractor for back pain, but I think it was just a series of really robust massages IYKWIM. definitely didn't realign me aura/bring about world peace...but then nor do I think he's a charlatan).

If she's constantly getting poorly, and crotchety as a result, it may well be an immunity thing in that one of her vaccines hasn't taken. We've had this. DTD1 had pretty continual glue ear/sniffles/temp, were considering grommets, was causing behavioural issues (which I feel awful about now as, basically, she was just in constant low level pain)...ENT consultant had a hunch, ran some bloods, and voila - v low on pneumococcal. Gave her a booster, 3 months ago, waiting on antibody results but I already know what they're going to say, as she's a different child.

tormentil do you even know what 'systemic inflammation' even means? I have an autoimmune disease that's causes actual systemic inflammation. Digestive enzymes won't prevent my joints being eaten away nor my organs being attacked. Using medical terminology incorrectly to promote woo makes you sound silly.

God I love it when mumsnetters completely misread/misquote another poster.

My full sentence was this
"To be fair to chiropractors they do train like medics, they do extensive study on the skeleton and other body parts (however, obviously the courses don't have the same high level entry requirements - just whether or not you can fund the expensive four year course)."

Which clearly highlights that chiropractors aren't able enough to be doctors (hence low level entry requirements and funding instead), and no their training is not as vast as doctors, however they are not completely clueless about the human body as several posters have implied.

Their methods are questionable as to how chiropractics can 'cure' people but I covered that as well.

But yes, choosing a small section of a sentence and criticising it as being the full statement is really clever. Well done.

No wonder some people think mumsnetters is full of prissy arsehole posters, when posters behave like this.

however they are not completely clueless about the human body as several posters have implied

Yes, yes, they are. They think that mythical voodoo spinal 'subluxations' can cause diabetes.

That's pretty laughable clueless. But you state they aren't quacks

You think because they know what a spinal column is, they know about the human body.

Sorry, wierd editing/proofreading there. The last statement was part of a suppressed rant

Egg Sorry, I see you're not promoting chiropractic for everything, so my annoyance is targetted at the wrong person

But are you advocating chiropractors for back problems? What's wrong with a physio?

Kangaroo I understand exactly where you are coming from. DS1 had loads of things going on health wise and was ill a lot when he was younger.

I was very frustrated at seeing one specialist for the allergies, another for the ENT problems, another for the gastric problems as well as an audiologist and a dietician and the GP.

NOBODY was looking at his body as a whole which was what was needed.

Turned out he had a tongue tie which was affecting his structural development which in turn was affecting his ability to eat, breathe and sleep.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that eating, breathing and sleeping are all essential for good health.

We finally got the help we needed from an orthodontist because the medics were fucking useless. Sorry, but they were.

The orthodontist also did osteopathy, including cranial. This, combined with revision of his tongue tie and 2 years of orthodontic treatment allowed him to eat, breathe and sleep well and every single problem he had disappeared.

I would be sceptical about chiro = boosting immune system, but it could be a piece in the puzzle of a bigger picture.

My DF went to see an osteopath about a niggling back problem. Apparently this chap asked him to stand next to a treatment bed, place his hands on the edge and lean forward, he then walked behind him and jerked his back. Dad was in pure agony from there onwards and even had to be helped out of the consulting room.

Now I have no problem with complementary medicine, in fact, I quite like it but what concerned me was that this osteopath clearly had concerns about Dad's treatment, yet rang once briefly to see if he was ok and needed another appointment, that was it. In fact Dad died within 3 months of that treatment and we don't know if it had any effect one way or the other but I would have expected more professionalism in following him up

The orthodontist also did osteopathy, including cranial

Say what now?

Orthodontist? Clinically-trained mouth doctor does osteopathy?? Cranial? What's his/her name?

Jebus. 10 years, a bazillion quid, the person most qualified to spot a SCC and their pushing skull plates in a bogus treatment that defies logic and makes me ashamed to have dedicated some of my career to teaching the woo fuckers.

Orthodontist? Really?

Shoot me now, their/they're.

Yes, really.
I will pm you his name. I don't want to put it on here as it might out me.

Young children's immune systems have not been exposed to the number of viruses as adults have. They catch things, more so when they attend new groups, meet new people, visit places. This is a good thing, they build up their immune systems by developing antibodies to protect them next time they are exposed to that virus or something very similar.

Children experiencing new situations can become a bit stressed, they also feel a bit stressed when they are ill the 2 things are connected. Some children are more susceptible to specific viruses because they have not yet built up their immunity. They be stressed because the parent is worrying unduly about their health.

Certainly try alternative medicine if you wish, it may give you some reassurance that you are helping in some way. They may meet even more new people to pick up viruses from and build up even more antibodies that way!. Spend your own money rather than the over stretched resources of the health service. But it is quackery and there is NO scientific evidence that any of it works beyond the placebo effect.

www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304244904579278442014913458

I think this is a fascinating piece of research on the power of placebo "fake surgery"

My kids' orthodontist insists that they visit the osteopath every 3 months to ensure no tensions are present in the skull during treatment.

A brace can put pressure inequally on the skull causing changes in facial symmetry and migraines.

I think I'd have to stop referring patients to a professional colleague who peddled cranial osteopathy.

Mrsmorton- have you been to an osteopath previously?

Your immune system just is. You can't boost it, calm it or in any way influence it. Anyone claiming otherwise is talking woo

Couldn't agree less with this.

Anyone who smokes or drinks to excess isn't helping their immune system or anything else healthwise.

Anyone suffering severe stress is going to affect their immune system.

Anyone ill-fed will affect their immune system.

Chiropractors are covered by the medical insurance in some, if not all, of the US states.

Yea, had an interesting talk by a dentist who is an osteopath last month. I asked him specifically about cranial osteopathy, he was too polite to say it's bollocks. But it's bollocks.

mrsmorton- I assumed orthodontics was as dull as accountancy but our passionate orthodontist makes me think the conferences must be like a heavyweight fight with conflicting studies used as weapons. "I see your myofacial changes and raise you invisaligns"