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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can’t afford chiropractor

133 replies

21butterflies · 03/03/2022 10:45

Posted before, long story short am suffering from burnout and also a bad neck/shoulder due to a severely out of place first rib.

Hoping to take sick leave for 2 weeks due to both stress and my back.
Went to the chiropractor today and they showed me very bad x rays and said how often I would need treatment. The total came to £950.

I burst into tears in the middle of the office.

I feel like I’m desperate for this time off but I need good reasoning for my boss and I also feel like if I can’t get my back fixed in time then it’s pointless. I feel if I go down the GP route I’d have to wait a long time.
I can’t afford the chiropractor on normal terms; let alone if I take sick leave so now I’m even questioning that.

If I’m honest my life feels like a mess and I have no idea what direction to turn to. I’m currently in bed in tears and I’ve been taking it out on my poor DP too who even offered to help but no chance am I letting him!

What on Earth do I do ☹️

OP posts:
CharlotteRose90 · 03/03/2022 10:48

If you can’t get it on the nhs then I would do whatever it takes. Borrow money off someone or take a loan etc, the longer you stay like this the worse you’ll be.

Whymustyoubringinthebirds · 03/03/2022 10:50

Would you have to pay it all in one go? My DH has recently been seeing a chiropractor and he can pay weekly, he pays about 45 per session

SilverHairedCat · 03/03/2022 10:50

Get an NHS physiotherapist. Chiropractor treatment may be available through the you're GP, depending on your area. A competence physio will be more use though and can probably also do acupuncture.

Have you looked to see if you can self refer for physiotherapy in your area? Or do you have to go via the GP?

Whetheryouthinkyoucan · 03/03/2022 10:52

Why on earth would you refuse to let your partner help you?

Bubbles456 · 03/03/2022 10:53

£950 sounds extraordinarily expensive and I'd question the motives of the Chiropractor firm. I once paid £100s to a chain Chiropractor as got sucked in by the sales pitch. But once I realised I'd been had I went to an independent person and after one session I felt so much better.

So please don't panic and try to find someone else for your treatment - you shouldn't need x-rays or to pay consultancy fees for this sort of thing. Most Chiropractors I've used have recommended just one session to manipulate my bones and then to only return when I feel I need another adjustment.

I really hope this is helpful!

Thissucksmonkeynuts · 03/03/2022 10:55

Get a chartered physio. I've used one who is also a pirates instructor, sorted my neck right out.

Hadjab · 03/03/2022 10:56

@21butterflies

Posted before, long story short am suffering from burnout and also a bad neck/shoulder due to a severely out of place first rib.

Hoping to take sick leave for 2 weeks due to both stress and my back.
Went to the chiropractor today and they showed me very bad x rays and said how often I would need treatment. The total came to £950.

I burst into tears in the middle of the office.

I feel like I’m desperate for this time off but I need good reasoning for my boss and I also feel like if I can’t get my back fixed in time then it’s pointless. I feel if I go down the GP route I’d have to wait a long time.
I can’t afford the chiropractor on normal terms; let alone if I take sick leave so now I’m even questioning that.

If I’m honest my life feels like a mess and I have no idea what direction to turn to. I’m currently in bed in tears and I’ve been taking it out on my poor DP too who even offered to help but no chance am I letting him!

What on Earth do I do ☹️

My Chiro charges £150 for x-rays - I’m pretty sure you’ve been ripped off. How much are they charging you per session @21butterflies? The going rate at ours is £50.
zafferana · 03/03/2022 10:56

Chiropractors are charlatans - I wouldn't pay one a penny. Talk to your GP surgery and explain how desperate you are and ask them to recommend someone. If you're going to pay good money you want to be sure that you're getting proper treatment.

NortieTortie · 03/03/2022 10:56

Isn't chiro mostly pseudoscience and placebo anyway? Definitely go through the NHS. I'm sorry you're in pain.

Original poster
21butterflies · 03/03/2022 10:57

@Whetheryouthinkyoucan I’ve only been with my partner 9 months, we don’t live together, I’m not just going to accept a grand off him!

So the lady said my problem is so severe that I would need 3x a week for 4 weeks, then 2x a week for 4 weeks, then 1x a week so that I can return to work quicker too. It would work out cheaper if I pay it in bulk.

I’m just struggling so much mentally too and I just feel completely stuck

OP posts:
HotPenguin · 03/03/2022 10:58

That sounds like a lot of money just for chiropractic treatment? I would try self referring on the NHS to physio, and/or seeing a private physiotherapist for a second opinion.

Original poster
21butterflies · 03/03/2022 10:58

Sorry if I didn’t make it clear! I paid £100 for the whole initial things. It’d then be £950 for 24 sessions of treatment

OP posts:
Gingembre · 03/03/2022 10:59

As someone who has spent a LOT of money in chiropractic treatment, and who absolutely swore by them until I realised certain things..I'd highly recommend trying a physio first. Even if private, but even better if not.

Contact one or go to GP if necessary for a referral.

And I'd look too at massage - proper massage, not an aromatherapy rub down. The pain is worsened by muscle tension in reaction to the original pain. A good massage can help more than we think. I'm not recommending it as a solution, more in addition to NHS physio. Plus helps with burnout recovery.

If a physio suggests chiropractic treatment would help, then I'd let my DP help.

There are options OP, don't worry.

notacooldad · 03/03/2022 11:02

Chiropractors are charlatans - I wouldn't pay one a penny

Mine us £35 a session and made the mist amazing difference to me. Worth every single penny for me. When I told her the problem she thought the issue could be sorted in one treatment but definitely no more than two.
I came away feeling like I was walking in air. It made a huge difference to the quality of my life tbh.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 03/03/2022 11:02

@Bubbles456

£950 sounds extraordinarily expensive and I'd question the motives of the Chiropractor firm. I once paid £100s to a chain Chiropractor as got sucked in by the sales pitch. But once I realised I'd been had I went to an independent person and after one session I felt so much better.

So please don't panic and try to find someone else for your treatment - you shouldn't need x-rays or to pay consultancy fees for this sort of thing. Most Chiropractors I've used have recommended just one session to manipulate my bones and then to only return when I feel I need another adjustment.

I really hope this is helpful!

Ummm. Yes and no.

A good Chiro will want to see X-rays, particularly if you have ongoing rib problems. Without X-rays, they could cause further injury and be liable for it. They generally don’t insist on them for generic complaint of back pain though.

Most chiros (and I’ve been to quite a few as I’ve moved a lot) do recommend a course of treatment over a period of a couple of weeks or months if they are helping you with a specific injury.

I’m shocked by the cost though although I am out of date with UK prices. I’d suggest taking your X-rays (you own your medical records, not the Chiro) to another chiropractor for a second opinion on the price if not the diagnosis.

Good luck!

Soffit · 03/03/2022 11:05

It sounds like a rip off. I am personally being issued with rip off quotations l,r and c these days. I don't even bother replying to refuse now. There are some good, cheap options for osteopathy in London if that's any good for you? The introductory offers are usually for the first two sessions but that may be all you need in some cases

notacooldad · 03/03/2022 11:05

I’ve only been with my partner 9 months, we don’t live together, I’m not just going to accept a grand off him!
Ah that makes sense. So he is your boyfriend rather than partner. I would be reluctant to accept money after going out with someone for only a few months.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 03/03/2022 11:06

Ok, I’ve read your update. £950 for 24 sessions seems pretty good. But maybe consider getting a second opinion too. And they you can call the first and ask them if you could start with two sessions rather than 3 etc.

Remember - it is your treatment and your back. Only you can put yourself first.

Soffit · 03/03/2022 11:07

Ok I've just seen your other posts and that is quite a lot of sessions. Are you sure that is an honest assessment of your needs? I'd get a second opinion with a place that does a free initial consultation. I can't believe they charged you £100 for an initial

Pyewhacket · 03/03/2022 11:10

This will only get better if you do something about it. I'd still go and see your GP but if that proves probematic I'd accept help from your DP with the proviso that you'll pay him back. Doing nothing isn't an option.

Lesperance · 03/03/2022 11:18

I don't understand why you are not going for NHS physiotherapy. Why is that? It just doesn't make sense to spend nearly £1000 on this as a first avenue to explore. You "feel" it will take longer with the GP route, but you actually don't know, so YABU.

Rewis · 03/03/2022 11:22

So the lady said my problem is so severe that I would need 3x a week for 4 weeks, then 2x a week for 4 weeks, then 1x a week so that I can return to work quicker too. It would work out cheaper if I pay it in bulk.

I'm not a chiro. But this sounds like a lot. Get a second opinion. I'd say go the chiropractor a few times and then get a physio that you see a few times that can also help you do things on your freetime.

I love going to get cracked. But I've had a chiropractor who was ready to give a long treatment plan (12 sessins) and the first assessment took a long time and no treatment. Didn't like the long plan. Then went to another chiropractor. He cracked my back and told me to come again in 2 weeks. Then he said that I should call him if the pain comes back. Then 6 years later I called him that the pain is back.

Hyperion100 · 03/03/2022 11:30

Echoing others....see a physio first. As someone with a life long bad back, I'm sure there are some good chiros out there but I'm yet to meet one. I feel they treat symptoms rather than underlying causes.

Clovacloud · 03/03/2022 11:31

That’s an insane amount. Go and see an Osteopath and get a second opinion. My Mum was a terrible driver as a result I was in 8 car crashes before I was 21, so I have all sorts of neck/back injuries that play up every now and again. I have never ever needed 24 sessions for anything, at worst three over 2 weeks.

I did however go and see a Chiropractor once when I lived in Canada, and he was insistent that I had one leg longer than the other - who doesn’t? And that I would need XRays and lots of sessions to fix it. Sounded like bullshit, so never went back and have stuck to Osteopaths since.

Go see someone else and I hope you feel better soon.

Original poster
21butterflies · 03/03/2022 11:46

Thank you so much for all your input. What’s the difference between an osteopath and a chiropractor?

I think I’m just stressing at work are really on my case about why I’m thinking of taking leave, so I need concrete evidence and a treatment plan ASAP if I want to use my leave effectively. To be honest I was thinking of taking leave due to burnout anyway (my job is so stressful and I’m looking for new ones)

OP posts: