Chiropractor taking advantage?

[AmyW9]

A few weeks ago, DH had mild neck pain. Nothing major - he could still carry on mostly as normal.

He visited a chiropractor he's seen before, (£75), who immediately recommended a full body x-ray (£250).

DH diligently paid, to be told by chiropractor that he had various 'misalignments' and needed a (very specific) 18 sessions to fix it. He suggested DH set up a direct debit, which he did, and DH is now visiting said chiropractor twice a week.

Ultimately, it's DH's decision and his money to spend. But I can't help but feel the chiropractor is being an absolute CF?! I've never seen one - is this normal!?

For context, DH is of perfect health aside from the mildly stiff neck (which resolved itself after 48 hours).

Chiropractors are not radiographers which is a protected profession in the UK, even radiographers need a post grad qualification to report on images.

I’ve gone to several osteopaths over the years for a recurring pelvis issue, everyone without exception warns to be very careful when using a chiropractor. They are known for this kind of treatment and excess cost.

i would walk away. No way would i let a chiropractor touch my neck where the risk of a vertebral artery dissection is real. DH had one recently which caused a stroke, not caused by a chiropractor but the consultant commented that this can happen.

I would be very suspicious of anyone recommending a full body x-ray for a sore neck, no-one should be getting an x-ray without very good reason due to the radiation risk. I went to a chiropractor years ago who also recommended an x-ray, I declined, I also got the impression it was more a money making excercise rather than a health evaluation. I went to a physiotherapist on the nhs instead and had good results.

Chiropractors are scammers. It's entirely not evidence based and the "manipulation" can be really dangerous.
I guess my question would be why someone would bother rushing off to see someone after a couple of days of mild to moderate neck pain? Surely if it was acute or due to an injury you'd try and see a doctor or physio, and if it was a niggling type of thing you'd wait and self treat for a few days rather than spending hundreds on a full body x-ray. Is your husband generally a bit anxious about his health?
I've honestly never understood why some people's first choice is snake oil rather than something evidence based.

DH does have professionally diagnosed health OCD, which is part of the reason I asked about this. I agree - it's not at all proportionate.

There is a chiropractor like this near me who does exactly the same. X-ray and then a plan of treatment. I was suspicious as anything and didn’t sign up….because how can he know how many treatments I’d need before I started. He does it for every single patient. It’s like a cult, you have to go and watch a video in a group setting on his techniques and the benefits of chiropractors before you’re allowed your consultation appt. Tries to brainwash you. I know lots of people who have been sucked in and regretted it.

and yes I did more research and decided it was a scam in general, especially this individual and saw a physio.

I've used chiropractors for about 20 years, following a slipped disc. Even then I had just a couple of visits and I go 2-3 times a year max. It works for me

However I think 18 sessions for a mid neck problem is way over the top. And definitely worth seeking out a second opinion, from a physio or another chiropractor.

PS - chiropractors are trained in taking and reading xrays

Now that is one heck of a 💧!!

Agree. Plenty of them using the term “Dr” without nearly clear enough information that they are not medical doctors despite an ASA ruling that they should make it VERY clear they are a Dr of Chiropractic if they must use “Dr” at all. There is one local to me who very much plays the Dr card and doesn’t put her customers right if they are confused and think she is medically qualified.

@AmyW9 it’s not unusual for people with health anxiety intrusive thoughts/doubts about health to seek constant reassurance from the medical profession and for to cross over/expand into paying vast amounts of money to various alternative practitioners who will happily keep taking someone’s money and giving the reassurance (not necessarily out of malice). Seeking reassurance never works and keeps the problem going as you no doubt know.

Would he spend the money treating what’s likely to be the real problem instead? If so you could look on the BABCP website (accrediting body for CBT) where you will find people who are used to assessing and if appropriate, treating both OCD and health anxiety using CBT and exposure response prevention (ERP). Appreciate you might already have this covered.

It’s a bloody five year degree!

A 5 year degree in pseudoscience. How embarrassing.

Although, it's clearly a lucrative business, with the amount of people getting sucked into it and spending £££ on snake oil treatments.

How do you work out it is pseudoscience? What exactly do you know about it?

As anyone who's been xrayed knows, xrays are targeted at the very specific area of diagnosis, because they are, err, slightly risky. Anyone who does not care to minimise risks in treatment shouldn't be treating anyone!

One of my DC is a physiotherapist and says that chiropractic therapy is unproven to be effective. Personally I would avoid and see a suitably qualified muscular skeletal physiotherapist instead.

The School of Chiropractic is in the building which used to be a school - Boscombe Convent - where I went as a child. They let us have our school reunions there, so we got to see around their classrooms.

They do have a long course of study and thorough anatomy training. Nevertheless I don't believe that their therapy is any use at all. I tried a chiropractor briefly for sciatica - useless - and eventually got to see an NHS physio who sorted me out after about 4 sessions (with good advice to prevent reoccurance).

My opinion is that chiropractic works for some because of the placebo effect - or maybe they induce people to come back over such a long period their problem resolves on its own.

Ha I thought someone might say this. But, it's a detail which consistently alters how I view DH's decisions and I thought leaving it out the equation would give a more unbiased view :-)

We do indeed have this one covered. CBT has been a huge help - this is all frankly a drop in the ocean compared to DH's health anxiety at a peak.

Huh?

It is extremely relevant.

Before that 💧, then given your dh was a fully formed adult with all his faculties firing… I’d have trusted him to make his own judgement re his health.

Given this 💧, it puts an entirely different slant on it.

If he wants to improve his posture he'd be better off doing yoga, pilates or Alexander technique regularly.

1. Every properly designed study ever done has shown chiropractic is ineffective.
2. It was invented by a "magnetic healer" who claimed he cured a man's deafness by shoving on his spine.
3. Nobody has ever been cured by it but people have died.

I’ve had chiropractic treatment many times for a back issue. It’s always sorted it .

The placebo effect is very strong, most back issues show a regression to the mean, and chriopractors are excellent at suggestion and mental manipualtion (the only thing they are good at, besides pretending to be doctors).

What a load of bollocks

Chiropractic is indeed a load of bollocks, glad you've seen the light and will stop giving these charlatans money.

I'm so on the fence about a chiropractor but ultimately I think you can do what you want with your money IF you have it.

I saw one after a week in a hospital bed, I've always had shocking posture.

I don't know what he did (a few moves) on my neck but I felt HIGH after. I remember saying wow do people walk round stuck in these painful positions all their life?

I then saw another one mainly for neck stiffness and I just wanted to understand why my posture was so bad. He took an xray and said my neck was so far forward I could only have been in a car crash, he had never seen it before. Never went back.

I also went to a student chiro who just couldn't do the manipulation that was needed.

What I do think my issues were - poor posture from straining my neck at a computer and extremely weak core muscles.

Things that cost much less than a chiro that have helped - bikram yoga (I don't do it anymore), strength training specifically bar bell squats and deadlifts, a 90 minute deep tissue massage with a man with strong hands 3-4 times a year, front crawl swimming to open everything up.

Possibly my neck is actually quite straight- that's what happened when I was strength training, all the kinks disappeared.

The only useful thing I did learn was that the head is like the weight of a bowling ball on your neck.

Also, I learned this from strength training, the neck is a MUSCLE. After about 3-6 months I went to put on my slinky halter dress and could barely get the button round my neck because I had actually gained muscle on my neck. It was literally wider, and stronger, than it was before. So I guess the learning was that we need all these muscles around our body supporting the skeleton and organs to be strong I guess.