I went to a new chiropractor recently for a sore back and after a series of muscle strength tests he diagnosed me with left/right brain asymmetry. He then proceeded to perform the exact same three mobilizations (cracks) that every other chiropractor osteopath or physiotherapist has done over the past twenty years, before delivering the following instruction: He told me to sniff four of my favourite aromas soaked into a cotton wool pad through my right nostril only every couple of hours through the day to rebalance the brain.
Is this medicine? I thought the nostrils were connected. Has anyone achieved success with this treatment.
I have to say, I almost walked out when he said it but I thought I’d consult the teeming millions in case I’m being closed minded.
There are a handful of things that chiropractic genuinely is good for, but “brain asymmetry” isn’t one of them, and anyone who believed in something that crazy, I wouldn’t trust for the legitimate portion of chiropractic, either.
I’ve had success with a chiropractor dealing with a repetitive back muscle problem. It would have healed on its own I’m sure but he gave me some stretches and exercises that shortened the recovery time and have kept it from returning.
Oh, and yes your nostrils are connected. I use a neti pot and I can assure you that water poured in one nostril comes out the other.
A chiropractor who adjusts your spine, not necessarily using “cracking”, can help relieve spine pain. The guy you ran into is a bana fide quack who will take your money and might hurt you.
By any chance did he follow his advice to sniff aromas up your favorite nostril with a recommendation to ease this process by sticking sharpie markers up said nostril?
after a series of muscle strength tests he diagnosed me with left/right brain asymmetry.
What he actually “diagnosed” was that you’re either right handed or left handed. Our dominant side tends to be stronger because we use it more but it also relates to how well your nervous system fires muscle bundles. Even if you don’t really use your right leg more than your left, you can still be “right legged” because of better neurological functioning on the dominant side.
People tend to forget that muscles don’t work if nerves don’t fire them. Muscle function is very closely tied to nerve function… that’s why it’s called your neuromuscular system.
Years ago, I went to a chiropractor for about two years. Half the time I thought it was beneficial, and half the time I thought it didn’t make a difference, or actually made it worse. The only reason I kept going was that my insurance covered it.
I must pick a nit here. Chiropractors have very little education in medicine of any kind. They are the the modern snake oil salesmen. Charlatans. The noise your back makes when they “crack” it is just a release of nitrogen from the joints, no different than cracking you knuckles.
Most are more Penn & Teller than pennicillin. They tell you, with great authority, what they’re doing is going to make you feel better, so it does.
An Osteopath is a doctor. He or she goes to school as long as an MD does. The history of their practice was, at one point, based on the dermatomes, but no longer. They now are taught main stream medicine.
A Physical Therapist is a medical professional who specializes in the rehabilitation of muscles after injury or surgery.
Please don’t lump the two groups of medical professionals with the slight of hand “experts.”
Not to defend the core ideas of chiropractics, but very little of what you mentioned belong in that bin. You can find MDs believing in such crap too, if you search long enough.
Every time we have a thread on chiropractic, it’s said that it is good for some specific kinds of backpain.
This is bullshit.
Massage and manipulation of some points is good for backpain. Chiropractors happen to do some of this. But this doesn’t make chiropractic any less bullshit, any more than the exercise you get when doing Tai Chi makes qi energy real.
My step father-in-law was a chiropracter and I use one regularly. They agree that most chiros are quacks. Which might seem self-serving. Neither of them tried to cure anything but back problems. The one I use now was recommended by my family doctor, who also sees him. I used to suffer back pain frequently. I have had one bad attack in the 22 years I have been seeing him.
One thing he did was teach me a series of stretching exercises that I have been doing for 22 years. So is it his treatment or the exercises that is keeping my back well? I don’t know and am not about to perform the crucial experiment to find out.