# Do you swear BY or AT chiropractors? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966 "2012-01-09T20:43:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/21 "2012-01-10T10:01:10Z")
My mother got some relief from a whiplash from a chiro, but it was mostly massage. I see a masseuse regularly for manual lymphatic drainage. Basically, he moves the fluid from my ankles and legs back up towards my heart. On occasion, I’ve asked him to work on my left shoulder, which tends to freeze up from arthritis, and I can move that joint much more easily after he’s worked on it recently. Go get a professional massage, from someone who’s actually registered and who doesn’t seem to want to give you a happy ending, and see what that does for you. I got a lot of relief just from a single treatment, and I see improvement after just about every session. Of course if your insurance will pay for a chiro but not a masseuse, go see the recommended chiro. For the record, I’ve never asked my masseuse about the availability of a happy ending, nor has he ever hinted that such a thing might be available at his spa. Usually we talk about video games. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/22 "2012-01-10T17:33:19Z")
More by than at. When Mr. Panda was in a car accident a few years ago, a chiropractor was the only medical professional that did a damn thing for him to help him; everyone else blew him off or was completely incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/23 "2012-01-10T18:25:51Z")
I went to one several years ago…I don’t feel he did anything for me. I never felt he was adjusting what needed to be adjusted or doing anything to address my specific issues. I also felt he misdiagnosed me and overscheduled me in an effort to bilk my insurer. And one time he left me a treatment room with a Tensor unit on my back for an inordinate period of time and then pretended he did it on purpose which sent me ballistic …you are not going to “help my stress” by stretching my routine 15 minute treatment to two hours without telling me, in fact you will increase my stress level as I start to think about the other commitments I’m missing and wondering where you disappeared to. And then I was miraculously cured as soon as my insurance benefits for the year ran out. I later found out that the person who referred me (who also handled HR at my work whch is probably why the guy was so attuned to my benefits) was actually injured by this guy who gave her free lifetime treatments in return for her silence…then she referred her friends…gee thanks !!! So YMMV but in my case it was a scam, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/24 "2012-01-10T19:50:11Z")
The first one I went to was a scam artist, plain and simple. According to her, she could cure anything through years of chiropractic adjustments. Since then, I’ve seen three to work on various musculo-skeletal issues. With those three, I went in, explained the problem, they did adjustments and gave me exercises and stretches to do. Also, reasonably shortly after I started seeing them, I stopped seeing them because the issues were gone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/25 "2012-01-10T20:37:32Z")
If they concentrate on mild-moderate back pain, etc, then they do a great job. But that’s all Chiropractry can treat. Mind you, being in constant back pain can bring on great stress, which can make you sick in other ways. I completely agree with QtM on this. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/26 "2012-01-11T00:20:55Z")
Every now and then my lower back will “go out”. The first time it happened, it hurt so bad I could barely walk. A friend recommended her chiropractor and it hurt so bad, I was desperate. He did an adjustment and I immediately felt better. (Not 100%, but better.) He also recommended what else I could do to both help it feel better and prevent it from happening again. Since then, when I’ve ignored his advice and my back has gone out, I’ve gone back to him for an adjustment. Each time he does the same thing with the same results. I wouldn’t however, let him (or anyone else) near my neck. No way–I’ve heard too many bad things happening from neck adjustments. My mom suffered from back problems when I was a kid and went to one chiropractor after another. None helped. However, that was 30 years ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/27 "2012-01-11T00:24:44Z")
I get burning pain in my upper back (due to a muscle imbalance and muscles in my shoulders and chest pulling on my back), I saw a chiro about 3-4 times for it. He did some adjustments and then gave me some stretching exercises (exercises I already knew about and had been doing to no avail). My problem isn’t gone, but it is about 70% better. So yeah, it was totally worth it to go. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/28 "2012-01-11T00:28:36Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Back-rubs don’t cure cancer. Don’t tell that to the women I pick up at the hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Hallucinex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/29 "2012-01-11T12:07:16Z")
It sounds like the ones that aren’t complete quacks tend to be basically just decent physiotherapists or massage therapists specializing in backs (rather than doing actual chiropractic\*). So I’d probably play it safe and go with one of those than risk ending up in the hands of a spine-wizard. \*although not sure whether the fact that they still associate themselves with it should be a concern too ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/30 "2012-01-12T04:21:50Z")
In my experience there are two types of chiropractors: Those who make the claim that manipulating the back can cure anything from lower back pain to AIDS, and those that are as \*\*Hallucinex \*\*describes as being specialized physical therapists. I’ve seen both types. I was having pain and weakness in my right hip, so I went to see a chiropractor. This guy was definitely a quack because he was asking me about injuries I never had. Quack Chiro: [Feeling around my back] "When did you break your knee? Me: “Never.” Quack Chiro: “Are you sure about that?” Me: “I’m pretty sure I would remember breaking my knee.” So after seeing many doctors and many physical therapy sessions, I tried a 2nd chiropractor after a recommendation by a pain doctor. This guy is great. He was able to tell that my hips were out of alignment and only did adjustments that put them back into alignment and he gave me exercises to help strengthen that area. He also helped me to figure out that the reason for this was from sitting on my wallet for the past 30+ years. I’ve been pain free now for the past month. So to answer the OP, I’ve both sweared AT and BY a chiropractor. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/31 "2012-01-12T05:18:29Z")
> [@Hallucinex](#): > > It sounds like the ones that aren’t complete quacks tend to be basically just decent physiotherapists or massage therapists specializing in backs (rather than doing actual chiropractic\*). So I’d probably play it safe and go with one of those than risk ending up in the hands of a spine-wizard. > ] No, a real chiro does different stuff than just a massage tech does. Similar, yes, but different enuf. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/32 "2012-01-12T13:59:41Z")
I suspect a problem for many chiropractors is that there isn’t enough money in confining your practice to “adjusting” musculoskeletal complaints. Many have branched out into other forms of woo, like [“the wolf man of Pacific Palisades”](http://www.chiroeco.com/news/chiropractic-news.php?id=2502§ion=70): _“I will do an initial evaluation, for instance. Let’s say I find an old stress deep in the body rather than an injury. I’ll refer to our practitioner who does a certain technique, or we’ll move the patient into another room and do a B.E.S.T treatment, a homeopathic scan, kinesiological balance, an essential oil, or a crystal massage."_ _“In 2004, 35 percent of Wagner’s gross income was generated by the nearly $385,000 in sales at his Time For Health pharmacy…Now Wagner bills himself as an expert in nutrition and supplement programs. His practice includes a complete nutritional and homeopathic store (pharmacy)…He maintains an inventory of about $70,000 worth of various supplements, and has approximately 1,000 homeopathic remedies available onsite.”_ So, looks like well over $1 million in gross income annually for the “wolf man”. Beats just cracking backs. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/33 "2012-01-12T14:18:10Z")
I tried chiroquacks twice-no positive results. My Dad used to go to a quack who performed a really weird procedure on him (my Dad suffered from nerve damage in his feet, from diabetes)-the quack would put pads that had arrays of LEDs on tem-these would flash lights into the skin. Each “treatment” lasted about 45 minutes-don’t know what it was spposed to do. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966/34 "2012-01-12T16:36:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Chiros that restrict their practice to short-term manipulation of the back and neck and limbs for musculo-skeletal complaints are pretty much okay in my book. It’s very similar to what physical therapists do, gives about as good temporary relief as most prescription drugs, and is unlikely to do harm. This. It’s all kind of woo, but I won’t roll my eyes at friends who go to the good kind of chiropractor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-swear-by-or-at-chiropractors/608966.md?page=1)