Quackopractor Alert

[Disaffected]

Chiropractors in Canada show their true colours:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/chiropractors-immune-system-covid-19-1.5511008

[gibraltar72]

1. Not all but most are quacks.

One told my dad he could cure his Epilepsy.

[Disaffected]

2. Sad but true

The few that practice only the standard physiotherapy stuff are generally OK but are in the minority.

Worse yet, even the purveyors of the most egregious chiropractic "treatments" are often left unscathed by the chiro governing bodies or get a slap on the wrist at best. Neck twisting is another example plus all the antivax crapola etc etc.

Anyhow, do not depend on a chiropractor to protect you from Covid-19. Or, any other infectious disease for that matter....

[gibraltar72]

3. A degree from Palmer is about it. Not sure how they are regulated.

[Disaffected]

6. Here in Canada

they are considered a self-regulating "profession" as I understand it. Their governing bodies are usually provincial "Colleges of Chiropractic" or "Chiropractic Associations". There is also the "Canadian Chiropractic Association" which also plays a usually half-assed role in governance. AFAIK, it's similar in the US.

[Siwsan]

4. I used to review malpractice reports on chiropractors. This doesn't surprise me, at all.

There are some really, really bent and hinky practitioners out there.

[Archae]

7. How can malpractice be charged to a guy who is a quack to begin with?

Chiropractors ARE quacks.

All of them.

All the credible science says chiropractors are practicing woo.

[Siwsan]

8. Well, they are licensed.

And I don't agree on the whole 'woo' issue. My mother had foot surgery, was wearing one of those 'blue shoes' on the surgery foot and a regular shoe on the other. It was just enough difference in heel height to throw everything out of whack and her sciatic nerve went bonkers. Her physician referred her to a chiropractor who saw her a total of maybe 3 or 4 times, completely resolved the issue, and made no attempt to string her along on more, unnecessary visits. I've known several other people who have gotten great relief.

I reviewed malpractice suits against MDs, DOs, DCs, DDSs, ODs, PsyDs, CSWs, MSWs - pretty much you name the medical related degree and I've studied cases filed against it. It was an eye opening job, that's for sure. There are more than a few multi-board certified physicians I wouldn't allow to take my temperature.

[Archae]

9. I had one encounter with an ER "doctor" who ended up deported.

She told me I had a "bruise" in my shoulder, turned out after x-rays, (which the ER "doctor" never took,) I had a broken collarbone that needed to be screwed together for a few months.

The woman ended up getting deported, but not until she screwed up royally in the ER, and a little boy died.

She had a really highly inflated opinion of herself, she told me she was a doctor, and I wasn't, so I had no idea what I was talking about regarding my shoulder.

[Siwsan]

10. I admit that I've had some pretty horrific experiences with physicians as a medical advocate

for various family members. One time I thought for sure I'd be banned from a specific hospital.

I'm lucky that I'm healthy.

[Archae]

11. One thing that bugs the hell out of me is "Family Chiropractic."

I see this advertised on some chiropractic offices.

"Family Chiropractic" is chiropractic for BABIES.

Babies? Yes.

[Siwsan]

13. My vegan, anti-vax nephew and his wife were taking their toddler to one

Nothing we could say made any difference to them. They were going into bad debt. I don't even ask about it, anymore, because it's impossible to convince them about how ridiculous it is for them to be taking her.

[Disaffected]

14. Well, yes,

the rigours of traversing the birth canal require spinal adjustment right after delivery don'tcha know?

Not making that up - some chiros actually provide such a "service".

[Archae]

15. Exactly, "Siswan" above this post mentioned a nephew who takes a baby there.

It's a cashing-in scheme.

Nothing more.

[Mosby]

33. A physical therapist could have done the same thing. nt

[Drahthaardogs]

5. Di Solito

Eom.

[Totally Tunsie]

12. Have to disagree here.

My chiropractor has gotten me up and running when medical doctors just wanted to put me on
multiple pain killers that anesthetized me, but didn't solve the issue.

I've been going to the same chiro for almost 40 years. He is my hero.

[edhopper]

16. If you have been going for 40 years

he hasn't cured you, has he?

[Totally Tunsie]

18. There is no "cure". My spinal column slips

out of place, putting intense pressure on my nerves. Medication just numbs the pain, but doesn't solve the problem. The spinal bones need to be shifted off the nerves. That's what chiropractic and my wonderful doctor are able to accomplish.

BTW, no need to be snide. Why question what works for someone else?

[edhopper]

20. Yeah I was pretty snide

apologies.

[Totally Tunsie]

22. Thank you - accepted.

[Disaffected]

31. You may have been a bit snide but

there is a point here alluded to and that is the common chiro ploy of "maintenance" manipulations i.e. get'em back and keep'em coming. IOWs it's "practice building" which is about all that keeps some chiropractors in business.

As the late, great Moe Howard once said:

"Let's grab a spine and get crackin'."

[edhopper]

34. Yep

But my approach was unkind.

[Disaffected]

17. Did you

continue with pain killers as you were seeing the chiropractor? Have you considered the possibility your condition may have turned out the same if you had the chiro treatment or not?

Just saying that anecdotal evidence and personal experience are not reliable methods of evaluating the efficacy of treatment.

OTOH, if your chiro was providing legit physiotherapy instead of the usual back cracking/subluxation junk, he may well have helped your condition. Did you MD not suggest physiotherapy at all?

[Totally Tunsie]

19. I was able to dump the pain killers and walk upright

while seeing the chiro. I considered that a success, anecdotal or not.

See my answer #18 above you.

[edhopper]

21. Disaffected is right

your MD should have prescribed physical therapy, not just pain killers.

[Disaffected]

23. Glad to hear you are off pain killers but I am still

wondering if you continued to take the meds while you were seeing the chiro. And, were pain killers all that were prescribed by the MD?

What diagnosis was given you by the MD? Back pain as you describe is usually caused by a herniated disk unless a cervical bone was broken by an accident or a result of osteoporosis or a tumor or similar. Who told you you had actual spinal bone impinging on the spinal cord? Such is a very serious situation and if you actually had such a condition, no amount of chiropractic "manipulation" is going to successfully treat it - surgery AFAIK would be the only viable option.

Sorry for all the questions but I find cases like this interesting.

[Totally Tunsie]

25. Funny (NOT) that you said what you did.

In 2018, I finally had to resort to surgery, and had a spinal fusion, performed by one of the main sports docs in the Boston area, by which I mean he's one who cares for and operates on players on the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins. He gave me no guarantees, but the hope was that the surgery with the insertion of rods and pins in my spine would stop the bone shift. We were hoping for 85% improvement.

I haven't been the same since. I can no longer walk completely upright, and have a very short span of mobility. After standing for more than five minutes or walking about 200', my back now collapses on me and I need to sit and relieve the back pressure before attempting to continue. On occasion, I find it necessary to rely on a walker. Tramadol is now part of my existence. How I wish I never had this surgery.

I'm not going to go into further detail. Suffice it to say that over the 40-year span I sought many answers and cures and went the surgery route looking for a permanent solution. I really didn't expect or intend to go into so much detail here on DU, but felt the need to say there is a place for chiropractic.

I can no longer have Dr. G re-align my back, but he still does wonders for my neck and shoulders. There will never be a knife going near that area.

[Mosby]

35. Sorry to hear about your experiences

I'm no expert but I have always heard bad things about back surgery.

[Totally Tunsie]

38. Thank you.

[Aristus]

24. I have chronic pain patients coming to me all the time.

One of the first things I ask them is where they've been getting their care up to now. I can't count how many say "a chiropractor".

I put a stop to that pretty quickly. It's a shame that chiropractic 'care' has become synonymous with back pain. Medical providers who should know better refer their back pain patients to a chiropractor, because they think 'back pain equals chiropractor.' The triumph of marketing over good medical sense. When they finally come to me after years of expensive, ineffective care, I get them set up properly - physical therapy, and if that doesn't offer improvement, orthopedic care.

So many of my patients tell me they have been going to a chiropractor for years, and don't feel any better. I tell them: "That's because a chiropractor wants you to keep coming back so he can make his Mercedes payments. A good, first class physical therapist wants to treat your problem and then never see you again because you're better."

[Totally Tunsie]

26. If you read my #25 answer above, you'll see that I spent far more

for orthopedic surgery ($300,000+) vs. what 40 years of Chiropractic cost me (est. $10,000). My chiropractor didn't get rich on me. Mercedes? Hell...I bought the surgeon a couple of Bentleys!

[Aristus]

27. Based on your description of the problem, vertebral bones slipping out of alignment,

physical therapy should have been the first line treatment. Strengthening the paraspinous muscles may have improved the problem without expensive surgery or years of chiropractic nonsense.

You already know the spine holds up the body. It's fair to ask: "What holds up the spine?" It's the paraspinous muscles. Strengthening those, keeping them supple and responsive, can ease vertebral slippage, and also reduce the risk of intervertebral disc herniation.

[Totally Tunsie]

28. We're talking about a 40-year span of time. What is known

today wasn't necessarily known in 1977 when I started this "journey". As times changed, so did my treatments. I've been to medical doctors; I've been to physical therapy; I've done the exercises, but the only tried and true that rid me of excruciating pain immediately was chiropractic manipulation of my spine.

Done and out...

[Aristus]

29. If you have to keep going back, it's not fixing the problem any more than opioid

medication.

[Totally Tunsie]

32. So this conversation has now gone full circle back to where I first came in.

I know what worked for me. Chiropractic didn't "fix" me, but it enabled me to live a comfortable life without being doped out on pain killers. The thing that we hoped would "fix" me was spinal surgery. That left me worse off than ever, and there's no going back.

Done (again).

[Mossfern]

37. I agree with that completely!

I had a ruptured disc and herniated discs. The rupture caused disc material to press on my spinal cord. The pain was intense.
My doctor referred me to physical therapy and it worked amazingly. Physical therapists are the best!

I've also had a hamstring tear that was resolved with PT beautiifully. The physical therapists knew that I took working out somewhat seriously and had me dead lifting 95 pounds to prepare me to go back to the gym. I'm a 5'2" 71 year old woman! He managed to also correct my sway back.

Another time, I was referred to PT for pain in my hip. The therapist, after a while realized that it wasn't a hip issue, but bursitis in my ischial tuberosity and referred me to an orthopedist.

[Aristus]

39. I'm glad to hear it.

I hope you're no longer in pain.

[keithbvadu2]

30. Ruptured disk, horrible pain. Surgery gave eight or nine years of relief. Then back problems came o

Ruptured disk, horrible pain. Surgery gave eight or nine years of relief.
Then back problems came on strong.
Four wheel walker.
Surgery for stenosis... not a bit of help.
Getting worse and worse.
Finally got lumbar fusion.
Still have pain and on four wheel walker for the rest of my life or electric scooter in the next few years.

BUT it's much better after the lumbar fusion.
Didn't fix me but stabilized much of the extreme pain.
Neurosurgeon said nothing more he could do for it.

I'll take what I can get and be thankful for even a little bit of improvement.

Chiropractor? No faith in them.

[Disaffected]

36. I have a microcosm

of what you have gone through. I lifted a very heavy object about 50 years ago, herniated a disk and have suffered the consequences ever since. Although I could barely walk for a while after it happened, I get along quite well now with only occasional back pain and stiffness but I have to be careful about lifting anything at all heavy (or I pay for it for a week or so).

Moral of story: Don't abuse your back (and pray you don't have an accident) or you will pay for it the rest of your life.