Pain after Chiropractic Work - Normal??

[Red State Rebel]

I had a tight painful knot at the top of my spine on my left side, went to the Chiropractor and she adjusted me and did some ultrasound treatment. Since then, I have been in more pain than before. It's been 24 hours and it still hurts.

I'm I being a wuss, is this normal or what? I'm scheduled to go back tomorrow....feeling a little nervous about that.

[Bridget Burke]

1. Have you seen an MD about this?

Do you have a diagnosis? Are you sure chiropractic is the way to go?

[Red State Rebel]

2. Haven't seen an MD -

I've had good experience with Chiropractic before so I just went that route.

[Shopaholic]

4. Avoid chiropractors & orthopedic surgeons like the plague

Go see a physical therapist or a massage therapist instead.

[Brotherjohn]

15. In my experience, therapists are often guilty of the same thing...

... I point out in my post below for chiropractors. i.e. attempting to treat or make diagnoses exceeding their level of training.

This has happened with Physical Therapists used by my wife for back and knee pain, and a PT used by my infant son.

They tend to think they can overrule the doctor, and "out-disgnose" him or her. Again, my experience only, but having a PhD in Zoology and having taught college courses in Human Anatomy and Physiology, I think it is somewhat informed. I looked at what the MDs were saying vs. what the therapists were saying, and when there was a conflict, the therapists' "diagnoses" just did not hold up. Often, they were blatantly wrong just based on my relatively limited readings on the subjects.

As a general rule, I would trust an MD first when there is a conflict. Of course, you need to educate yourself and evaluate your MD as well. There are bad MDs out there, too.

[trumad]

3. Is it your first time going...?

[liberalnurse]

5. See a real doctor.........

Go on your insticts.......do not rationalize.....you have the warning signs that the chiro did not meet your needs.....pain is not an expected outcome with the chiro.....

[Mandate My Ass]

6. I've had that experience before

but my chiropracter warned me about it before she adjusted me. She said some things get worse before they get better. Usually a few Advil was sufficient to help it and it never lasted more than a day or so. She also recommended wet heat for those kinds of aches.

[Brotherjohn]

10. "some things get worse before they get better". That's a big red flag.

Advil may have done as much good as the visit, and if it "gets better" later, who's to say it wouldn't have anyway? Back pain comes and goes.

This kind of statement is a tool-in-trade of practitioners of pseudoscience.

[LWolf]

7. Not in my experience.

I've always felt better after chiropractic treatments. So do my horses, lol. If you wanted evidence of the relief chiropractic supplies, just observe a horse after his/her first (or any) adjustment!

Not all chiropractors offer the same level of care. I originally went to a well-known, popular local chiro for back pain. They treated me like a piece of meat. The adjustments hurt, they couldn't adjust my neck, and complained to me that my neck was too stiff to work with.

I switched to a holistic chiro, and it made a world of difference. Gentle, thorough, and can adjust the neck.

Did yours do xrays before adjusting? If so, what did it show? If not, get another who will do xrays before adjusting you. If they see something in the xray that needs other medical attention, they'll let you know.

[Brotherjohn]

8. I accept that there MAY be SOME Chiropractors who may be helpful.

But from what I have seen and heard, most make claims they cannot back up (no pun intended) and attempt to treat things that they have no business treating. Despite the "Doctor" in their title, a Doctor of Chriropractic medicine has a small fraction of the training and experience that a medical doctor has. This can sometimes result in them doing more harm then good. Having some family experience with back injuries, depending on the cause, improper manipulation can cause severe damage.

My brother is a world class neurosurgeon (top of his class at the best medical school in the country). He has told me that in his residency alone, he had seen more patients screwed up by Chiropracotors than anything else. In my opinion, a good general practitioner MD (there can be bad MDs, too) has more knowledge and capability to treat any back injury than your average Chiropractor.

Again, I am sure there are some Chiropracors who limit their treatments to what they are trained in, and are able to help people. But if you have doubts, and more to the point increased pain, then run away. Run away fast. And see an MD for a followup.

Just my opinion, but an informed one.

[TrogL]

12. A good chiropractor knows his limitations

...and should be able to do simple neck problems.

I had a problem with my neck where it would hurt, then all the muscles around it would tense up to prevent me moving it, which I had to, making them sore and tense up more and it became an infinite loop to the point where I simply couln't move it at all.

The chiropractor put me on an electrical thing that shocked the muscles (gently) and it gradually loosened up, then adjusted my neck. It sounded like five gunshots going off, but was the first time it had felt comfortable in months.

He talked a bit about "the chiropractic" and admitted that older Chiropractors thought they could cure anything but that recent graduates tended to back well away from that position.

When my partner went to him with a back problem and the X rays showed a problem he couldn't deal with, he refused to treat him.

[Brotherjohn]

16. That's the proper approach for a Chiropractor. Unfortunately, it's...

... become a cottage industry equivalent to ambulance-chasing lawyers.

It's good for everyone if they are moving away from this. But you need to be wary.

[Mr.Green93]

9. it is supposed to feel good, that's why you go back

you could have a tumor

[Love Bug]

11. Sometimes, yes

I had chiro treatment after a car accident several years ago. At first I did experience soreness after manipulation but ibuprofen and ice (not heat!) helped.

I'm surprised your chiro recommended heat. If the sore spot feels warm, you need ice to cool down the inflammation, not heat.

[TrogL]

14. Damn these people and their ice

Ice does not cure everything. Tense muscles require heat, not ice.

[flamingyouth]

18. If you have inflammation, heat is the worst thing

Problem is, it usually feels good, but you should always follow the heat with ice to reduce the inflammation. I've had neck problems for 20 years and I am studying to be a massage therapist. When in doubt, ice it.

[Red State Rebel]

17. My chiro recommended ice

I tried some moist heat so I'll try some ice.

[floridaguy]

13. Pain is the body's way of telling you something is wrong

Some pain after an adjustment is not all that uncommon. Your concern should be based on the location, severity, and type of pain. Burning-type pain is more often nerve related, and aching pain tends to be muscular.

If you're like 44 million Americans without health insurance, running to an MD for a pain is not necessarily an option. Actually I call it sickness insurance, because if you're able to stay healthy, you don't need it. Besides, as a massage therapist for about 10 years, I could safely say that a whole lot of MD's don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, but they would like to know if you brought your insurance card. (Warning: This stereotype is based on experience and is not scientific- I have also witnesed a few excellent MD's but the number of pain specialists is minimal)

Your decision to go to a chiropractor may indicate you look to non-traditional medical treatments. If you're pain is actually in a muscle, a qualified massage therapist can help you. Any good chiropractor will work together with a massage therapist, because most spinal misalignment is related to muscular dysfunction. This is not true for trauma related problems. They may require immediate medical attention.

However, if you have serious pain near your spine, it may actually be neorological, which may require a neurologist(MD) However, good luck. Due to the current status of the medical profession, they will order 50 tests before they touch you, and after that, it's likely their first course of action, not the last, will be surgery. Get at least one other opinion. Try to find a pain specialists, as often people go to neurosurgens. They specialize in surgery, so that's their inclination. Again, I know one or two that aren't this way.

(Here's the lawyer bullshit that I once learned as a lawyer: The above is for general information purposes only and should not be used for specific medical advice.)

[flamingyouth]

19. I have had a lot of chiropractic treatment and massage

And I've had this experience before. In fact, sometimes I've had pain for up to 72 hours after treatment, but then it will feel better. Right now I'm dealing with a lot of neck issues (stress-related) so I've been getting weekly massages. I had one yesterday and my neck hurts a lot today.

Drink lots of water - I find that it helps me if I am well-hydrated. Good luck.:hi:

[Red State Rebel]

20. Thanks for the reassurance.

This is the first time I've had this problem. I will definitely up the water intake.

[AngryAmish]

21. Please read this

Many times I have read people asking for medical/psychological advice and opinions around here. Just realize everybody has a bias - including myself. The internet is no way to get medical advice.

That said, please avoid chiropractors. I have had a lot of experience with them. Many believe they are doing good, many are just in it for the money and some are just plain nuts.

I have seen people paralyzed by chiropractors. When you manipulate a back that has a herniated disc, it is a real possibility. Most chiropractors just take x-rays, which mostly miss herniations.

My main beef with chiropractic is there is very little rational basis that disease can be cured by having a spine with correct curvature and lined up straight. Many chiropractors now act like physical therapists, give moist heat, cold packs and electro-stimulation as well as adjustment. But it is a dangerous way to go.

On the bright side, most back pain goes away by itself. I am a big fan of massage because there is not these grand theories of disease and ability for massage to cure anything. Massages make you feel better, and palliative care is important to. If there is a benefit of increased blood flow from massage helping to heal muscles (not proven) then that is OK. But it is not going to make you worse.

If you don't feel better in a few weeks, see a Board Certified Orthopedist. Not an osteopath or any other thing.

[Dookus]

22. try homeopathy

or psychic surgery or crystals.

If you're interested in solving the real problem, though, see an MD. Chiropractic is quackery.

[bookfreak]

23. It can happen

Having a chiropractic adjustment won't always immediately correct your problem and eliminate your pain. Sometimes it takes time (and even multiple adjustments) for the situation to brought under control.

I see my chiropractor for chronic intractable migraines. I also have a trigger point near my left shoulder blade that troubles me from time to time. Even after my adjustments I have to ice my neck and/or other affected areas and relief is not always instantaneous.