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I have always thought they were quacks. As I have gotten a bit older and I'm more pain, I am wondering, or maybe hoping someone can help me someway or another.
I was at a festival last weekend and there was a Chiropractor there, called himself Dr. Jason.
They are doing free screenings on people. What you see on the screen above is the C-spine and the outline of the head. Each vertebrae is well defined and looks real.
He runs this little machine over your neck as you are seated and bending your neck looking downward.
There is a little old lady ahead of me and I am thinking I cannot be worse than her, right? I am 35, but with RA, FM and terrible neck and back pain.
On either side there is a colored block which should all be green. This means normal.
Yellow means mild nerve problem
Orange means moderate
Red means severe.
Little old lady has all green and one yellow.
Oh I am good, I think to myself, I have to be doing better than her, she is all hunched over and her dh says she has bad back problems.
My turn, YAY!
The guy becomes a little silent and puts his hand lightly on my shoulder.
Nice. I have four red ones pop up on the left side on the upper area, the rest green, then on the right, green, one yellow, and a red.
Hmm. If this stuff is for real, no wonder I feel like I am dying!!!
Does anyone know about this little machine and it's validity?
Are they just trying to get lifelong patients in? Could they monitarily benefit from a little old lady or someone who should have many years left?
At this point, and really, after seeing that thing, willing to try anything!
I went to a chiro for a couple of years following a car accident. I felt good when I left the office, but then would slowly decline back into discomfort before my next appointment. I gradually stopped going, and the pain gradually went away, for the most part. Now I still have pain occasionally, and it usually goes away on its own in a few days.
Did it help me? I have no idea, LOL. I remember the little machine that you speak of, and I don't know if it really works or not, but I usually did get reds in the areas that were sore and painful. If your insurance covers it, or if you want to go, I'd suggest at least trying it out. You have nothing to lose (except $$ if it's not covered), and you might get some relief, even if only temporary.
One thing that I KNOW worked was this little zapper that my chiropractor had for relieving sinus pressure. A couple of times I went in all congested and stuffed up, and he'd zap my cheeks with it... within a few seconds, I could feel all of the drainage leaving my sinuses and within a few minutes, my nasal passages would be clear. Just thought I'd throw that in... that part, at least, is not quackery!
Yes, just went in recently for sciatica pain. I'd never had it before but the pain made it hard to walk or get out of bed. Now I'm getting around fine, still a little trouble with my leg but almost nothing compared to before. Several adjustments over a couple of weeks really helped. I would say to give it a try.
Many times, over the years, something new comes to inhabit my body, and being new, it can be scarey and there's a tendency to panic.
But I've learned, also, to give time an opportunity to heal it as well before running off to a Doctor, Acupuncturist, Chiropractor, or whoever. And, in the vast majority of cases, time was the greatest healer, IF you have the time and patience. Some don't. Some panic, rush off somewhere for quicker healing.
I once worked, doing back office in a Chiropractic clinic for a year, but the facility I worked in left me never wanting to use one of these facilities if I needed help. I finally left there because I felt many of the practises going on there were highly unethical, taking advantage of insurance companies, and people in pain as a result of an injury. This Chiro once told me, confidentially, there were some very unethical Chiro's out there who do adjustments which will have you coming back over and over again. That put a big scare in me!
One of my jobs was to make sure those leaving the facility made another appointment. Sometimes she'd have them coming back day after day, day after day, just to milk the insurance companies.
I'm sure there are some highly ethical chiropractors out there, but I'm not about to spend the time & energy to find them. So far, time and patience has done wonders for me and lots of self-help remedies.
I am thinking about trying it at least once. There is nothing seeming to help this neck and back pain at all. I have the all over pain from the fm, that I can (sorta) deal with. But this neck and back.... ouchie.
It's been going on for quite a while with no help. I am getting to the point it hurts to walk, hurts to turn my neck.
Thanks to those who responded! I need to do something!! Makes me wish I got the results of the little old lady!
I grew up suspecting chiropractors of all being quacks. (My sis had a bad experience with one.) I no longer have that feeling -- don't know if my earlier suspicions were warranted or not. Professional sports teams -- NFL teams, etc., use them. They should know. And I've used one a couple times -- and he helped me get back on my feet when I really needed to. (bad back)
But I'm sure there are chiropractors who don't know what they're doing. My dentist recently lost her license due to shoddy work. Poor doctors occupy all the medical fields. I'd ask around about this Doctor Jason. If he's any good at all, his current patients will think he's great. (Otherwise they wouldn't be his patients!)
You might want to try investing in a good electric massage device. I have the Thumper which will do exactly that. A little expensive. And even if it doesn't do the trick, and the Chiro fails you, it's good to have around anyway for those temporary painful moments. I get a lot of use out of mine.
And I also have my own TNS unit. Try some pounding of the body, too.
Sometimes when I have pain somewhere, I pound it out with my fist or have someone pound your back for you, but not heavy pounding, but gentle rhythmic pounding like they do in Chinese massage.
I had a similar problem a few years back. It took over 6 months for the pain to disappear but it did.
I'm also fortunate I'm so close to Mexico. I also saw an orthopedist/pain specialist over in Tijuana ($30 a session) and he helped me more than anyone else. Tried acupuncture. First two sessions, improvement, but after the third one, the pain came back, strangely enough.
I even went to a Chiro here. He was going to twist my neck but I panicked and told him no, and I ran. To Tijuana actually.
Last edited by tijlover; 10-16-2009 at 09:40 PM..
Reason: add word
You may have to try different chiropractors before you find the right one. They're all different and many of them use different methods. If you don't want your neck adjusted a certain way, tell them and they can do it differently. If one tells you to come 3x a week, go see another one. There's no reason why 2x a week (in the beginning, if you have major problems) won't suffice. I originally went for a pinched nerve and adjustments took care of that. I have gone off and on over the years as aches and pains arise. When I arrive, I feel my pains and tell her about them. She makes her adjustments and while lying on the table I feel for them again. If any remain, she finds the misalignment and fixes it. If you do not leave with less pain than you came in with, then your chiro is worthless.
Take a look at this chart ChiroMatrix
Since all nerves are connected to the spine, doesn't it make sense that you should keep yourself aligned?
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Time is one of the greatest healers
