Chiropractors

My husband just went to a new chiropractor for x-rays and a consult. Today he went to his follow up and was told he has an "anomaly" in his neck vertebrae, and they can fix it within six months for two visits a week at around 45 dollars a visit. He said it was something like his neck will stick out like an old man's if he doesn't ??? I think he should firstly get a second opinion...I am highly dubious of this type of alternative medicine. I think if there is a problem with his neck or bones he should go to an orthopedist. I think he is wasting his money and at the end of six months they can proclaim they "cured" him because nothing was really wrong.  He believes them and is upset that I am not supporting him. I believe that if there is a real problem he should invest the money getting a real screening by a real doctor. By the way, he is a perfectly formed and young looking 43 year old man.

I had problems with my ribs popping out when I would have an asthma attack and my doctor referred me to a chiropractor for adjustments.  He was able to adjust them back into place without much of a problem.  My insurance covered the visits.  They are real doctors and can do a good job you just have to be careful with the one you go to.  Make sure that they have a legitimate practice like any other doctor you would trust.  My orthopedic doctor and my physical therapist would not touch the adjustments and they all recommended the chiropractor.  Just a situation on the reverse side of things.  I used to have your attitude and opinion about chiropractors until I needed one.

I agree with you completely that he should get a second opinion! Although chiropractors can do wonderful things, any time someone tells you that they want to see you for 6 months of treatment for a problem you didnt' even know you had, you should be skeptical!

As biggerloserfan said, they ARE 'real doctors'.. you just have to take the same care finding a good one as you would find any other type of doctor. I had a bad fall when I was 17 and I had really bad headaches and dizziness from a concussion.. one of the reasons for this was that some bone in my neck was putting pressure on my spine? I'm not really sure. =P Anyway, my general practitioner told me to take pain medicine and wait for it to heal on its own. It didn't. I went to the chiro, and my recovery began immediately after the first visit.

It isn't "alternative medicine". There are different cures for different things. Would you get a shot to fix a broken bone?

Definitely get a second opinion though.

I'm gonna disagree with the prevailing opinion here, which seems to be in favor of chiropractic care.  I advise caution. 

Chiropractors are not MDs.  They are not required to attend medical school.

There is a small but real risk of stroke resulting from cervical spine adjustment:

From the Mayo Clinic website  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/SA 00080

So..the chiropracter should be able to prove after six months and around 1300 dollars that the x-ray shows a definite change? And chiros are Doctors? To what degree? What credentials do they need? 

Chiros are doctors in that they have a doctorate in chiropracty (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

However, they are not MD (medical doctors), just as physical therapists, massage therapists, and acupuncture/acupressure therapists are not doctors.

All of these types of therapists can help for certain things. Some people respond really well to chiropracty, some not so much. Also, chiropractors are very different from each other - some will tell to stop eating wheat and start taking enzymes, others will go "crick, crack.... see you next week." It all depends on them. So actually, not that different from MDs...

For something that wasn't a problem and is going to take 6 months to fix and lost of money - get a second opinion. You could go to another chiropractor (if this one is more holistic, try a sports medicine chiro, who will have a different outlook on things) or an orthopedist, or even your general practitioner. Make sure that there really is a problem to fix.

Just like there are some doctors who will make you schedule an appointment to tell you that the test results came back normal, and others will just tell you over the phone, some chiros want to get you in as often as they can, for the $$. Others just want you to get better, and hopefully never see you again.

I have kind of skimmed the Internet about Chiropractor's education. Anyone can get a doctorate or a Phd...but to classified as a real doctor you need to go to medical school. I do believe chiropractors are alternative medicine, like massage therapists or holistic healers.  I just do not believe it takes six months of appointments two days a week to fix something undefined when you haven't been in a car accident or had an injury. This quacks loudly.

OK, the kind of chiropractors that say you have to come in for 6 months twice a week are NOT the kind you want to go to.

I was in a car accident in 2006 and was referred to the type of chiropractor you describe, and they specialize in selling you junk medicine. they manipulate the x-rays, have you stand a certain way, and then instill fear in you that if you don't come in 2-3 times a week for the next year your neck will collapse on you and you'll be paralyzed (i'm not joking, this is what they told me) needless to say I got a second opinion, and had some physical therapy for about a month and now I am fine, no problems whatsoever. GET A SECOND OPINION. And do some research online.

Original Post by monarch777:

I have kind of skimmed the Internet about Chiropractor's education. Anyone can get a doctorate or a Phd...but to classified as a real doctor you need to go to medical school. 

 Just in defense of PhD's (I know this isn't what you meant but I have to speak up) -

My brother has a PhD of theoretical computer science. He is a doctor (and a dork). He is called Dr. W.
My mom has a PhD in microbiology. She is a doctor. If she cared to be, she would be called Dr. W.
My band teacher in high school has a PhD in music. He is a doctor. He was called Dr. L.

By "real" doctory, you mean a MD - a medical doctor (who can also get PhDs in a field of medicine). But, no, not "anyone" can be a PhD - you have to be accepted to study at a University, and then work your tail off to get that degree. Is there a difference between the Universities that give PhDs in chiropracty and those that give them in microbiology? Of course. But don't insult the degree as a whole.

However, I still say a second opinion (from MD or otherwise) is going to be more beneficial than arguing over the quackiness of a certain chiro. Like I had said before, chiro's can be good, but some are just out for your money. And not to offend "real" doctors, but there are plenty of MD's out there whose actions are motivated by things other than your health.

Never meant to offend people with doctorates in various fields. I am sure that it is hard work. I did mean however, that as someone else posted...how can one differentiate between a chiro who uses scare tactics on gullible people to obtain thousands of dollars, with one who actually has some ethics? With physicians, you have a medical board and other checks and balances. Who would my husband get a second opinion from that we can trust? He has gone to another chiro for years, he got a free consult from this one and suddenly he has "problems" that the first chiro never noticed.

Hats off to earners of doctorate degrees. I meant MD's though.

I kinda think that means he already had his second opinion - his regular chiro never saw anything. I'm going to agree with your statement in #7 - "This quacks loudly."

I believe that chiropractors need a license to practice their form of medicine and in order to be licensed they need to display general medical knowledge on par with that of a primary care physician.

Original Post by floggingsully:

I believe that chiropractors need a license to practice their form of medicine and in order to be licensed they need to display general medical knowledge on par with that of a primary care physician.

 I disagree.  They are required to pass an exam, but it is no way comparable to the exam that MDs must pass.

I get that you believe it, but I have found no proof on-line with the Chiropractic boards in our states websites. It actually stated that NOW Chiros MUST know CPR. Why wouldn't they have always if they are nearly primary care physicians? I would like to know what they can and can't do...I don't think they can even prescribe meds.

From the California Chiropractic Association:

"Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery."

So no, they don't prescribe medication.

"Chiropractic Education

• Four year doctorate degree with classroom and laboratory work in basic sciences, diagnosis, treatment procedures, and a clinical internship
• Educational requirements for medical doctors and chiropractors in basic and clinical sciences are very similar
• Postgraduate continuing education required annually"

This doesn't really say much at all.  Chiropractors, at least in California, must earn a doctorate degree, but the classroom work is in basic sciences?  I'm not too impressed with that.  Educational requirements for chiropractors and MDs are "very similar" - this is pretty vague also. Similar how, exactly?  Postgraduate continuing education required annually just means that an annual seminar must be attended... these can be very rigorous, or can be like vacations with a few conferences thrown in.

Sorry, I'm just really skeptical of chiropractic.  Some people swear by it; good for them.  But I know someone whose sciatic pain was greatly exacerbated by a chiropractor's care.  I know anecdotal evidence is worthless, but that, and research, has caused me to advocate physical therapy and orthopedic care over chiropractic any day of the week.

purespark - what are the requirements for becoming a physical therapist?

I have relatives who are physiotherapists, and I know that many PT's are leery of chiro's, not because their education is so much better, etc, but just because physio's, massage therepists, etc, don't call themselves "Dr." So-and-so. I think there's a concern out there that uninformed people will believe their chiropractor is a medical practitioner because he's called "Dr. Someone". Also, I know that the PT's in my family are of the belief that adjusting joints isn't always the answer, and that many things require excercise; sort of that chiro's present the "quick fix" kind of solution. You know, "come see me and I'll do some stuff to you, and you won't have to work hard on your own to get better". I think PT's and chiro's have really different philosophies, not necessarily more or less education than one another.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by monarch777:

I have kind of skimmed the Internet about Chiropractor's education. Anyone can get a doctorate or a Phd...but to classified as a real doctor you need to go to medical school. 

 Just in defense of PhD's (I know this isn't what you meant but I have to speak up) -

My brother has a PhD of theoretical computer science. He is a doctor (and a dork). He is called Dr. W.
My mom has a PhD in microbiology. She is a doctor. If she cared to be, she would be called Dr. W.
My band teacher in high school has a PhD in music. He is a doctor. He was called Dr. L.

By "real" doctory, you mean a MD - a medical doctor (who can also get PhDs in a field of medicine). But, no, not "anyone" can be a PhD - you have to be accepted to study at a University, and then work your tail off to get that degree. Is there a difference between the Universities that give PhDs in chiropracty and those that give them in microbiology? Of course. But don't insult the degree as a whole.

 

Thank you for saying this!  I'm currently working on my Ph.D. in epidemiology and thought the same thing when reading her post!

No worries though monarch - I knew you weren't trying to imply anything :) 

In California, PTs have to complete an accredited physical therapy program usually offered by a four-year university; it usually follows a format similar to the programs for RN (registered nurse) licensure.  There are also Masters programs for physical therapy.  These programs may or may not be as rigorous as the educational requirements for a chiropractor.  It varies from school to school and state to state.  Then,  of course, there's an exam for licensure, the difficulty and scope of which also varies between states.

I think finnsal brings up a good point about the title difference between a PT and a chiropractor.  Because a chiropractor often holds a doctorate, he or she can call him or herself "Doctor So-and-So," and this is misleading for people that assume that anyone called "Doctor" is an MD.

When I was younger I had scoliosis so my parents took me to a chiropractor and he completely fixed it.