Chiropractic Care

[liv luvs disney 2]

Not sure if this is the right section for this, but I'm curious how you feel about chiropractic care. Three years I was involved in a bike accident resulting in 3 bulging discs with degeneration. The neurosurgeon wants surgery to be the very last option and considering I have hemorrhaged during 2 previous surgeries, I'm not exactly wanting to go under the knife again - EVER! I have had physical therapy, traction, neck brace, complete bed rest, meds, you name it. Right now, we are at a stand still, just waiting until I can't tolerate the pain another day. I experience some level of pain every day. Some days are doable, some days are very discouraging, while some days I want to drive straight to the hospital for surgery! I have a call in to my neurosurgeon about going to a chiropractor. He may very well tell me no way, no how and I'll have to live with his decision. But I am curious if any of you have ever been to a chiropractor? If so, were you satisfied? Do you continue to go? (I have been told it's a life-long thing.) Any feedback would be much appreciated even though in the end, my neurosurgeon will ultimately make my decision for me.

[liv luvs disney 2]

Not sure if this is the right section for this, but I'm curious how you feel about chiropractic care. Three years I was involved in a bike accident resulting in 3 bulging discs with degeneration. The neurosurgeon wants surgery to be the very last option and considering I have hemorrhaged during 2 previous surgeries, I'm not exactly wanting to go under the knife again - EVER! I have had physical therapy, traction, neck brace, complete bed rest, meds, you name it. Right now, we are at a stand still, just waiting until I can't tolerate the pain another day. I experience some level of pain every day. Some days are doable, some days are very discouraging, while some days I want to drive straight to the hospital for surgery! I have a call in to my neurosurgeon about going to a chiropractor. He may very well tell me no way, no how and I'll have to live with his decision. But I am curious if any of you have ever been to a chiropractor? If so, were you satisfied? Do you continue to go? (I have been told it's a life-long thing.) Any feedback would be much appreciated even though in the end, my neurosurgeon will ultimately make my decision for me.

[liv luvs disney 2]

Sorry I meant to post this in the Community Board. Jen? Chris? HELP! :rofl2:

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

Good thread, I have been debating visiting one myself, you get so many conflicting opinions. I have not near the problems that you do but I'm just soooo uncomfortable in my neck and back area, not sure why, just feels like "stuff isnt where it should be" :rofl2:

I hope you find a way to feel better soon! :heart:

[HillBillyWhisperer 20]

I believe they can help in some instances but you have to keep going as the help is temporary. Kind of like dieting. Once you stop, it quits working so plan on spending the quan on a regular basis.

[LONE-STAR 370]

I have used them and they do help when your back and neck go out of place.

[liv luvs disney 2]

Good thread, I have been debating visiting one myself, you get so many conflicting opinions. I have not near the problems that you do but I'm just soooo uncomfortable in my neck and back area, not sure why, just feels like "stuff isnt where it should be" :rofl2:

I hope you find a way to feel better soon! :heart:

I've yet to talk to someone who says don't do it, but there's always those people whose neighbor's mother's cousin's next door neighbor went to a chiropractor and was ruined for life. So, .

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

I've yet to talk to someone who says don't do it, but there's always those people whose neighbor's mother's cousin's next door neighbor went to a chiropractor and was ruined for life. So, .

Right! :rofl2:

[liv luvs disney 2]

I believe they can help in some instances but you have to keep going as the help is temporary. Kind of like dieting. Once you stop, it quits working so plan on spending the quan on a regular basis.

Yeah, that's my understanding too. I'm not sure I want that commitment for the rest of my life.

[liv luvs disney 2]

I have used them and they do help when your back and neck go out of place.

Do you continue to go or just when you "feel" like you need to?

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

Please, please, please!!! If you have herniated or bulging disks, DO NOT GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR!!! They cannot help this situation. Continue to go to the neuro-surgeon and ask for rehabilitative therapy, instead. Depending upon how bad the disk is bulging, therapy combined with rest may help it return to normal.

My DH's disks (L4 & L5)were made worse by chiropractic manipulation and he ended up HAVING to have surgery. His went smoothly and he is relatively pain free today. His surgery was in 2005.

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

I believe they can help in some instances but you have to keep going as the help is temporary. Kind of like dieting. Once you stop, it quits working so plan on spending the quan on a regular basis.

That's good to know, I admittingly have commitment issues :D

[liv luvs disney 2]

Please, please, please!!! If you have herniated or bulging disks, DO NOT GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR!!! They cannot help this situation. Continue to go to the neuro-surgeon and ask for rehabilitative therapy, instead. Depending upon how bad the disk is bulging, therapy combined with rest may help it return to normal.

My DH's disks (L4 & L5)were made worse by chiropractic manipulation and he ended up HAVING to have surgery. His went smoothly and he is relatively pain free today. His surgery was in 2005.

These are the things I need to know. Thanks Deb! Neurosurgeon told me I could do massage therapy, but insurance won't pay for that. I realize m.t. and chiro. work are 2 different things which is why I have called my ns for his approval. I'm 99.999% certain he's going to tell me no and now that I've read this he had better tell me no or I'll know he's needing some money. :rofl2:

[BRDof3...Rob 40]

As a nurse, I won't advise you to stay away from them, but I will tell you to tread lightly. My job is to line ill or injured patients up with the care that they need, then evaluate it to see if it resolved the issues (as much as can be). If not, we do it again another way.

See the surgeon, listen to his/her advice. I have worked with Chiropractors that have been butchers. I also have a couple of them locally that I have gotten patients referred to, and they have literally pulled rabbits out of the hat for me. They cannot change anything about a degenerated disc, any more than the surgeon can. The surgeon can trim or remove the disc, but they cannot make it well again. The Lord gave us many self-restorations in our bodies, this is not one of them.

A good Chiro can provide palliative care that can make things easier to bear. The thing to remember is there are more Chiropratic offices, it seems, than Starbucks shops. They don't have extensive medical training and many are more dangerous than helpful. If they don't examine you, then present a plan that includes evaluation criteria and a target discharge date, leave.

Talk to friends, neighbors, family, doctors, anyone you trust for an opinion. Just like any other service provider, you don't pick a Chiropractor out of the Yellow Pages, or based on their commercials. Establish their track record first.

Good luck with the back!!!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I had a ruptured disc and was in agonizing hell. I could not even lift my left leg off the floor. My doc set up for ns 3 weeks out. I went to put local chiro, his daddy was a doc. He told me flat out he could not cure, but that he could try to get some space to relieve the n nerve pain. It hurts to begin with, but by the time I got to the neuro I could move my legs and wasn't crying everyday.

I researched surgery and they said in 5 years time l there is usually the same result with or without surgery. My secretary had surgery and its doing great. I was fortunate, your mileage may vary as Deb's story demonstrates.

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

The surgeon can trim or remove the disc, but they cannot make it well again. The Lord gave us many self-restorations in our bodies, this is not one of them. Good luck with the back!!!

He speaks the truth!!

[Rhonda (aka Roz) 7]

When I have neck/back problems, I go to a chiropractor, and I've always had good results. I disagree with the "once you start you can't stop" theory. Sometimes it takes a few visits to get the muscles working again, to hold everything in place. But I will go a few years without the chiropractor, then if I pull something out in my back, I will go for a few visits and be all fixed up!

I have to respectfully disagree with Debbie. (Sorry Deb)

My mom had a bulging disc, and the chiropractor was able to, very gently, and through a series of visits, get the muscles around the disc working again, so that it went back into place and stayed there. She never had to have the surgery that her doctor was telling her she needed.

BUT -- as with any doctor, don't just randomly pick one out of the yellow pages. Get referrals from friends and neighbors. Make sure you're choosing a doctor with a good reputation.

Good luck! :)

LOL -- I just realized that I said the same thing as Rob, in his last paragraph, about the yellow pages!!

[LONE-STAR 370]

Do you continue to go or just when you "feel" like you need to?

I just go when I need to. With my work some times things get pulled out of place and they just put me back in place. I know some people it helps and some not.

[TnBob 311]

Everyone has a story on chiropractors, I go when I am in pain enough to spend the money, I went to one in NJ for years that was great. When I moved to TN it took me forever to find one that I felt wasn't just trying to sell me more services like massages and hot packs etc. The chiropractor in NJ told me to look for one that did simple manipulation. I found the dead give away for a chiropractic quack (and there are many)was when you walk in there are 3 or 4 people dressed in scrubs behind a desk in the waiting room. The good ones I found were ones with a receptionist who made appointments and thats it. Just what I found in my searches for relief.

Now the story, My mother was a nurse, a relatively big woman and had back pain ever since I can remember. She always had lifts in her shoes and tens units and all kids of stuff to help her back, nothing ever worked. She was to the point that just to get up out a chair she had to get down on her knees first and then lift herself up with the chair. Now this woman loved to go out and dance and was a square dancer (show them panties)into her 70's. Being a nurse she didn't believe in Chiropractors until she saw what it did for me and the doctors (many of them friends of hers)told her there wasn't anything they could do for her. So she went to see him, he told her it would take 2 weeks every other day and she would be able to get out of the chair but it also was going to be painful at first. She started going and after the first week she called me in tears telling me how much it hurt and she couldn't stand it anymore. I said Ma he told you it would hurt but if you stop it will continue to hurt, she went back and after the second week she didn't hurt anymore and could get out of the chair. She continued to go once a week until her stroke and her doctor friends started to send people to him after they saw her results. And she danced with no pain and cruised with no pain for the first time in my lifetime.

Now a bulging disk, I would be very careful and have to have a lot of trust in whoever is touching it. I have had 2 fusions in my neck one about 20 yrs ago worked out great, the one I had about 5 yrs ago has a plate with it is painful everyday.

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

I have to respectfully disagree with Debbie. (Sorry Deb)

That's okay!! You did it with respect!! ;D

[BRDof3...Rob 40]

My mom had a bulging disc, and the chiropractor was able to, very gently, and through a series of visits, get the muscles around the disc working again, so that it went back into place and stayed there.

That, I am afraid, is a myth. Discs can't move, nor can they "slip." What they can do, aided by the breakdown associated with age and mileage, is bulge in one or more places. That can push into the God-given gaps that allow nerve roots to branch out from the spine toward the rest of the body. If it touches a nerve, or even pushes the spinal fluid against the nerve, you get pain sensations. This breakdown also allows the vertebra to migrate downward as the disc becomes flatter. If the vertebral bodies get too close together, it creates pain sensations.

The Chiro can help with alignment of the vertebra, increase muscle strength, and thus help with the symptoms. Poor posture allows the vertebra to put pressue on the disc, causing them to press harder against the nerve, which increases the pain.

Like I said, the profession as a whole is not a villian. Just make sure you ar eunderstanding what they can and cannot do. Too many of them are better marketers than practitioners. They have their place, just as surgeons do.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I blew out my back 10 years ago - tying my shoes. IMO the chiropractor was an integral part of me getting back on my feet, and staying there.

I had excrutiating sciatic pain and couldn't stand or sit for more than a few minutes. Only thing I could think of to do was go to a chiropractor and got a recommendation from a good friend.

He took one look at me and said I needed to go for x-rays and go see my primary. He didn't dare touch me until then.

First doctor I saw gave me a shot of demorol (sp?) which did nothing at all. Results of the MRI showed I have one bulging disk and one herniated disk, low-mid back.

Then he prescribed an anti-inflammatory, a muscle relaxer and a narcotic pain med (Vicodin), and said we needed to talk about surgery.

I said "what else have you got?"

So he gave me a referral for physical therapy and I went back to the chiro with the MRI results.

As an aside, this happened in early September. In mid-November DH and I had a 7 day land/sea package booked at Walt Disney World - our first trip together!

Everyone told me to cancel the trip. Hah!!

Thus started my 10 week regimen of alternating between P.T. and the chiropractor every day, 6 days a week. As soon as I was able (about 2 weeks in), I started doing daily exercises at home and we bought an inversion table to help take some of the pressure off my disks.

I had a regular schedule of drugs, ice, e-stim unit and stretches almost around the clock. The first month I had to have someone drive me to the appts. and I had to lie in the back seat.

For me, the chiro kept me straight and loose so I could actually DO the p.t. and the exercises.

I bought a laptop and worked from bed for the next 6 weeks.

I was diligent about keeping every appointment and doing all the exercises. I was determined not to cancel our trip!

10 weeks later we packed the truck with the inversion table, exercise ball, e-stim unit, ice packs and all my drugs and DROVE to Florida from NH. DH had folded the back seat of the SUV down and put an air mattress down in case I needed to stretch out.

I drove over 1000 of those miles, we walked our tootsies off from open to close in the parks for 3 days and then took off on our cruise.

By the drive home (which I did almost in it's entirety) I'd weaned myself off all the drugs except for the motrin.

I continued seeing the chiro once a month for the next couple of years until he retired. Then I just never bothered to find another one.

My back still gets sketchy from time to time - particularly if I'm on my feet standing for hours on end, or sitting and not watching my posture.

But otherwise other than 1 regular motrin at night, I'm mobile and pain free. We head to WDW each fall for 2-3 weeks - last year I brought a pedometer and we clocked over 40 miles of walking in 2 weeks.

Oh... and we go snowmobiling every winter - something even my chiro said was crazy.

I know back injuries are tricky and treatment and success varies from person to person, but that's my story.

Good luck and I hope you find a solution that works for you!

[campingmommy aka Kelli 7]

I worked for one for several years and still go for adjustments every once in awhile. A good chiropractor will examine you and take xrays before beginning treatments. Bulging discs/ruptured discs are no-no with chiropractic care.

I can tell you that I had bells palsy while pregnant at 8 months that it helped a lot! And I get bad headaches and that is the only thing that helps.

[MicknMin...Holly 54]

My husband has gone to a chiropractor a few times when his back has gone out, and he has been able to make the pain go away after a few visits. I have not had the same luck. I herniated a disc the weekend before Thanksgiving last year and couldn't walk, or sit, or do much of anything. When it first happened, I ended up in the emergency room. They gave me pain killers and sent me to an orthopedic. The orthopedic was worthless! He prescribed drugs and two epidural injections in my back. When that didn't work, he said surgery was my only option...I wasn't willing to do that yet. It was herniated at L5 S1 and I had extreme sciatica, but I knew there had to be a better answer. My husband convinced me to go to his chiropractor. The chiropractor told me right off the bat that he might not be able to fix the problem, but he would probably be able to give me a little relief from the pain. After going to see him for a few weeks and not getting better, he told me that I should see a spine specialist. I really appreciated his honesty. I ended up going to a spine specialist about an hour from my house, and he made all the difference in the world. He originally had me getting physical therapy, but soon realized that I relapsed after each session, so he changed it to a series of gentle stretches at home. Within a few days, I could feel the pain going away. I still have a little bit of numbness in my foot and some occasional tightness in my calf muscle, but other than that, I feel great.

During the time that I was out of work because of this, a co-worker also herniated a disc. He was going to an orthopedic and when he told her that he had some numbness in his leg, she immediately scheduled him for surgery. Although he had the surgery, he is still feeling some numbness to this day...just like I am, but I didn't have surgery. So it seems like his surgery really didn't fix his problem. My doctor says a lot of the people that get the surgery, end up herniated the disc again within a year or two because they didn't really fix the issue.

So, to make a very long story short, I would find a reputable spine institute in your area and go see them. I think a lot of them are less likely to jump at having you get surgery.

[liv luvs disney 2]

Guys thank you so much for your feedback. My NS is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what he thinks. I completely trust him. I know he could have already operated on me, but hasn't. He explained to me that because of my age if we operate now, there is a greater chance of another surgery in the future. Like I said, because of my last 2 surgery experiences, I'm quite spooked of any surgery. So, we'll see. I have been investigating Chiropractors for a long time now and have several references for some "good" ones. I've mainly been investigating those on my insurance list. The fact that my insurance and HSA will actually allow chiropractic work has completely shocked me!