Chiropractors

[Davey Do]

Asa child, I remember my maternal Uncle telling stories to my Mom about his visits to his Chiropractor. I asked my Mom what a Chiropractor was and, basically, she replied, "They're quacks".

As a young LPN at Weed Rover Township Hospital, working as a OR scrub nurse back in the mid '80's, I worked with some medical student externs. One extern had his DC and I remember him saying, "Yeah- I'm going to be a real doctor!"

So, my belief system was built upon opinions that Chiropractors aren't real Doctors, and are basically useless.

I supervised a Methadone Clinic in the early aughts, and a Cracker Jack LPN in his early 50's, Chuck, basically ran it. Chuck and I were chatting one day when the subject came around to back pain. Chuck told me of an episode in his life where he experienced some severe back pain and had set up surgical treatment as a remedy.

Chuck said that two days before he was to have surgery, someone asked if he had consulted with a Chiropractor. Chuck told me, "I thought- what the heck? A Chiropractor can't make my back any worse".

Chuck relayed to me the good results for which he did not need surgery as the result of a Chiropractor's intervention. I thought, "Hmmmm..."

In 2011, I was doing some pretty heavy duty landscaping around my place. I suffered from sharp, chronic left shoulder pain. My medical nurse wife Belinda and I were discussing which Orthopedic Surgeon, that she worked with, should do the surgery when I thought of seeking services from a Chiropractor.

When Dr. Jeff adjusted my neck, it was a total relief! I was out of pain and was giddy! It was better than drugs!

Recently, my left shoulder has again been bothering me. I attempt to work out the numerous aches and pains that I experience here and there, and many are transient. Once it gets to two weeks, I gotta visit Dr. Jeff, and did so yesterday.

Once again with the adjustments, my shoulder significantly improved, and I gave Dr. Jeff a hug.

What are your thoughts, feelings, or experiences with chiropractic interventions? Are they quacks, not real doctors, or healers?

[Davey Do]

3 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

 She could be a patient to any of us

A wise RN told me as a new LPN on a psych unit, when I was complaining about a patient, "Any of these patients could be you. You could be any of these patients. There for the grace of God go I".

[Zeek, LPN]

I have an awesome Chiropractor who I have worked with for 7 years now.  I have had 3 prior back surgeries from lifting and general life.  Those helped with the acute pain, but not the chronic pain I have endured since then.  2 different people told me about this practitioner and how wonderful he was, so I thought - why not?  The first day he worked on me I had no more leg pain!!  That was huge for me.  He practices NUCCA therapy which only works on the atlas and axis.  I don't really understand how this works, but I am back riding my horse after years out of the saddle and doing other things I love.  The initial phase was intense (2 times/wk), but I go only about every 6 weeks to 3 months to maintain.  No claiming to heal the sick or raise the dead!

[Davey Do]

So, in essence, rhyde...

53 minutes ago, rhyde said:

I am back riding my horse after years out of the saddle

...are you saying that your chiropractor did a Gene Autry on you?

 

It's good to hear that he could relieve your chronic back pain!

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

12 hours ago, Davey Do said:

 

Oh, I could work at it, day in day out, sometimes for extended periods, but who wants to work? When you can just pop a pain pill and experience some relief for a short time."

Being hit head-on by a pickup truck traveling at 45 mph while on a motorcycle at a young age, and suffering multiple internal and orthopedic injuries, was truly a blessing.

There was a patient that I saw in the community who had experienced similar injuries to mine at about the same age. We were both in our 30's at the time of our meeting and he was, then, on pain pills and used a wheelchair. He died over a decade ago.

 

I think sometimes chronic illness or injuries does require work.....sometimes a LOT of work to improve.....from all avenues and many second and third opinions. In all honesty, when I did everything from conventional/mainstream medicine only, I actually made very minimal improvement as a child. However, when I started using all sides of medicine....researching on my own and pulling in some alternative forms or holistic forms or simply research and evidence based forms of care, I actually improved. I survived a prognosis modern medicine claimed I never would - except I did. But not without lots of work (and still with a lot of work). I am not saying it’s all about determination, but I do think society wants a “quick fix” and then gets upset when there isn’t one. I can’t change what I was born with or even some of the resulting damage - what I can change is how badly I want to try to improve my quality and quantity of life. I am grateful to have so many forms of health avenues to choose from....and sometimes surgery and medicines are helpful and sometimes other methods are just as helpful.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

15 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

I see one occasionally. I refuse to allow manipulation of my neck, due to horrible things I've heard, as there are other workings that do the same thing without that jerking/twisting of the neck.

My sister had her first back surgery about 10 years ago.  Sadly, no improvement to her situation, and 4 back surgeries since. She now says that she wishes that she'd used a chiropractor first to see.  Other issue, she's about 120lb (54.5kg) overweight. When her GP and surgeon have tried to discuss that with her, from first surgery to the most recent a year ago, she says that they're mean and are just trying to make her feel bad. When I've tried to reinforce their message, I'm just jealous because I'm not wealthy/beautiful/friendly (or whatever adjective that a COB would be).  Umm, yep.  She could be a patient to any of us

The cracking of the neck is definitely creepy, but I have to admit it feels really good afterwards. I was concerned about him just snapping my neck and me being a quad for the rest of my life. He told me that the technique they use and position of the neck while it's being manipulated is different from what's needed to actually break someone's neck. I don't know if that's true because as I said he claimed to be able to cure my diabetes LOL but it did make me feel better.

I am obese and know that the likely reason I have back issues is due to my weight and would not take offense to anyone pointing that out, it's kind of common sense? I mean, I've been in my body long enough to know that I'm overweight so it's not as though it's a surprise when someone points it out to me ?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

8 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

I am obese and know that the likely reason I have back issues is due to my weight and would not take offense to anyone pointing that out, it's kind of common sense? I mean, I've been in my body long enough to know that I'm overweight so it's not as though it's a surprise when someone points it out to me 

If angle is off or you move slightly during rotation, it can cause all kinds of issues, not just paralysis. The chiro did tell me this, my PCP verified

Most people who are obese are aware. Some are accepting, some are in denial. My sister has had a rough life of food, drink, drugs, and smoking. She looks like she's about 65 y/o, she's in her 40s, but thinks she passes for 20. Anyone who guesses that she looks 60ish is just jealous of her. It makes me laugh, but I'm sad about her condition

[Davey Do]

11 hours ago, speedynurse said:

things that not only made me like her more, but made me respect her oh so more!

❤❤❤❤❤!

[Davey Do]

6 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

The cracking of the neck is definitely creepy, but I have to admit it feels really good afterwards.

The first time Dr. Jeff cracked my neck and the pain left causes me to wait for that moment:

Craaaaack!  "There it is!" I exclaim.

 

Moon, some author in some book somewhere in my memory described a baby, an infant, as a "wet lumpish mass".

So, if I may rephrase Ecclesiastes 3:20...

"All go unto one place; all are of a wet lumpish mass, and all turn into a wet lumpish mass again."

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

5 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

"All go unto one place; all are of a wet lumpish mass, and all turn into a wet lumpish mass again."

Ewwwww...

[Davey Do]

42 minutes ago, Hoosier_RN said:

that which was very caring in sharing

^^^^^This is one of the chief reasons that allnurses is my favorite website. The quality members who are professionals and know how to communicate.

Hoosier: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

50 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

Hoosier: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

❤❤❤I feel a Rod Stewart ballad coming on❤❤❤

[Davey Do]

5 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

❤❤❤I feel a Rod Stewart ballad coming on❤❤❤

Not right now, dear.

A few years ago I severely strained my back, most likely from rotating tires on my pickup. It was a crippling pain and I won't go into detail, because you've all heard, or experienced them, before.

I went to Dr. Jeff, who helped some. I began a program of stretching, heat and ice applications, exercise, weight lifting, Belinda back massages, and sporadic ibuprofen use which lasted for about 18 months. I believed, at the time, that I would never again not have back pain. But still, I kept at it.

Then slowly, very slowly, the pain subsided. My back is not in the same state as it was before the injury. My back tires more easily, gets stiff at times, and I can't lift near the same amount of weight as before. But I am not in pain and I owe it all to my healing routine with the help of my chiropractor.

Which brings me to the first point I made about my left shoulder and my initial visit to Dr. Jeff due to left shoulder pain: 

My shoulder continues to bother me every now and again. I treat pains as though they are transient and only seek professional assistance when they become unbearable or chronic. For two weeks, my shoulder was paining me. When it got to the I-can't-take-this-anymore pain, I went to see Dr. Jeff. He gave me an adjustment and the pain almost completely subsided.

A few days later, it came back with a vengeance. I worked on it some, and now the pain is gone. This has happened before: Pain>adjustment>relief> pain returns> pain subsides.

I talked with Dr. Jeff about this and he relayed to me that this situation is not uncommon, and something about the body getting "use to" the adjustment.

Have any of you any experienced such a situations after an adjustment?