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[inthelab]

Mixture of legit and hooey. Providing relief for neck and back pain -- most likely, legit. Straying to other parts of the body (such as ovaries), more likely to be hooey. "Subluxations" and other forms of magical thinking, hooey.

Agreed.  Although a physical therapist can do the good part without the hooey.  I put my faith and money into physical therapy.

Know that chiropractors do not believe that germs (microbes) cause disease, nor do they believe in vaccinations, or medicines (like blood pressure medicine, insulin, etc.).  Individual chiropractors may deviate from the orthodoxy, but non-belief in standard evidence-based medicine is what's normally taught.

Also know that there are chiropractors who do manipulations of the neck: a dangerous practice!

This was written by a chiropractor:
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chiroeval.html

[carebearstare]

Thanks for the above, Inthelab. The chiropractor that I stopped in to see definitely showed interest in my neck, which is now making me nervous. What, exactly, is a "manipulation" in chiropractic? Is he going to give me a massage, or start cracking things and making me turn my head in funny directions?

I currently have an appointment set for next week. Since this place is near where I go for yoga, many people there swear by this guy, so it's not totally random. I guess I can always go once and see.

[inthelab]

....start cracking things and making me turn my head in funny directions?

This.  People have reported compression of cervical nerves in the spine leading to bad consequences.

Yoga, by the way, helps a lot of people with neck and back pain.  I've become a fan.  I used to have neck and shoulder pain until I started doing yoga- the shoulder rolls are great.

[sciencephd]

It is a mixture.  The practice of the low impact spine and joint applications can be effective.  However, the general theory of chiropractice, which has little to do with what you see if you go to a chiropractor who focuses on 'spine and joint adjustments' is complete nonsense.  There are many websites describing the theory and it doesn't take much reading to realize that it is hocus pocus, on the level of homeopathy.  The chiropractors who go beyond spine and joint adjustment and who have "machines" related to subluxations, etc. are complete quacks and should be shut down by the FDA.  However, that is part of what they are taught in many of the chiropractic schools and has been legitamized by the existance of chirpractic schools and degrees.

The higher impact adjustments are potentially dangerous, and I don't think this risk is disclosed.  There are cases of paralysis and stroke resulting from chiropractic adjustments.

[figee]

Thanks for the above, Inthelab. The chiropractor that I stopped in to see definitely showed interest in my neck, which is now making me nervous. What, exactly, is a "manipulation" in chiropractic? Is he going to give me a massage, or start cracking things and making me turn my head in funny directions?

I currently have an appointment set for next week. Since this place is near where I go for yoga, many people there swear by this guy, so it's not totally random. I guess I can always go once and see.

Above, yes.  Adjustments involve crunches.  I read the article linked above and did find it interesting.  I suspect that I'll wait till I feel like things have stabilised, but will have to stop going regularly in the near future anyhow because hegee is having an operation and I'll be needed at home. 

Go once, and see how you get on.  It's helped me, but I'll probably stop going relatively soon.  I don't want to be seeing someone every month uneccessarily.

[sciencephd]

http://www.chiropracticstroke.com/

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chirostroke.html

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=94

[mended_drum]

I think mostly hooey, but not because it doesn't work on back pain.  Based on nothing more than family, friends and colleagues (thus, totally anecdotal evidence), I have to say that the well-trained masseuse in my city has exactly the same success rate as the local chiropractors with back and neck pain.  If it were me, I'd try massage first.

[conjugate]

Mixture of legit and hooey. Providing relief for neck and back pain -- most likely, legit. Straying to other parts of the body (such as ovaries), more likely to be hooey. "Subluxations" and other forms of magical thinking, hooey.

This is the correct answer. Also, their holistic medicine theory is complete and utter garbage. My general rule is if they try to sell you anything, or suggest that an adjustment can fix anything but your back, then run away as quickly as you can.

I will agree.  I saw a chiropractor briefly after a serious back injury.  He told me to do some exercises to alleviate back pain, and it worked.  I later read an article (perhaps Scientific American?) to the effect that the biggest predictor of back pain was, not blown/ruptured disks, but lack of exercise.  People who got regular exercise (including many of the exercises the chiropractor recommended) had less back pain (even with ruptured disks, some of which caused no difficulty whatsoever) than people who didn't (even those with no apparent disk problems).

Yes, I know that a dimly-remembered article that might or might not have been in SciAm in some unspecified year doesn't constitute a proper reference.  But I don't think there's anything controversial about the claim that exercise helps.

[inthelab]

Yes, I know that a dimly-remembered article that might or might not have been in SciAm in some unspecified year doesn't constitute a proper reference.  But I don't think there's anything controversial about the claim that exercise helps.

Agreed. But a physical therapist can prescribe exercises without the hooey.

[see_wolf]

If you are willing to try manipulations, I would go to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy).  These physicians have the medical school training plus extensive hands-on musculoskeletal experience.

Unfortunately, in some small areas (like mine) they are hard to find...

[inthelab]

If you are willing to try manipulations, I would go to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy).  These physicians have the medical school training plus extensive hands-on musculoskeletal experience.

Not necessarily. My uni has 2 allopathic med schools plus 1 osteopathic med school.  The training is nearly identical.

[see_wolf]

If you are willing to try manipulations, I would go to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy).  These physicians have the medical school training plus extensive hands-on musculoskeletal experience.

Not necessarily. My uni has 2 allopathic med schools plus 1 osteopathic med school.  The training is nearly identical.

Maybe the DO's are more willing to use their training in their practice?  Of course, MD's (especially those in general practice) are overworked and under-reimbursed, in my opinion... so they often lack time for that extra attention...

[inthelab]

If you are willing to try manipulations, I would go to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy).  These physicians have the medical school training plus extensive hands-on musculoskeletal experience.

Not necessarily. My uni has 2 allopathic med schools plus 1 osteopathic med school.  The training is nearly identical.

Maybe the DO's are more willing to use their training in their practice?  Of course, MD's (especially those in general practice) are overworked and under-reimbursed, in my opinion... so they often lack time for that extra attention...

DOs are reimbursed the same as MDs because they practice the same way and subscribe to the same insurers; the codes are identical.  Do would sooner send to a PT then spend time doing manipulations themselves.

[see_wolf]

Do would sooner send to a PT then spend time doing manipulations themselves.

This hasn't been my experience.  Obviously there is no across the board consensus.

[cranefly]

I think it depends on the problem, and the chiropractor.
I had terrible, unbelievable back pain for a few years, saw an osteopath, a massage therapist, several physical therapists, and acupuncturist: Nothing worked. As a last resort, I went to a chiropractor. Two weeks later I was off my pain drugs. Two weeks after that I was feeling 100% better. I swear by it, personally, but I had a specific problem (related to scoliosis--curvature of the spine).
I let mine do my neck, because it helps with my headaches, but I would still try various massage therapies and self-manipulation first. Remember most neck pain is referred from shoulders (upper trapezius area). Try digging around in your shoulders--lots of knots (trigger points)? If so, get a massage instead, and work on stretching the area as well as your whole back.