Really bad back, and scared of chiropractors

Pfffttt..Painkillers. The MD's universal answer to everything.

Back in 1991 I was riding in the backseat with some friends when we were rear ended while stopped at the stoplight. I was tossed upward and hit my head on the roof of the car compressing my neck discs like a closed accordian. Sharp pain and the inability to move my neck left or right followed.

Long story short, chiropractic therapy, combined with therapy massage and a reconditioning(exercise) of the neck muscles over a span of two years put me back to normal again. The therapy treatment never hurt as bad as the collision. The muscles always tend to tighten up as a form of protective mode and in the process of doing that, they pull bones out of allignment. Chiropractic care corrects the misalligned bones and undo the tense muscles to allow for healing. It takes one second to knock you out of whack and a long grueling process to get back to normal.

 

I would not recommend a chiropractor. But I guess every situation is different. In my case, they came highly recommended, they do hollywood elite, athletes, yada yada, whatever. They made my back so bad I barely walked out of the office.
I went on for a week in this condition, barely able to make it to work.
Then........one morning I woke up, I couldn't get out of bed.
Scared the daylights out of me. I Attmepted to get off my bed for about an hour. Finally, got to the floor and called 411 (almost 911).
Got a number to the nearest ACCUPUNCTURE office. Believe me, when it comes to skeptisizm on this sort of practice, I was the head of the skeptics.
Never wanted to go, read about, I dont care who told me what. I had no interest.
The only reason I did call was because I could not move and they were around the block from where I lived.
Took me about 2 hours to get there. literally crawled in to the office with about 6 people waiting. The lady took me straight to the back.
Needle after Needle, front and back. For the record, the only one that hurt was the one on the upper lip right below the nose.
The rest were pretty painless. None of that electrical shock treatment. Just Sterile (opened in front of me) needles, and ALOT of them. About an hour later, walked out like nothing ever happened. It was truly amazing.
The owner did not even charge me. I recall her saying to me, "you paid enough with this pain you had." I was so grateful to her.
I did send her some flowers a week later.

This was 15 years ago. The pain just recently came back 2 yrs ago.
I owe it all to a drunk that rear ended me at a stoplight going 40mph.

I am considering going back to "my" accupuncturist.

I am just waiting to see if it gets worse. (I am still a skeptic when it comes to accupunture.)

So there you have it, that's my story and I'm stickin to it

 

Chiropractor = Witch Doctor selling useless supplements!

Lots of folks swear by accupuncture.

 

My opinion: go get an MRI on your lower spine. It only takes an hour. If there is really something wrong, you're not doing yourself any favors by ignoring it or letting a chiropractor mess around with it. You could end up with permanent nerve damage. That's what happened to my wife.

 

I have a damaged nerve on my lower right side and a hip that is 1-2 degrees out of whack that never bothered me until I injured myself twisting to crack my lower back in an office chair as a habit and I couldn't walk without assistance. My muscles were tense from moving several days before over the weekend and if I didn't try to crack my own lower back by twisting my torso 60-70 degrees to the right, I probably wouldn't have damaged my nerve at all.

This happened almost a year ago and I have to regularly stretch and see a chiropractor once every quarter to massage and crack and keep things aligned. What I have sounds minor to your pain, it isn't more than a sharp stab if I over exert myself remedied by stretching and good posture.

If you do anything at all, please go here, click on Rehab Exercises on the left, and open the PDFs to find exercices you can do that will help keep you limber. I'm 30 now, so I'm beginning to feel your pain.. good luck.

 

I'd second the advice on getting an MRI.

Check out www.thebackcoach.com - unfortunately their back and neck stretchers are out of production at the moment (from what I've heard a new model is due out sometime this summer), but they get great reviews. You may be able to get one second hand somewhere (although I'm not entirely sure they were ever sold in the USA). An inversion table could maybe help if you can't get a backstretcher.

The DVD they have has some good exercises - I have back trouble that sounds pretty similar to yours (twisted spine, hips out of line, locked up muscles holding it there) and have been using the DVD for a few weeks and am getting some relief. Not sure if it will work in the US though because of DVD regions - I know amazon in the UK sells the DVD, so amazon US may have a US market version.

Are chiropractors different to osteopaths (also there may be some difference in the definitions on the 2 sides of the atlantic)? My dad swears by his osteopath, who examines your back and makes you do a load of everyday motions (stand up, sit down, sit at the computer, walk, etc, etc) all with your top off so that they can see how you use your back and what you are doing wrong. They then give you exercises to rectify the problem and take a look every week to see how you are improving.

 

where do you live ?

I have an amazing in FL who made my messed up back feel like new again

it would be worth a flight down for him to work on you

 

3rd on the MRI. You need to make sure you don't have spinal stenosis, a disc about to do something bad to your spinal chord, significant bone damage, etc., etc.

I have had very good luck working with a medical orthopedist (so he doesn't do surgery) and a physical therapist. If there are muscle issues (imbalance, to tight, etc.) they can put you on a regimen of stretching, strenghtening, massages, deep tissue ultrasound, etc.

As an MD, I am skeptical about accupuncture. My wife (also an MD) had her first two rounds of accupunture to help with inflamed tooth ligaments (she is trying to dodge the root canal bullet). She is also, of course, working with a dentist. Anyway, she is REMARKABLY better post accupunture.

Once you know that you don't have a potentially dangerous structural issue, considering accupunture and chiropractic in addition to physical therapy might be worth while.

Good Luck.

 

If or when you go the the chircopractor, they will tell you to get an X-ray and/or an MRI before they try anything.


I would highly recommend a chircopractor. They don't just crack your back. They can use sonar therapy or other types of massage therapy to unwind the tense muscles in the back. If they see on the X-ray and/or MRI that your back is out of alignment, then they will re-align it.

When I was 15, my back hurt so much. I looked like a 15 year old, but I had the back of a 60 year old retired stuntman. I couldn't walk. My mom took me to one of the clinics that she runs, and they used this deep muscle massager on my lower back (I think it was a combination of sound and heat) and it made my pain go away. They determined that the reason my back hurt was because my abs weren't supporting my weight, rather my back was doing all the supporting. In the end, I started to work out, and I haven't had pain since.

Chiropractors aren't as bad as people think they are. A good chiropractor knows what they are doing, and can help you remain pain free if it is a muscular problem or you are out of alignment. They won't re-align anything without permission.

 

4th on the MRI

 

MRI is a must! My chiropractor has never "cracked" my back. He is a sports chiro/therapist and uses the deep muscle message with heat and electo pulse. My back also goes tense about once a year, I do hardwood floors. After a few sessions things are back to normal. Be weary of anyone that just "cracks" there is much more to it than that. Get a good referal first.

 

Well this is another chiropractor vs. Orthopod vs. Physical Therapist vs. Accunpuncture...

I work with very a bunch of highly respected Orthopods, and ALL of them here are AGAINST chiropractors. They all say its a waste of money since you will be getting adjusted for the rest of your life and throw money away at them...They all recommend some type of physical therapy , sometimes accupuncture/electro-stimulation, but again against Chiros.

A good friend of mine is a great Chiro, and alot of my friends swear by them, and of course they have the same biased opinion, an orthopod will go with the option that makes the most $$..but for me, I've been lifting heavy weights for 10 years now, play competive racquetball, and WILL NOT let a chiro touch me...

My best advice is youre very young, try all your options, everyone is different and will react differently to treatments. Find out whats really wrong and if you do get into an Orthopedic office, try and find one that specializes in Sports Med. it cant hurt and they will recommend some activity (dont know how active you are now ) as part of your treatment...good luck

 

Good on you for stretches - just don't do "traditional situps" - more harm than good.

Did acupuncture when I was 12 & 13 yrs. old - excellent. Even cures colds & flu, kids!

Chiropractic care ended misery after a couple accidents - one in which my car was used as a ramp by a drunk (I know where you live, wipe!) doing 100+ MPH. Neurologist milked me for 3 years, all the while saying Chiropractic was the worst... I went to a Chiropractor for 3 sessions & kissed 24-hour-a-day headaches & 10 prescriptions & the Neurologist's receptionist (Lisa, Lisa, Lisa) goodbye.

 

MRI and don't fear the bone-crackers--just get a good one. Regular medicine told me 30 years ago that I was '...a cripple...' and would never work again. With care, I've managed to get the last 30 out of my back with flareups maybe twice a year.

 

but you are still crippled in the brain.... Wipe up that drool...

 

Lend me your shirt.

 

The warriors words havem teeth....

 

This warrior havem no teeth, and not likely to get them, either, without a different dental plan!

 

Thats awesome! I take 10min each morning, 5 twice during the day at the office, 10min night and its like it never happened. Of course, as I sit here now in my Sealy Posturepedic office chair, my lower back is a little tense so I'm going to get up and stretch and have a smoke. Hehe.

One thing that you might also find helpful is heat and cold therapy. Its a crude way of stimulating your muscles to contract and expand without putting pressure on your vertebrae or nerves because your muscles are fighting you. Not everyone has one of those electric gizmo's to stimulate your muscles (thanks, Darf!) but most can throw an ice pack into a folded towel and alternate between that and a warm bath.. take the bath first.

When I went to my doctor on a recommendation I was hunched over and howling in the car trying to drive. I was scared for the first time in my life having no other physical illness but the common cold. I hobbled in and the first thing they had me do was sit in a position to reduce pressure on my lower back and after 20-30min did the vertebrae and muscle fingertip test while I tried to stand up but still remain comfortable. He helped me lift my right leg as if I was going to stomp on something and I swear it felt like a garden hose that became untangled.

They shouldn't touch you with any kind of therapy, massaging, or cracking at all until they are unable to relieve pressure from posture and bending. They shouldn't do any of those without an MRI. The education in taking care of your body through lifestyle changes is the most important thing you will receive from your visits. Curative > corrective.

Edit: P.S. Don't sit with your wallet in your back pockets.

 

Do you REALLY think that these people are going to send their business to the competition, even after you remove the egos? No offense, but car accidents are the leading cause of death in the united states, and going to the medical doctor is second. In fact, the last patient of mine that had back surgery died from it. These are not not made up, they are in JAMA.

I am a chiropractor. My sister is a medical doctor. I refer to MDs. They refer to me. I cant STAND the egotistical, brain washing, self-centered doctors that can't have an open mind...for MDs and DCs.

I know as many crappy MDs as I do DCs. The people that think they are not equal are UNEDUCATED, don't think for themseleves, and/or are biased. Do you know how many times I have had a patient bring their x-rays in, that their medical doctor took, and said they were fine...and they had BONE CANCER?

And, as for the part about "always" having to go to a chiropractor...do you plan on "always" going to the dentist? What about always going to the doctor for a prostate exam after 50?

Chiropractic is not just about helping people get over pain. It is also about staying healthy and in shape. If you wait to take care of your heart until your first symtom of heart disease, your first symptom will probably be a heart attack.

We help people recover..and we help those with musculoskeletal disese keep going. It is their desicion to get treated for the rest of their life. They see what it does for them.

to the patient:

Obviously, you still have control of your legs and still have conrol of your bowels. You don't need surgery. Pain is an indicator that something is wrong. Take limited pain killers to get over the hump. It seems like a better decision to exhaust all conservative methods and use surgery as a last resort. A bad decision is to have surgery when you have not given safe, non-invasive treatment a long, hard try.

Don't do what people tell you. Do what you think is safe and smart. To me, it sounds like you have a chronic disc problem that flares up every year. Do a google search and see what you can find. Half of my patients have disc problems in the low back. Almost 95% of them have success with treatment in my clinic. How can you argue against trying that?

 

Do you REALLY think that these people are going to send their business to the competition, even after you remove the egos? No offense, but car accidents are the leading cause of death in the united states, and going to the medical doctor is second. In fact, the last patient of mine that had back surgery died from it. These are not not made up, they are in JAMA.

I am a chiropractor. My sister is a medical doctor. I refer to MDs. They refer to me. I cant STAND the egotistical, brain washing, self-centered doctors that can't have an open mind...for MDs and DCs.

I know as many crappy MDs as I do DCs. The people that think they are not equal are UNEDUCATED, don't think for themseleves, and/or are biased. Do you know how many times I have had a patient bring their x-rays in, that their medical doctor took, and said they were fine...and they had BONE CANCER?

And, as for the part about "always" having to go to a chiropractor...do you plan on "always" going to the dentist? What about always going to the doctor for a prostate exam after 50?

Chiropractic is not just about helping people get over pain. It is also about staying healthy and in shape. If you wait to take care of your heart until your first symtom of heart disease, your first symptom will probably be a heart attack.

We help people recover..and we help those with musculoskeletal disese keep going. It is their desicion to get treated for the rest of their life. They see what it does for them.

to the patient:

Obviously, you still have control of your legs and still have conrol of your bowels. You don't need surgery. Pain is an indicator that something is wrong. Take limited pain killers to get over the hump. It seems like a better decision to exhaust all conservative methods and use surgery as a last resort. A bad decision is to have surgery when you have not given safe, non-invasive treatment a long, hard try.

Don't do what people tell you. Do what you think is safe and smart. To me, it sounds like you have a chronic disc problem that flares up every year. Do a google search and see what you can find. Half of my patients have disc problems in the low back. Almost 95% of them have success with treatment in my clinic. How can you argue against trying that?

 

I have been going to a chiropractor for many years after long felt back pain. They key is going to one that stretches your muscles around your spin and then adjusts you. If your guys just cracks you it will not solve the main issue which is tight muscles around your spine.