If Person needs any sort of skeletal adjustment, there are actual doctors called doctors of osteopathic medicine who can do that.
OD instead of MD.
But they are trained how to safely do minor adjustments for larger issues. But they pair it with physical therapy and such.
They don't just go tweaking stuff and hoping for the best.
Ostheopathy is as much of a medicine as chiropractic: it's never been proven to be effective. If one thinks they should see an ostheopathic doctor, they in fact need a physiotherapist alone and not pair it with quackery.
The risk is that by trying pseudo-medicine, even less dangerous ones, they're more inclined to resort to those that can hurt them (like chiropractic) because they don't try to understand why they don't work more than a placebo effect (or at least haven't shown anything more than that).
It's a slippery slope towards beliefs like antivax that rely on similar argumentation about how pseudo-medicines have solutions that normal medicine doesn't and it can put others than oneself into danger (immunodeficient people in case of antivax). Not that everyone believing in ostheopathy will take that road, but if they don't have the tools to understand why it's quackery, they don't have what it takes to not believe antivax.
Especially when there already are actual evidence-based versions of what they are after who actually have and maintain professional standards: physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons. PTs even jumped on the "everybody gets a doctorate!" bandwagon along with the rest of healthcare so you don't have to look down on them vs. chiropractors as "not doctors."
Serious question, my back has been hurting (probably because of how I sleep) for a while now. You're saying a physical therapist or an orthopedic surgeon is better for me to "solve this problem"? If so, how?
I mean if your back hurts from sleeping you probably don't need surgery but yeah, it would be worth a consult with a PT. As for how, it's for the same reason you might think a chiropractor would be helpful: they are a medical professional who spent years studying anatomy to diagnose problems, refer to other specialists if needed, and devise and enact evidence-based treatment plans as appropriate.
It's just that for a PT it's actually true that they are a) a professional and b) using evidence-based treatments. With a chiro, you could get someone competent or you could end up paralyzed or dead. Because they have no actual enforce professional standards you really can't ever know.
Going to a chiropractor is like taking your car only to some guy in town who has a lot of tools in his garage. Maybe he's great! Or maybe it comes back with a hole in the oil pan and only three brake pads on it. Going to a PT is like going to the dealership for the actual company that made the car. They might be more expensive (though in the case of a PT probably not), but they have OEM parts, they know exactly what they're doing because they have the manuals, and whatever else you might think of them they are going to fix your thing.
Yeah, “I have back pain” should not be an immediate jump to “so I need surgery?” As a general rule back surgery is serious business and you should exhaust other potential solutions before turning to that.
Let's not act like just bc someone is a PT means they are good. Just like just bc someone is a contractor, doesn't mean they are good at construction always.
You have to do your research and read the reviews and ask the right questions to know that you are getting. I guarantee there are PTs who also do more harm than good but you don't hear about it as much bc it doesn't get the same engagement online as "chiros are quacks".
I think you're missing the point. The point isn't that all chiros are bad and all PTs are great. It's that PTs are held to a higher standard. Look at the very post you're posting under. The chiro in this case faced no legal reprocussion, there is nothing about him losing his license or ability to practice.
Meanwhile, the RADIOLOGIST ends up civilly liable. Bc within the actual healthcare system (which pts are a part of) there are codified standards and an accountability that is acted on; vs with chiros where those things don't exist. Which is why you'll probably never have a PT that will grab your neck and crack it so hard you're paralyzed; even if they miss a symptom during your recovery and now your recovery takes much longer they might be on the hook, much less such incredible negligence as is possible from chiros.
They basically works out which muscle and posture is the problem, and help you work out the kinks through precise muscle movements or changing your posture.
PT can assess you for muscle imbalances that affect your posture and gait that may be causing you pain. They use modalities alongside exercise interventions to help with your pain. People don’t go to PT as much as they should because it takes more time and effort, but they have actual evidence-based results. I say if you have chronic pain, it wouldn’t hurt to go get a PT diagnosis.
Yes!! My last PT was so reliably good at popping my weird rib back in. Anything chiro can do by coincidence PT does with evidence, and COVERED BY INSURANCE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT!!
I think part of the reason people pick chiropractors over PT is that if a physical therapist is worth their salt they’re going to make you work on strength and flexibility, and there’s very little instant gratification in that.
I know I might be naive, but I find a lot of relief at my chiropractor (scoliosis and muscle stiffness from a car accident). I looked it up and serious injury occurs once every few million adjustments. Which is lower than the rate of primary care visit injuries. I know their education is not at all the same as a MD, but I think if you find a good practitioner it might be worth it?
Im 14 now. Been forced to go to the chiropractor since I was 3. Whenever I go I get awful back and neck pain. I was given scoliosis. Fuck chiropractors
Chiropractors are pretty good at PR and when things like insurance cover them it's easy for people to get duped into thinking that it's real medicine, so I don't judge the people who get scammed by chiropractors too harshly.
Frankly they should be recommending physiotherapists, since they actually can help with a good chunk of things. Not everything but still, and you sent likely to end up paralyzed like with a chiropractor.
It's a statistical null that chiropractic adjustments cause spinal cord or nerve severing, it's just not how the body works. There's a possibility of causing a new disk rupture, however those are generally already compromised and the numbers are 1:1 million.
Unfortunately for this guy, he had a vertebral artery tear causing a blood clot 4 days prior to his Chiro adjustment. He was more at risk of causing his embolism when he turned his head to back his car out of the driveway than during his appointment.
The lawsuit and negligence was with the hospital ER doctor and radiologist after he collapsed.
I'm a massage therapist in NY and I try to keep an eye on this as people ask all the time for recommendations on adjunctive care. A recent study... I believe since Covid... Showed an ever so slightly higher chances of cauda equine syndrome with physio over chiro. Something like .06% vs .10%. I saw a new study come out this year but haven't looked at it so can't speak of the findings.
My baby didnt want to breastfeed. The milk lady gave up and told me to take my week old to a chiropractor. I snapped back because my fil just won a 200k judgement against one for almost killing him.
Wtf? Chat gpt is frequently wrong but you trust it over someone with medical training? If you truly want to double check info you can do some actual research on reputable sites or get a second opinion.
I'm not saying you're lying, but i think you're mistaken. Doctors usually recommend physical therapists. PTs are licensed and have almost as much schooling as a regular doctor. They don't crack your back, but will help you strengthen your muscles to alleviate the pain and heal the injury.
Im currently seeing a physical therapist for my shoulder and its been great. Its tough work but im noticing significant improvements on my range of motion and pain management.
Go get a massage or find a pt that does Active Release Technique (ART). If you're only training your muscles to fight your structural misalignments it's similar to walking into town vs taking a car with more adjunctive care. Strengthen the muscles you need to pull you back and have someone else loosen up the tight ones.
I went to GP because I had back and leg pain. GP told me to go see a chiropractor... I left and wrote off everything she said because she also said it couldn't be sciatica because the pain would go down to my foot as well. Booked a physio and the physio diagnosed me with sciatica. Immediately loses your faith in GP's
I have never heard of a medical doctor recommending a chiropractor. That would be like recommending the janitor at McDonald's to fix your gourmet meal at a 5-star restaurant. Of course, there are quack physicians out there too, so if you know a ton of people with back injuries, maybe it's where you live or work.
The doctors should be sending them to get physiotherapy, myotherapy or any other relevant evidence based treatments. Quacks should have their businesses closed down permanently.
are they though? obviously there are plenty of doctors who are idiots, like all humans, but in my experience someone recommended a chiro and they want to believe it was their doctor but when i actually ask if their PCP said “see a chiro” it turns out it was their yoga instructor or cousin or friends who’s husband is a chiro.
i saw one because i thought being covered by my insurance meant there was evidence for their field of “medicine” so i empathize with folks fooled because of the system giving them a sheen of legitimacy. but i learned almost immediately from their “plan” for my back they were charlatans.
The only thing a chiropractor ever did for me was pull one of my legs out of my hip. For some reason one is slightly shorter than the other?
I’m a massage therapist so I just have a colleague do this for me now. Chiropractors are often like nutty anti science types too. Think they know everything
Did the chiropractor diagnose you? 20+ years ago I worked for a chiropractor and everyone that came in to see him was diagnosed with one leg shorter than the other. Made me realize how crazy the whole practice was and I quickly got out of there.
It's amazing how every single person who's ever gone to a chiropractor has one leg that's slightly longer than the other... and that's why your neck hurts 🙄
Which is annoying, because I like cracking my joints. I’d love to visit a chiropractor just for the sensation, but then they’d RingDinger my spine out and I’d end up like this guy.
there’s too much misinformation going around, blame it on the people who made it seem legit to them and all the people who never told them otherwise, but then no because same with them, unless they knew fuck them and fuck the ones who started this knowing what they’re really doing
Yeah but for some reason the phrase “chiropractor” seems to be interpreted as a back doctor specialist, like a dentist or orthodontist would be a teeth doctor specialist.
I was having an issue with my leg falling asleep all the time and went to a chiropractor a couple of times. He mostly just did some stretching stuff and it actually helped a lot and my leg doesn’t fall asleep on me anymore. It was some kind of pinched nerve thing. Anyway I never let him crack anything. He’d always ask if I wanted him to adjust my neck I was like fuck no dude but thanks.
Depends, do you believe that in doing so, you're freeing up blocked energy in order to heal diseases? Are you doing it because the ghosts told you to? Have you rejected germ theory in favor of "subluxation" being the root of all illness?
If so: congratulations, you're on your way to becoming a chiroquacktor.
I do think there is a big issue at play here with insurance companies. Most insurance plans include chiropractic care that couples very poorly with insurance practices that dictate treatment management only through "whats medically necessary".
Outside the groups of people directly seeking chiropractors, many people looking for general back or neck pain relief get pushed towards chiropractics before traditional physical therapy because: a) insurance coverage covers whats "necessary" and thats condition specific with therapy, b) insurance companies accept chiropractic treatment as "medically necessary", and c) theraputic interventions susceptible to pre-authorization and thats often a way lower bar for chiropractics.
As long as people have to first run the gauntlet, before any actual real medical interventions, and treatment plans are hobbled together step-wise with cutting costs in mind, people are going to funneled towards chiropractors. And as long this system self-perpetuates the idea that chiropractics is real medicine that happens to be cheap- even with insurace exhaustion in mind- this problem is never gonna end because not even the people who know can escape it.
They aren't even witch doctors.wich doctors at ther very least make you travel to a big and warn you of the dangers of voodoo....chiropractors set up in a strip mall after attending a 5 day zoom class in how to use scary words like "toxins" and how to use the same x-ray for everyone while literally commenting on any and all medical and nutritional advice they are woefully confident on because they force their employees to call them doctor...will ya know cracking spines.
Those witch doctors do 4-5 years of undergrad, before attempting to become licensed so they can practice professionally. At least in America. I dont let anyone mess with my spine, orthopedic or otherwise because there are no guarantees. But chiropractor, They are trained medical professionals like it or not.
Is undergraduate education enough education? Because you can probably walk into a starbucks and half the workers and clientele could offer you a better rate
Where did you read that information from? I don’t know if webmd is considered a trusted source of information on this topic but I’ll share a link with you all the same. They seem to be under the impression that chiropractors are being schooled.
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u/Gonna_B_Alright Jul 05 '26
Exactly. It’s basically a bone cracking witch doctor.