Last week, some aggressive social media marketing by a chain chiropractic group had me in their office being assessed. I was interested to find out the cause of some hip pain I'd been experiencing for the last two years, and though I'd had some relief via an osteopath, I thought I'd give a chiropractor a go, especially as they offered an xray and spinal assessment.
Next minute, I'm being manipulated into signing up for four months of being 'adjusted' to the tune of some $1500 with twice a week manipulations of my pelvis and spine.
I could understand the reasoning. My pelvis isn't in alignment - that is, right to left, it's tilted, and my spine isn't perfectly straight. My posture needs work and my head isn't perfectly on top of my spinal column. It all looked very frightening. It was okay though, I was told, because she could fix me.
And so, before I was given the ongoing plan and costs, she gave me a spinal adjustment, which took about five minutes - a few cracks of the neck and so on. Nothing I haven't received via the osteopath or even a massage. She was young - in her mid 20's - and her bedside manner was a little on the patronizing side. She was uber efficient, neglecting the caring, empathetic side of a health professional, and I felt a little uncomfortable with the whole process. It was also depressing and upsetting to find that I'd be paying hundreds for treatment, even with a discount for up front payment.
Wait a second - I'd have to pay in advance? What if it didn't work?
What had I got myself into?
When I got home, I felt as if I didn't get this treatment things were just going to get worse.
Jamie, Dad and I sat down with it all and tried to figure out if it was worth it. Now, I don't know if you guys know much about chiropractice, and I'd sure like to hear your comments if you do have experience, but when you start online research, there's a lot of talk about pseudoscience and lack of efficacy. It's a field that has some controversary attached to it.
Many argue that it was founded on metaphysical belief and lacks scientific understanding or modern medical knowledge. It was founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer, who postulated that most diseases are caused by spinal misalignments he called subluxations, interfering with the body's innate intelligence - not a concept that is supported by modern medical understanding. As much as I might also be wary of the need to validate everything with 'modern medical understanding' - there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that proves the efficacy of herbs, for example - I still feel a little wary of something that hasn't got at least some proof, especially when many of the studies suggest that chiropractic success often is due to the placebo effect. Believe it will fix you, they say, and so it is.
However, Australian care I imagine has evolved somewhat. It's much more a rigorous study these days with students studying anatomy and physiology just like doctors would. There is an emerging body of evidence used to support chiropractor's claims.
Yet I also felt very, very wary of the side effects, being asked to sign a form that waived responsibility of the clinic. Of course most body manipulations can result in soreness, headaches and so on, there seemed to be a lot more serious risks than I'd expect from someone in charge of my spine and pelvis. Nerve compression, worsening of herniated discs, and even stroke following neck manipulation, bone fractures, joint dislocation and so on all worried me somewhat.
The other thing that bothered me was that I asked if there was anything I could do at home - exercises, sleeping habits, posture, and so on. She argued that most people didn't do it at home anyway and she'd prefer me to come in twice a week for four months before looking at the other things I could do.
Nope.
This was not okay by me.
I felt she was trying to get money out of me rather than put healing at least partly in my own hands.
I also felt quite angry that the health care system could be like this. If you have money, you can be 'fixed' - if you are poor, you stay broken.
Whilst part of me thought, well, if it fixes my hip and prevents ongoing issues, I can stretch the budget, the other part of me didn't believe in the claims of chiropractic care at all.
And perhaps my spine and pelvis didn't need to be perfectly aligned. Not all bodies are. And like me, many bodies have one leg slightly longer than the other. Surely I would be better off strengthening my body to manage any 'misalignment' than forcing it back into an alignment that she argued was better? Straight up and down, left to right didn't gel with me at all.
I really don't know what to do. I know my hip pain needs addressing, but I don't know if chiropractice is right for me personally, and it certainly comes with a hefty price tag. I certainly don't feel comfortable with the clinician I was assigned.
Perhaps it's just a matter of working diligently on my posture, strengthening my core, back and hip muscles. I'm certainly sitting with good posture writing this post!
With Love,
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That same old trick that we fall for over and over, in any and every way it manifests. You can't be "fixed" because you're not broken. As you yourself concluded,
I think "corrected" or "made normal" would be better terms here. Fixing only applies to things that don't work, whereas what they seem to be trying (as I understand it) is to get your body to fit the "normal" bill. Not the same to me.
I don't know much about chiropractice, but it seems dodgy to me, all that cracking of things. From what I know, it's not safe to crack your back or any other joints 'cause it creates swelling and discomfort and things. Sure, you can argue the chiropractor knows what she's doing. Or she could make you worse. Not a risk I'd be willing to take, unless it was absolutely necessary.
Sloppy marketing there. It would've cost her nothing to lie and say sure, get a new foam pillow or something. It's useful, gives the client the impression they're being proactive. You definitely did the right thing walking outta there. Sounds dodgy as hell to me.
That should be your answer. If you're already uncomfortable going in, it does not bode well for your future experience. I assume you swim and do yoga enough already, but those are extremely good for your health and free, so.
💯
They haven't invented miracle cures. They just want you to think they have. And coming back to the fixing thing, I think it's normal to hold out hope that someone out there can fix a bad situation (which dare I say is more than just your hip right now). It's a common trick that these people take advantage of shamelessly, taking advantage of people in need of "fixing" or reassurance. My two cents' worth at least.
She certainly did. I really hated her language and her patronising tone. I wanted to slap her.
Any questions? she said. I had many, but all were too brutal to be uttered.
Update in next post
She sounds hella patronising from the post alone, so no wonder. Some people are like that, I suppose, but it's really depressing to me when someone so young gets like that. I see it around me. People my age deciding they'll stop growing. That they've learned enough and now know it all. Can you fucking imagine that? I can't.
🤣 pity. might've made for a more pleasant experience for the person to next step into this bizarre little place.
I developed some nasty hip pain last year which affected me only when I lay down to sleep, and so badly that I was sitting up for most of the night. I don't do doctors or pills so I tried a chiropractor. She told me much the same as you were told, misalignment, head stuck on wrongly etc but she also arranged an MRI as well as giving me advice on exercise and sleeping posture. When the MRI showed inflammation she recommended anti-inflammatories from a GP, as well as 8 weeks chiropractic treatment. One thing she couldn't explain was why I had pain only when I lay down. I took the 8 weeks treatment which did seem to ease the pain a little but anti-inflammatories be damned. I applied DMSO nightly and after about 6 months the pain was gone.
I think if you have little confidence in the clinician, you're less likely to get benefit from the treatment. As you know, belief in the treatment is half the cure.
Suggest you look into Feldenkrais exercise. It was created for situations like you are describing. There is probably a class in your area you could attend to learn particular exercises to benefit your condition or should it return.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldenkrais_Method
Thanks, that's very kind of you. Happily I'm now I'm as fit as a flea. I had a look but the nearest Feldenkrais classes are more than 100 miles away. Sounds interesting though.
Hehe, Feldenkrais is the frontrunner of the Hanna Somatics i was talking about in my comment, they are easier to find than Hanna practitioners so if that's 100 miles away, it's going to be difficult 😀
I live as far from civilisation as it's possible to be on a small island like Ireland:)...and I don't drive!
Ah I find my hip pain WAY worse at night!
What is DMSO?
Sounds like the chiro didn't help much at all, and it must have been expensive! I am so glad you're good now - I think I just have to wait it out and get relief via the clinician I already trust.
I only had pain upon laying down at night. I was totally pain free during the day. That, the chiropractor couldn't explain but she did get me a diagnosis so I could try to deal with it myself.
DMSO is Dimethyl Sulfoxide which is effective in reducing inflammation and swelling and can be used topically and orally. I've used it successfully for all sorts of pains, strains, lumps and bumps, for the family as well as my chickens and dogs. It might be worth a try since it's not expensive and can do you no harm. It took me 5 or 6 months of consistent use before the pain went completely, but even after a week or two it was considerably reduced, so I could at least sleep.
To get an idea of its numerous applications, you can download Archie Scott's book free ..DMSO handbook for doctors by Archie Scott https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/73bf25b2/files/uploaded/The-DMSO-Handbook-for-Doctors.pdf
Good luck with whatever you course of action you decide upon.
I didn't think that chiropractictors were medical at all? Have you tried a physiotherapist instead?
I think osteo is what works for me. I went back to him last night and we talked about the chiro diagnosis - more in today's post. Bottom line is I aint trusting that shit!
Years ago, I had some severe issues with my back in the past. Injuries from auto accident, and some degenerative decay.
After months of drugs, rest, rehab, PT, eventual L4 - L5 Discectomy, I was still hurting. I tried many things and the thing that really helped was getting GOOD chiropractic.
Just like any other profession, they don't all graduate at the top of their class. I'd suggest you keep searching for a better Chiro if that one isn't doing the trick. It's true that sometimes a few visits may be needed to make significant progress, but if you're not feeling significant improvement in 1-3 sessions, it's time to move on.
In my experience, a GOOD chiro was life altering for me. I still go back 1-2 times a year for adjustment, depending on how bad I've been over-exerting my body.
Get some references, ask around, do some more detailed searching for more experienced and give it another try or two and I'm sure you'll find value.
I think you're bang on there - a good chiro is what matters. I dont think I trust chiros at all now but I am glad it worked for you. I'm updating in today's post with what I found out.
Yes, I've been to a few that were worthless. The others fantastic as I spoke of. Will be following to see how it turns out for you.
I went for chiropractic adjustments for nearly 30 years, but with chiropractors in their own tiny practices. The fee was fairly small, $40 a visit, and they sat with me for a good twenty minutes or more. We talked about every ailment I had, which thankfully were few, and I considered my chiro to be my primary care physician.
I began, for the first time in my life, to have a serious condition that defied diagnosis. No one could help me, not the chiro, the PTs the orthopedists, the general care doctors, the homeopaths.
Then the covid con started, and they all required that their patients be jabbed or they wouldn't work on them. I found a rolfer who didn't care, and also didn't make me wear a mask at the visits. He was grateful that I didn't require him to wear one while he worked on me. This fellow understood that restricting your breath is not good for your health, unlike all the other so-called health professionals.
After six months of weird leg swelling, excruciating pain, and fears that I would never walk again, this guy fixed me lickety split. It was expensive, I went two or three times a week for one hour sessions, but it worked very quickly. I now go four times a year, and the problem has never resurfaced. He helps whenever I have any kind of pain.
Find a rolfer.
Rolfing was definitely ahead of it's time, given what they know about fascia now! There's no rolfers round me but myotherapy is quite common in Australia and I find it really good. My osteo (more on that in today's post) really pays attention to fascia.
How awesome that he fixed you. It's worth t's weight in gold and then some to find a good therapist, and to have your problem solved! Sometimes it's just connecting with the right person.
Nah!
I have no chiropractic experience, but any social media campaign that requires you to fork out a large sum upfront sounds fishy.
They may be legit, but personally I wouldn't trust anyone to treat my spine and backache without any personal reference. I think you know deep down something is not right here.
Yeah I think my spidey senses were working overtime to get me out of that situation! But I did get an xray resulting in an awesome convo with the osteo and am feeling better going forward. It should be illegal. Honestly I just want to sit out front of the clinic and warn people going in.
Sorry to hear all this I hope you doing well there.
Yup that's what happens to me as well both my hands bones are weird and right arm broken due to a fight I had long time ago. Left leg I can't count how many time I fall and hurt my ankles I just google and do home remedies or yoga stretches it does heal but takes months to years now I'm fully healed I believe.
Ate the right food and even did some fasting I notice losing weight and lifting weights does help a lot sleep early and drink lots of water.
The water part is hard for me I drink about 3 to 6 cups of coffee ☕ 😅
Your country's hospital I believe is much better than Malaysia so it's not that bad hehe 😁
Definitely anti inflam foods help.
Haha that's what my husband says!
And yeah, grateful for the health care we do have here. It's all relative. Thanks for the priveledge check.
Coffee buddy detected hehe.
Back 30 years ago I had a chiropractor who WAS very good and did help.(She moved away to Texas...sigh) Back 15 - 16 years ago, my husband's best friend went to a chiropractor for back pain and as a result went months and months un-diagnosed with tumors in his back. (He died of the tumors.) So there's good and bad, a hard decision, especially if you have to pay and they aren't held responsible for the outcome.
Yeah, I mean, you don't get a refund for misdiagnosis or bad practice!!! I hated the disclaimer. Where's the responsibility?
Exactly!
It's mostly not about bones but about muscles pulling the bones, muscles that don't manage to get back in their resting natural state. don't let anyone forcefully work on your bones, you can get a much better result with 5-10 minutes/day mindful work. I would advice trying to find a Hanna Somatics Practitioner, 1 session will be enough and he will tell you what to do to get aligned again. Just realise that bones are just bones, the source of the problem is something else and to be fair, it can be other things such as facia but bones are never the problem. Where are you located?
YES! You know it. Fascia is key I reckon. I'm in Australia.
I find mindful release a really good practice - my osteo really works on that. He brings in meditative and yogic techniques into his healing which he knows I am open to. He can just say 'breath and release the bottom of the pelvis' and I do and it works. Having a therapist that works at this level is better for me than unmindful cold spine cracking.
So sorry to hear about your pain!! I feel like chiming in here not because I have any experience at all with chiropractic care but because I have experienced hip pain for a couple of years and finally am on the path to healing! In general I am pretty weary of going to professionals and would rather invest the money in tools to cure myself. Not to say that all health pro's are bad or inept!! I think massage can be extremely helpful for example!
Well, to the point, my hip pain came from my terrible posture and possibly an injury from years ago, that is slowly improving with stretch and exercise but what has really helped me manage the pain is red light therapy. I have a handheld redlight device that I use most days and it has helped me so much!! Also, when my pain was at it's height (about a year ago) I took a two month break from strenuous activity, namely biking two and from work and lifting very heavy objects. That is when I began using red light daily and things have only improved from there!
I’m going to mix my responses to your post between this one and the newer one but chiropractors are just like other doctors - some are hacks looking to rob you while others are truly great.
I’ve been listening to a wonderful chiropractor called Dr. Perry and you should invest some time looking at his library of over 200 episodes! What I love about him is that he gives YOU the tools to do what you need to do at home. He’s not like this young bitch just trying to get money to pay off her predatory loans and mortgage.
https://www.stopchasingpain.com/
That’s his website and he’s on YouTube as well as Spotify. I’ve learned SO much from him, no joke. I am an avid promoter of that man and his wonderful work! I haven’t needed to pay attention to his muskuloskeletal stuff but I will give it a looksie tomorrow.