Are chiropractors really legit?

Question

I've heard different stories from different people. My mom visits a chiropractor weekly, but she's also into weird new-age spiritual stuff so I'm doubtful. On the other hand, my dad and the rest of the world never cease to make cracks about them.

Answer 1

I agree with JLI.



There is a lot of woo in Chiropractic.



In short, chiropractic may be beneficial for mild lower back pain of soft tissue origin. However, any claims made beyond this are unsupported.



Couple of things to remember: A healthy back does not require routine adjustments to stay healthy. So repeated visits to a chiropractor are generally not needed.



Any chiropractor who claims the root cause of disease is a misaligned spine, should be avoided.



Their theory of "subluxations" makes no scientific or anatomic sense...most chiropractors have "evolved" from these woo roots. However, you still get some who refuse to leave these ancient magical ways of thinking behind.



Cue 3...2...1.. Mr E and "hio chiropractic".



@ Calyx: Thanks for that emotional rant; can you provide evidence to support you assertions?



Edit: And there he is: No one cares about your personal opinions and emotional appeals, Mr E. Please justify your claims with evidence. The burden of proof falls on you.

Answer 2

I really don't know why they would have changed the number, but since you noticed it was different you could have asked. If you feel better, and like your doctor, then that's all that matters. I see a chiropractor sometimes, but they always try to schedule more visits, so I just politely decline if I don't feel I need to keep returning.

Answer 3

When you take a long hard look at chiropractic,you have to start at the beginning, A guy named DD Palmer(a 5th grade graduate) "cured" a man of deafness by cracking his neck.Now we all know that isn't possible. Has anyone ever heard of a chiro doing that amazing feat since? Chiropractic developed into a cult,pretty much where it it stuck today,some 115 years later. Chiros used to tell people that their vertebrae were moved "out of place" and were pressing on a nerve causing all sort of horrible things. That was disproved by the medical community . SO chiros invented a silly notion called "vertebral subluxations" (that cause "nerve interference")a ridiculous notion that even chiros can't even agree on. But boy they treat them.

Chiropractic at the present time is in a world of hurt. Chiro school has the lowest standard of any in health care.The joke is the qualification are,you have a pulse,and can sign a student loan app. So chiropractic schools are churning out ill qualified "doctors" left and right. So the competition is stiff for patients.When they do get someone like your mom,they use scare tactics and brainwashing to keep them coming back over and over. They use what is called scriped conversation.("And how are we feeling today,fine?,great see you next week,we have to keep up on your "adjustments" to make sure to "stay" healthy) Ask your mom if that sounds familiar. The vast majority of people have never been,nor ever will go to a chiropractor,How in the world do we exist?



edit: I read calyx post. First I thought she was just a little mixed up,BUT then saw that she is impassioned with Network Chiropractic and that explained it. Talk about a scam!! Chiropractors DO NOT go to medical school,they go to chiropractic school,BIG difference!! See http://www.rebuildyourback.com/chiropractic/school.php Anyone can go to chiro school,they even accept felons(hence the scams) Why is it that more questions are brought up about the validity of chiropractic,than any other "profession"

Answer 4

The thing is in the US there's a wide-range of therapists that call themselves Chiropractors, you have very practical ones(they mostly just stick to making you right physically, realigning your skeleton, and giving you exercises, to keep it right), but there's also some quite out there therapists calling themselves Chiropractors.

Over here in Europe it's only the practical ones(bone-crackers they're called too, mine's really good, doesn't crack the bones, just adjusts 'em), calling themselves Chiropractors. The other ones usually go by naturalistic healers, or something.



The practical ones are definitely legit, they're like physical therapy, at a much higher, more precise holistic level. Taking care of the entire body, by making sure it's in the correct shape, and making sure it moves as efficiently as possible.



The more out there ones can help people, but you have to keep an eye out, they remain effective, because that sometimes seems to be secondary in their treatment. And you have to look at if it's more mental support, or that they actually do the physical adjustments too.

Answer 5

Chiropractor Legit

Answer 6

I know many people who have had back problems, went to a Chiropractor, and were cured of those problems forever. There are plenty of websites, and be assured that it takes 4+ years of medical school to become a Chiro. There is also a professional organization that polices the industry, to make sure that Chiros are following the right procedures & treating their patients ethically & fairly.



You should choose a Chiropractor that has been practicing atleast 10 years, who has had hundreds of clients. Make sure that Chiro has never had a complaint filed against them. If you are really paranoid & do not trust easily, then inquire with the Chiro about referrals from current patients.



Keep in mind that your back is a neural network by which your brain is able to communicate with the rest of your body. Chiros correct your back, by making sure your SPINE is 100% correct in alignment. If you have Scholiosis, then a Chiro will try to correct that. If you have a car accident, a Chiro will make sure none of the discs are damaged or have slipped. Chiros very often will contact a specialist if they see any nerve damage has occurred.



A Chiropractors primary job is to set your back STRAIGHT. That's it. They don't do surgery. They don't push/pull things back into place. They set your spine to its correct placement.

Answer 7

You're right to have doubts, they are a bunch of quacks. They might be able to relieve a little lower back pain but no better than a massage or a couple of analgesics.



There is no scientific research to back up their claims. That is why they recently got their (the British Chiropractic Association) asses kicked in court in the UK. They tried to sue a science writer Simon Singh for libel for because he said they happily promote bogus treatments without a jot of evidence. He was right and won the case. If you know anything about the insane libel laws in the UK you will understand this is a brilliant victory for science.



http://whatstheharm.net/chiropractic.html



Edit



Thenoseknowssweetfa or whatever you call yourself, sorry dumbo but the BCA will be paying his legal fees too. If you don't know what you are talking about don't embarrass yourself.

Answer 8

Chiropractors are really legit. Their focus is not necessarily medically primarily (meaning you don't see them when you have a cold), rather the physical body such as making sure your bones are aligned and your muscles are working properly. They must have an advanced degree, meaning at least six years of study beyond high school. I have a rib that pops out of place and can make breathing difficult. My chiro can pop it back into place. He also makes sure my head is sitting properly so I don't get as many headaches. My hip rotates outwards as well at times, which he can move back into place. My 10 year old has been to the chiro, as the benefits of a physical from a chiro can help make sure growth isn't too hard on his bones. I would suggest going and seeing one, or observing when your mom goes. My chiro is really laid back and explains everything.

Answer 9

there is very little supervision when it comes to a chiropractors training. that is theres little to no error analysis, research done, etc. so there really relying on age old techniques that were used thousands of years that have otherwise been outdated by modern medicine. personally i dont feel comfortable with them because there are a vast number of them that are sly and once they start messing with your back theres really no going back, (no pun intended) they've got you hooked.



and you look at like a herniated disk can be fixed at a orthopedic surgeon or specialist with a little assessment and maybe a minimally invasive cut if they dont give you some other method. most insurance companies will cover it with no co pay or overhead to you.



your playing a trust game with a lifelong commitment. don't go unless you know the chiropractor personally. otherwise a trip to a local medical center will fix you right up with a more modern tech. the spine is serious business, dont get messed around with.

Answer 10

Licensed to practice? Yes, in all 50 US. states, the District of Columbia, and in other countries.



Having a veneer of respectability? Yes and especially due to skilled public relations activities.



Legit in the sense of science-based? No, despite claims of educational backgrounds comparable to that of MDs (who unlike chiropractors receive residency training).



Chiropractic is a conglomeration of factions, gimmicks, gadgets, techniques, schemes, scams, and ideologies. It is a confederacy united by efforts to promote mythical and pseudo-scientific notions about "vertebral subluxations" as important underlying causes of health problems. Chiropractors often mislead their patients by suggesting that only chiropractors can detect subluxations and properly treat them by adjusting the vertebrae (as if your vertebrae were adjustable). See http://www.chirobase.org. This Web site is co-hosted by the lead author of the leading college textbook on consumer health matters and by a retired chiropractor-reformist who authored the wonderful book "Inside Chiropractic."



In a review at Chirobase of another book about chiropractic, William T. Jarvis wrote: "Reasonable people simply have a difficulty believing that lawmakers would legitimize a health-care guild as bereft of a scientific basis and as flawed in every way as is chiropractic. To have credibility with audiences, I have found it necessary to understate the facts about chiropractic...."



Chiropractors may provide useful services when they avoid doing anything uniquely chiropractic (like encouraging lifelong dependence on chiropractic care) and avoid using other superstition-based treatments. They may help by offering recommendations for exercise, using short courses of conservative manual therapy, and using physical therapy modalities to provide symptomatic relief and improved range of motion for people with some types of musculo-skeletal problems.

Answer 11

Absolutely legitimate. People who make derogatory remarks must be living on some other planet.

In Canada students study for 7 years to become Doctors of Chiropractic and are regulated under the Health Professons Act. The title "Chiropractor" is protected by law.

There was an anti-trust suit against the AMA in the 1980's because conventional medicine was spreading nasty propaganda to deny patients a superior form of medical treatment backed by tons of studies, for muskuloskeletal problems -- words of the judge, not mine. All ConMed can do is hand out cervical collars and pain pills. Now that's a scam.

There are no guarantees for back surgery, plenty of patients end up worse off, and guess what? There's no evidence that back surgery works.

For the U.K. skeppie kooks, Simon Singh who libelled Chiropractic will think twice before opening his yap because it's cost him a fortune in legal fees. Serves him right.

The only people who belittle Chiropractic these days are people who are wilfully ignorant and obtuse.

Answer 12

Your question doesn't prove much critical thinking.



Also you don't have much experience in the mind/body field.



I hope you know there are still many things out there for you to discover.



Legit has nothing to do with it : this word alone proves retardation of some kind.

Answer 13

chiropractic is about correcting the cause of subluxation produced nerve interference. that is it's sole purpose. nerve interference is the cause of most illness. the naysayers haven't any proof whatsoever to the contrary. you will hear all sorts of opinions of what it is, many based on ignorance. the confusion comes from different sources for different reasons. the pseudoscientific medical community are losing at least a third of the market to alternatives. they don't give a rat's backside about your health, or they wouldn't give people treatments that hurt them and fail to get them well, like vaccinations, prescription drugs, etc. etc.. the real problem though, comes from within, with those who attempt to mimic the allopathic model of symptom treatment using useless, non-corrective therapeutics, along with non-corrective manipulation and call it chiropractic. sure, it's better than medicine, but without a precise correction of the cause of nerve interference, the patient will at best get brief, and often partial symptom relief. getting sick people well is something entirely foreign to medicine, whatever form it takes. genuine chiropractic is unique in it's focus on correcting cause.

Answer 14

Remember, they are in hock to Simon Singh and their own lawyers for attempting to take Singh to court when he stated that they peddle treatments for which there is not a jot of evidence of their efficacy - they lost the case.



Some 25% were investigated by regulatory bodies about their false advertizing and false claims and eventually they all had to be instructed by their members' bodies to remove web-sites, remove advertizments and start again without making claims.



So no, they are not legit, they DO peddle treatments for which there is not a jot of evidence and they have been known to kill and maim. She should be seeing a proper physiotherapist not a quack.



ETA



"Simon Singh who libelled Chiropractic will think twice before opening his yap because it's cost him a fortune in legal fees. "



You DO realise that they will have to pay his legal fees as well as their own I hope. No, it won't stop him "opening his yap" as you put it. It has lead to every quacky organization pulling their illegal adverts, including Chinese medicine quacks and osteopaths.

Answer 15

Chiropractic may give temporary relief for lower back pain. But that's it.



As you suspect, the idea that misalignment of the spine is a satisfactory explanation for (almost) every disease is wrong. And it is consequently wrong that those diseases can be cured by realigning the spine again.

Answer 16

Make CRACKS about them, that's funny.

yes they can help, but not always all their cracked up to be and can be flippin dangerous , oif you have a back injury and they are the gung hoe type.



NOBODY HERE GOT MORE TICKS UP THAN TICKS DOWN.

SOME GOOD ANSWERS and points too..

Nice to know our time is appreciated here to answer?

Answer 17

Okay, so let's get some things straight here: 1) Chiropractors go to medical school and take the EXACT same curriculum as medical students for at LEAST the first four years of their training. They spend at least an additional two years training in their specialty, which is the spine, the nerves and the musculature of the human body. 2) Chiropractors treat illness and disease through the use of what are called "spinal adjustments", which is pretty much EXACTLY the same modality that Osteopaths (who are medical doctors) use. 3) It is patently illegal to call yourself a Chiropractor if you are not licensed and insured, peer reviewed and supervised in some way by your state's Medical Board of Examiners. 4) and this is VERY important: The very genesis of the AMA in the US was not as a medical board of examiners, not as peer review, not as a licensing body, but as a TRADE ORGANIZATION whose manifesto AND intention it was was to put ALL chiropractors, all midwives, all homeopaths and ANY medical practitioner who did not follow the AMA's decrees out of business (ie who were competition in ANY way, regardless of statistically better outcomes, regardless of less invasive, less fatal treatments, regardless of education and licensing required to become a chiropractor, regardless of the truth.) They've been at this since the 1800's. There was a suit filed against the AMA for restraint of trade, and for slander and libel. The AMA was found AGAINST in the 1980's. (This means they, with all their money and all their lawyers, LOST.) It was found they had been literally trying to destroy the chiropractic profession for over 100 years. This should give some of you clowns a better sense of what is REALLY true and what is just your opinion. Let's look at over 900,000 deaths caused last year alone by treatment from allopathic medicine, that's a FACT, not my "opinion". That's very close to a million people dying (or rather, being killed.) for those of you who cannot seem to do math. You want to talk about "shady" treatment? Let's talk about the fact that 90% of the hysterectomies performed in the US are UNNECESSARY procedures, shall we? Going to the chiropractor is one of the VERY best things I do for myself all month, period. You've heard of an alignment for your car? I REALLY struggle with the fact that most of you take better care of your cars than you do your bodies. It is exceedingly easy to call someone (with far more medical training than you, by the way) a quack or a pseudo-practitioner. It is far harder, apparently, for some of you to a) back up your theories, and b) to prove them. Spouting destructive CANT is super easy. Try opening your mind up instead. There are many, many, many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who have been greatly helped by this profession. Ask yourselves: What are the two most powerful lobbies in the US? I'll give you the first one: It's the pharmaceutical industry. (Is it really gonna be so very difficult for you to figure out the second most powerful lobby in Washington? What? You've fallen asleep again? Big surprise.) Given that any "for profit" corporation in this world seeks to maintain its status and its income, is it really so very difficult for all you "critical thinkers" out there to accurately see where BigPharma's interests lie? (Pun quite intended.)



"Critics of the American Medical Association, including economist Milton Friedman [not exactly a bastion of liberal thought], have asserted that the organization [The AMA] 'acts as a guild and has attempted to increase physicians' wages and fees limit by influencing limitations on the supply of physicians and non-physician competition'. In Free to Choose, Friedman said "--taken from a Wikipedia article on the AMA, p.1



And as one of the best massage therapists in Vermont, or so my clients tell me, I will also leave you with this: In the sixteen years I've practiced professionally, I have yet to meet one single patient who was helped by their back or neck surgery. Many clients I've met and worked with feel it actually has ruined their health and their lives. I DAILY meet people who are greatly helped by their chiropractors and will tell you so to your faces. PERIOD.

Answer 18

Nope, they're back-cracking quacks.