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Chiropractic Treatment: Pros and Cons (including reported negative side effects)

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By blogging2


Let me begin by saying I am a avid fan of Chiropractic care. My husband, my daughter, and myself go at least once a week to a chiropractor, if not more. Now onto the question :) Before you can get into the pros and cons of chiropractic care you first must address the issue of finding a chiropractor suited for your needs. Let me explain. Chiropractic medicine is not something that is just done when you have an accident etc. It is an ongoing part of life. Finding a Chiropractic Doctor who feels this way is the hardest part of the process and will determine your pros vs your cons.

The field of Chiropractics has come a LONG way in the past even 10 years. They are learning things all the time of how our bodies can be adapted over time and care to literally correct misalignment's that we have suffered from for so long. You want to make sure you find a Doctor who is on the same page you are, the same way you would look for a Medical Doctor who is on the same page you are.

Personally we have found that "Principled" Chiropractors fall in our range better than any other. They are the ones who generally offer "plans" that include visits for the year not just for a time perid after an injury. Many work with insurance companies and know how to get the most benefits from them.

Now lets look at the pros first:

Our daughter has been adjusted since birth. The studies show that when a child drops down in the birth canal their head is turned to one side. This creates the one side or flat head that we see from them not being able to turn their head at first. Our daughter did not have this as she was adjusted literally hours after birth.

Personally we have seen a drastic increase in our internal immune response to illnesses. When we are sick (yes you will still get sick under chiropractic care) it simply does not last near as long nor is it as bad as it was prior to. Going in and getting adjusted while you are sick is better than taking an over the counter medicine for it by far.

I had IBS and thought I would need fertility medications (medical doctors had removed me gall bladder, attempted to remove an ovary, and told me I would have to deal with it for the rest of my life and more than likely would have to use drugs to conceive). The Chiropractor found I had scoliosis and corrected it without surgery (yes it took a year to do so, but rehab from a metal bar would have taken a lifetime had I gone the surgical route). Currently my IBS is gone and we conceived with no problems whatsoever!

Children and adults alike do things every day that put us out of alignment. We are constantly injuring ourselves plopping down in a chair, missing a step, bouncing in bounce houses, playing on trampolines, playing a sport, general living! This is why care is on going. You will forever be putting yourself out of alignment and needing to be put back :)

The Cons are that once you go regularly it will be next to impossible to stop. When you start you will feel soreness in your muscles and joints as the toxins that have been locked are released as well as the ligaments loosening to adjust to the correct alignment.

If you have a bad Chiropractor just as all the things I said positive that could happen. The opposite could occur. The chiropractor will be moving your bones. You want to make sure that you are VERY confident in this prior to allowing any adjustment to occur.

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Ardie profile image

Ardie  says:
9 months ago

Hi Blogging2, another con to chiropractic treatment is when you have a condition where such treatment would only further cause damage. I have a straight cervical spine (since birth) and chiari I, where part of my hindbrain hangs into the opening for my spinal cord. You cant tell to look at me, mostly its pain management issues I deal with. But going for any sort of chiropractic manipulation or treatment would cause me great distress and further my condition. Having said that though, I know plenty of people who go to the chiro at least once a week and live and die by the appointments. Great hub with lots of good information.

blogging2 profile image

blogging2  says:
9 months ago

Ardie- Thank you for your comment and for reitterating the importance of ensuring if you do choose to go to a Chiropractor that you take the time to find a good one, just as you would a Medical Doctor. They are definately NOT all the same. I also have a hub How to find a good chiropractor: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-find-a-good-chiropr

I discuss in there the importance of making sure they take x-rays PRIOR to ANY adjustment. If they want to just start adjusting you RUN!

Thank you for such a personal and realistic reason as to why this stage of research is so important!

Ardie profile image

Ardie  says:
9 months ago

Ahhh, I missed the hub explaining that xrays should be taken - or if I read it, I forgot :) Thats a very good idea. And you are right, just like there are bad docs out there, Im sure there are bad chiro's too.

blogging2 profile image

blogging2  says:
9 months ago

:) It never hurts to make sure anyone looking at chiropractic knows that x-rays need to be taken. This is an absolute MUST! Thanks for bringing it to my attention that I didn't address it in this one! Thanks for reading!

jane  says:
9 months ago

Since i have been going to the chiropractor, I have been getting sick. I have had two infections in my throat and now I have pneumonia. I do not know if he is helping me or hurting me. I went in there to have accupressure. He took X-rays and my neck is a mess. He has me on traction when I go in there. I cannot lay flat anymore. I get dizzy and real sick. He's a really good guy but I just have to stop seeing him.

blogging2 profile image

blogging2  says:
9 months ago

Jane, it sounds like you are having a bad situation and I approve all posts as long as they don't attack another for this very reason.  If your spine is "out of wack" (technical term there huh!), just getting adjusted if it is not correct will NOT help you. 

If you are not being adjusted correctly (which I cannot say for sure) but I do know that when we started I did have some issues due to toxin release, but if it is continuing then by all means you need to stop. 

It sounds as though you found a chiropractor who is a little more diverse than I have heard of from my friends and associates who are Chiropractors.  Most of them specailize and while they do work with Accupressurists, and many other people who do different modalities, they do NOT offer these at their locations.  There is a saying I like, Jack of all Trades Master of None." 

I agree you probably need to stop going if you are doing all that it sounds like a massive overload to me, and I am someone who has done the master cleanse, twice, changed my diet to eat pretty much all organic, done chiropractic, and had my daughter adjusted since birth.  It takes a lot for me to say that.

If you are still interested in trying I would consider finding a "Principled" Chiropractor, not just a "regular" one.  Good luck and God bless!

backchat profile image

backchat  says:
7 months ago

It is interesting to know a patient's experience of a chiropractor. As I am sure you know there are different techniques in chiropractic and some may find that the "traditional" cracking technique may not suit all. However there are more "tonal" technques that require the practitioner to a more gentle approach. To find out more about a low force, "no crunch" technique look here http://www.camberleychiropractor.co.uk/#/nocrunch/4531899188 Regards Lara

blogging2 profile image

blogging2  says:
7 months ago

Lara- You are absoluetly right and just like any doctor finding a chiropractor whose methodology suits you the best is the best way to get long lasting beneficial results from the treatments!

top2010  says:
4 months ago

Great Analysis found here, thanks for sharing with us, please keep up this great work

http://www.integrativechiropractic.com.sg/

Ellen_C profile image

Ellen_C  says:
3 months ago

I have seen a Chiropractor for years. I choose to go because the alternatives of managing misalignment or pain are not as appealing. One thing I never put much thought into until I saw a trainer was muscle development. I didn't take seriously the stretches and moves my chriopractor recommended until I saw a trainer for working out. As I strangthened my muscles with weight training it was clear I would recover from a crick in my neck much faster. The muscle toning was one thing I missed form the chiropractors I have seen. It also took me several years to find a chiropractor that was not a quack..

jagjit kaur  says:
3 months ago

i went to a chiropractor after a accident. He was very good and gave me a few treatments. I am a student and as i cannot afford it now. I found a great book on Accupressure, done it myself and started the Acid/alkaline diet and also went to see a homeopathic lady to test me for allergies and gave me a course of multivitamins.

Back2Basics profile image

Back2Basics  says:
4 weeks ago

There is absolutely no connection between Jane's chiropractic treatments and her sickness. Adjusting the spine can not introduce a pathogen into someones system that wasn't there to start with. Additionally I currently treat two patients with Chiari deformities and they both insist it is the only thing that helps them.

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