Anyone else seeing a Chiropractor?

[Roy]

I was curios if anyone else was having success with chiropractic care? I always thought that Chiropracti was kinda of quakish myself.

But I started going to one about 2 1/2 months ago after I passed out and injuring my tail bone,lower back and neck after landing on a hard tile floor. My roommate talked to a chiroprator at his church about all of my problems and he hooked me up with a free evaluation. After he did the x-rays I found out that my C1 was putting alot of pressure on my spine due to my alar ligament being damaged some time ago. He said it was one of the top three worst that he had ever seen in 11 year of being in the business. I also found out that my that my spine doesn't curve in my neck or lower back. It is straight where it should be curved.

I have had 30 in office treatments and I have been doing my home excersis that he set me up with for the last 2 1/2 months and I have noticed some incredible improvements in some of my symptoms. The numbness in my legs and arms has improved by 80%, my visual and auditory disturbances have been improved by 90%. My sleeping patterns have also improved alot. I can go to sleep 3-4 nights aweek now between 10-11pm. In the past I would be up until 2-4am unless I took something. I still wake up feeling like I was run down by a dump truck, but my mind is a little clearer and I wake up by 6-7 like I use, instead of the usual 8-10. Another thing I have noticed about sleep is that I have finally been able to take restful naps in the afternoon again for the first time since I developed POTS. I have had 3 since I started treatments. I always lay down in the afternoon for 3-4 hours from being just totally exhausted, but I could never fall asleep. My instances of nausea are down by 90% and I have had only 2 bad days of IBS in the last 6 weeks. In the past I would get awful attacks every few days, sometimes 3 days in a row. My sinuses are alot clearer.

During the day my nose is generally so congested that I can only breath through one side of my nose or the other periodically or not at all. My levels of energy have improved slightly and I am a little bit more alert than I use to be. I can actually follow a conversation without drifting off into lala land and I seem to be able to reatin more now when talking with people or reading something.

I haven't noticed much change in my excersie intolerance, blood pressure or palpitations, but they my improve over time.

I talked with my chiro. about the brain fog. He said that he hasn't had to many patients with this problem, but that all of them that stuck it out improved from 50% to almost totally clarity over the duration of their treaments. So I am hoping for the best. My spine right now is so out of wack that he is giving it 2 years before it will be back to its original shape.

I don't think that all of my symptoms are spine related though and I have no illusions of this being a cure all. My symptoms and quick deterioration came about after a viral infection. Before that I was very active and healthy.

I promise that I am not trying to sell chiropractic care with this post.

[Gena]

I think it's great that you've gotten such good results from the chiro. I only see a massage therapist. I used to see a chiro when I lived in Charlotte, NC before all of my symptoms started. He worked wonders on my spine. My vertebrae in my neck are almost straight too, according to the X-rays. He used a very gentle mechanism for manipulating me. I'm not sure what he used, but he said only about 100 chiros in the country were trained in that method at the time. Anyway, I moved to Florida and haven't found a chiro that's worth a hoot in my area. I'd give anything to be able to go to the one in Charlotte again, though.

What type of manipulation and therapy does your chiro use. Is it manual adjustments or what?

[opus88]

I'm so glad you've had good results from chiropractic. I'm a big supporter of that work.

You might want to check to see if there is a neurological chiropractor in your area. I've not tried this yet, but I understand they can do some pretty amazing things relating to your thought processes. It's supposed to be exceptional for ADD, ADHD, OCD, disorganized thinking, etc. I keep telling myself that one day I will do this for my own brain fog - there is someone in town who specializes in it. I'm just so pleased with my regular chiropractor that I'm reluctant to go elsewhere.

[ethansmom]

I am also very supportive of anything that can be done naturally without medication. I have considered going for my neck stiffness for a long time, but am always afraid that I'll end up getting someone who doesn't know what they're doing- and I don't have insurance, so it would cost me a fortune.

I am glad it's working for you! There is nothing better than experiencing symptom releif- and since your POTS is post-viral (having the best prognosis) I really hope this is the beginning of your ultimate healing process.

[Roy]

Gena,

My chiro uses manual, gentle and not so gentle equipment on me. I do not not if it is the same type or not.Then I also do my stuff at home. I wear a 4 pound head weight for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a day, I do something called spine molding. Where I lay on curved foam peaces, one under my neck and one under my lower back, 20 minutes twice a day. I also do some manual neck excersis 2-3 times daily and thats plenty.

And thank you everyone for you postive responses.

[Michelle Sawicki]

I've only been to a chiropractor once in my life. I was thinking about running a "My Experiences with Alternative Therapies" column in the newsletter at one time, so I wrote down my experience with this chiropractor when I got home. Let me say before you read this that I am sure there are good chiropractors out there, maybe great ones, but unfortunatly the one I saw was not one of them. I don't want to knock chiropractors here, so please don't take it that way. For what it's worth, here was my experience:

I chose Dr. C out of the phone book. He specialized in gentle manipulation, with no cracking or popping. Dr. C has been in business for 21 years.

During my appointment I filled out the usual paperwork. I noticed they had ?family plan? discounts. I had not known that whole families went to the chiropractor.

After the paperwork was completed, they had me watch a short movie. The movie showed people discussing their experiences with chiropractic work. Some had obtained instantaneous results. Others had had to go for months before they saw results. Basically, it covered all bases and encouraged people who didn?t see results to keep going anyway?surely they would eventually see results like the people in the video.

After the video I had some time to sit in the room and listen to Dr. C in another room, answering some questions for another patient. The patient asked, ?How do you know which bones to manipulate?"

Dr. C enthusiastically answered, ?Well, it?s really something. I can just ask the bone, this one, yes or no? And your body lets me know which bone to manipulate. It answers me. And it?s really something? chiropractors can go to other countries and ask in their own language, and the body will still answer them. It?s really incredible.?

He was serious. He really was. I tried my best not to laugh. Thank God I wasn?t in the same room with them. I don?t think I could have held my composure.

?How important is nutrition?? the patient in the next room asked.

?Nutrition is very important,? answered Dr. C. ?I have two supplements that will help you. One is $20. and the other is $28. I take them every day.?

Dr. C sold his supplements, thanked his patient for the questions and finally entered my room. He looked over the paperwork, which had asked about my current health problems. I had put down "postural tachycardia syndrome" and "Ehlers-Danlos syndrome."

?What is Ehlers-Danlos?? he asked, pronouncing it ?Eerlos Danloss."

I gave him the simplest explanation I could think of. ?It is a connective tissue disorder that lets my joints move further than they should."

Dr. C looked at me in all seriousness and said, ?Around here we call that loose joints due to adrenal exhaustion."

Oh really? Funny, he couldn?t pronounce Ehlers-Danlos a second ago, but now he was sure that it was a disorder synonymous to this ?loose joints from adrenal exhaustion." Once again, I tried my best not to laugh.

?Did you go through a period of stress before you got it? Did you have any traumas or falls?? Dr C asked, now certain he knew exactly what was wrong with me?certain that he could surely fix me up with his chiropractic expertise.

?No," I told him. Now it was my turn to look at him seriously. ?It?s a genetic disorder,? I explained, ?It runs in families. There?s a mutated gene.?

?Well does anyone else in your family have it?? he asked.

?Both of my sisters show signs of it," I answered.

He said nothing further about adrenal exhaustion. Instead he started telling me about the tests I was to have, a surface EMG and x-rays. The surface EMG would test my nervous system, including my autonomic nervous system. Since I hadn?t mentioned the ?autonomic? word, I couldn?t wait to see what he had to say about that one.

I was taken to a room to change into a gown. While I was changing I noticed a framed saying on the wall. It had Dr. C?s first name on it, and then it went on to explain the meaning of his name. One of the explanations said he was God-like. Another talked about his healing powers.

Now that I had been assured of my chiropractor?s God-like ability to heal, I giggled my way to the surface EMG machine. I was quite sure that, if nothing else, this appointment would prove to be amusing.

The surface EMG was performed by one of the office girls. She put an instrument on my back that reminded me of the thing they put on you when they give you an ultrasound. It was hooked to a computer, which evidently recorded ?abnormalities." She placed this instrument on each portion of my spine for a few seconds. It was nothing like a ?real? EMG, which gives you a small shock. In fact, I couldn?t tell that this surface EMG was doing anything at all.

?So how does this work?? I asked the girl.

?Well, I really don?t know how it works. I just give the test. The doctor interprets it,? the girl answered, ?but from the look of things, you have a lot of abnormalities."

Oh really?

She didn?t say anything about my x-rays.

Their x-ray machine was really old, ancient. ?How old is this machine?? I asked.

?Well, he bought it when he went into practice 21 years ago," she replied. ?These things cost about the same as a car. You just can?t buy one every year."

I could only imagine the excessive amounts of radiation I was being exposed to with this old, ancient machine. I was sure I would be glowing by the time I got out of there.

In total, they took 6 x-rays of my back. I was all ready to hear Dr. C dish out how awful my back was and how he, of course, could make me better. But I never got a chance. Instead, Dr. C explained that I would have to come back to get my results, but that he would give me an adjustment that day.

The adjustment consisted of Dr. C putting a small tool on my back, which hit me with a light ?pop?. He did this three times. He told me that now my legs were the same length (gee, I never knew they weren?t?) and that he didn?t like to do too many adjustments in one visit because my body needed to process all of the new signals he had just opened up for it. He said he wanted to see me the next day.

I explained that I had to work the next day and couldn?t possibly make it. I told him the only days I could come would be Tuesdays or Thursdays.

?We like to see our new patients every day,? he explained matter of factly. ?Each treatment builds on the one before it."

And he was serious. He really wanted me to come every day. I did some quick calculating in my head. Each office visit was $30. So, if I came every day they were open, which was four days a week, I would be paying this guy $480. a month. Was he insane?

I explained that there was no way I could come every day. He looked at me with pity, certainly disappointed that I would not receive the best of his care. Or was that a look of disappointment over the fact that he wouldn?t be laughing all the way to the bank with my cash in hand?

I left my first visit to a chiropractor in disbelief. The appointment that had once been amusing, if nothing else, had turned into an awakening to the dark side of humanity. This man was using his position of authority to sell snake oil and a few pops on the back to desperate and na?ve people seeking healing. It was no longer funny.

When I got home I looked up ?surface-EMG? on the Internet. I wasn?t surprised to see that there were articles about it on quackwatch.com. I also looked up ?sublaxations,? which was the title of a pamphlet Dr. C had given to me. Sure enough, sublaxations were on the quackwatch site as well. The quackwatch site even discussed the specific pamphlet published by Dr. Koren that Dr. C had given to me. The article on quackwatch concluded ?My advice about "subluxations" is very simple. If a chiropractor purports to locate and fix them -- "killer" or otherwise -- seek treatment somewhere else."

Needless to say, I was not impressed with my first visit to the chiropractic profession. While I did want to go to my follow up appointment just to see what Dr. C would pull out of his hat this time, I just could not justify giving this man any more money. I never went back.

-Michelle

[joanie]

Michelle, I think a forum on alternative therapies would be great. I have talked to several people who have been helped by acupuncture. Joanie

[ethansmom]

Michelle,

Your story was quite amusing- but at the same time it gives us all something to look our for! I am sorry that you had such a negative frist experience, however. But I also agree that alternative therapies would be a good topic.

[pamyla]

I've also had good luck with chiropractic care (mostly!) Over the years I've seen 3 or 4 different chiropractors. I'm not sure if my pots symptoms improved, but the pain in my back and neck definitely did.

Michelle, I had to write when I read your story because I had a very similar one! A year or two ago my back locked up and I called a doctor out of the yellow pages. I was in some serious pain and all she did was tap on my back a few times. I don't remember all the details, but I do remember her commenting on how my legs were now the same height. The pain wasn't helped at all and I was pretty mad I had to pay her. Luckily I had gone to chiropractors before and knew that was not the norm. The next morning I tried another chiropractor who did the normal back cracking, as well as electrical stimulation and ice packs to get the swelling down. I felt much better. Anyways, I think that gentle manipulation is called Logan therapy and it's *very* different from regular chiropractic care.

Pam

[opus88]

I am ONLY interested in alternative and natural therapies (including diet first and foremost), and would welcome a forum just for that. The medical world can't and won't help me, and in fact only made me worse until I stopped listening to them. I have a real life again since ignoring them and pursuing my own research. My husband thought I was crazy for some of the stuff I was learning about and trying, until he saw my health begin to improve. He still raises his eyebrows from time to time, but he can't and won't argue the incredible progress I've made.

It's too bad the chiro experience was negative. However, much of what was described IS correct information - it's merely a matter of whether you are at the right place mentally and emotionally to hear, understand and accept the info being given. It also makes a difference whether you are comfortable with that person or if there is something about their personality that unconsciously/subconsciously blocks you from being able to hear and be open to what they are saying. Trust me on that - I've been there many times and had to go back and eat my words when I thought something was a bunch of baloney yet it turned out to be very beneficial at a later time.

Things like "quackwatch" and others are put out by uninformed, self-proclaimed know-it-alls who really don't know what they are talking about. EVERY field has their share of incompetents and quacks and silly theories. But those people (such as the powers behind the quackwatch site) who lump all alternative and natural health info into such categories are merely showing their own ignorance and insecurities.

[Guest Julia59]

I remember going to a chiropractor once in 1978-or 79 and had my neck manipulated. I think that was the beginning of my cervical cranial instability

I had an accident in 1977---but I think I made the wrong decision on where to go.

My neck is so unstable now---I wouldn't dream of a chiropractor touching it now---or ever,

However, In 1995 I treid a chiropractor for my hip area---and it was very helpful. But this was a different chiropractor. My husbands insurance does not cover chiropractic care, but mine did at the time of the treatments. Since I lost my job--I also lost my insurance. I simply can't pay for this out of pocket---so I guess I just add the hip problems to the rest of the mix.

Michelle, that story is so funny----but unfortunately this is sad for the patients who don't get the right help---plus lose money. Glad they have a place like quackwatch.com

Julie :0)

[Michelle Sawicki]

Hi guys!

Thanks for your input re: alternative therapies. And Pam, thanks for sharing your similar experiences and for the explanation on "Logan Therapy." I wish you all the best in whatever treatments you seek, whether alternative or otherwise.

Michelle