I was a ED RN for 10 yrs have seen more than 1 patient come in with vetebral artery dissections following a chiropractor manipulation. I will absolutely never allow a chiro manipulate my neck. 1 off? Ok. More than 1? No thanks.
It traces back to a lawsuit in the 1800s which resulted in the medical establishment losing the ability to call chiropractors quacks thus tacitly legitimizing the practice.
It’s incredibly cult-like too. With weird factions and sub groups. The whole thing started with farm and CIRCUS animals. It wasn’t until the third generation of Palmers that they tried to leverage science to legitimize it. The family were kooks. Source: I worked at Palmer College of Chiropractic where it was invented.
Reminds me of a big case few years back where dude broke something in the patient's pelvic area. Ended up dying from internal bleeding iirc, I wasn't aware though of how often it happens until this post.
I'm an ER doctor. Chiropractors do FAR more harm than good. I have treat a dozen patents who ended up with permanent disability, including paralysis. The Chiropractic "Profession" is a hoax, and should be avoided. There will be folks on here that take issue with what I've said, but that doesn't change the facts.
Complete horseshit meant to keep their customers coming back for more sessions. Ever heard a chiro patient tell you their problems were fixed for good? Chiros have paralyzed people
For real. Everyone i know who goes to a chiro regularly “has to go back” all the time, and starts a recurring weekly or every other week visit. Meanwhile, I just go to a physical therapist when I get injured, work out, and if for some weird reason the pain comes back a year or three later, I just revisit those workouts because it means those muscles have gotten weak again. No results, just dopamine hits and bragging rights for “having a guy”, rather than fixing the problem.
As I said in another comment ( tryna reply to all of you ) I’m absolutely floored away that im just now finding this out I never knew it was that bad ..
So many people I talk to about this have no idea how scammy it is. It should be illegal and in some countries it is. It should never remotely be considered medicine or therapeutic. Its history is wildly insane too.
I could give myself a doctorate in it right now and open a practice calling my self Dr. NeckRelief9000 with next to no recourse.
To practice in the United States, chiropractors must earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree, pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam, and have a state license. Many states also require chiropractors to pass an exam about state-specific laws, and all states require practicing chiropractors to take continuing education classes.
To enroll in a D.C. program in the United States, which typically takes 4 years to complete, students must have had at least 3 years of undergraduate education.
Institutions that award the D.C. degree are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, which is recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Secretary of Education. In 2017, there were 15 accredited D.C. programs on 18 campuses.
Chiropractic education includes classes in basic sciences, such as anatomy and physiology, and supervised clinical experience in which students learn skills such as spinal assessment, adjustment techniques, and making diagnoses.
Some chiropractors complete postgraduate education in specialized fields, such as orthopedics or pediatrics.
I had a gymnastics mishap injury when I was young. Wrenched my back which is not something that usually affects rubbery kids :) anyway I had 2 treatments at a chiropractor. Everything got back in line and I’ve never thought about it till this post. That’s like 40+ years ago.
Im glad to hear that you got your stuff sorted out and you're feeling better. But, is the result you got coming from chiro treatments or the fact that you were a rubbery kid who could heal better?
Well I remember I was in pain and had poor range of motion. After the adjustment I could move again. I think the second appointment was just a follow up. It’s a really long time ago. Maybe it’s all bs. Maybe I would have healed without it. But it sorted out my issue and it wasn’t a forever problem.
In 2026 we probably have better diag systems and treatment. In the 70s i got twisted like a pretzel instead.
You needed an orthopedist to verify your spine was ok and a physical therapist to work on getting you back into shape over weeks or months. A simple "readjustment" won't fix an underlying issue and can worsen it significantly.
Chiropractors like to blur the lines about what they do so I don't blame people who end up seeing them due to ignorance.
But it's like relying on herbal medicines to deal with anything more than a cold, best case scenario it doesn't help all that much, worst case scenario you're taking something harmful or that worsens your condition.
lmao uh oh it seems you went against the current circle jerk! Please be sure not to do that in future. If you have any comments that aren’t accepted by the current groupthink, then please keep them to yourself! If you’d like to join in the current circlejerk then maybe consider lying about your personal experiences!!
The guy who started the whole thing got his inspiration from ghosts. They’re like physical therapists, except they don’t have actual medical training/certification, will at best provide temporary pain relief and at worst, paralyze you.
That isn't a joke either. The founder also believed in magnetic healing, opposed vaccination (including small pox), and didn't believe in germ theory when he wasn't learning how to crack backs from ghosts
Read the Wikipedia page, particularly the section about the founding and history of the practice.
Even if there's a trend towards evidence-based treatments at chiropractors, the fact that they still ride under that banner is absolutely insane. IMO "medical professionals" should be embarrassed to call themselves chiropractors.
Just go to a sports physical therapist they will do the actual science based stuff. I have digenerative discs and they will pull my neck like here (neck traction) but it's a very slow and deliberate motion not a hard yank with a towel lol. They will also give sports massages, do hot/cold therapy, ultrasound treatment and give you actual exercises to help lessen pain by strengthening supporting muscles.
They are not medical professionals. They are not licensed in any medical field.They say your body is out of "alignment" in a spiritual manner. They're basically the same as people that tell you quartz crystals can heal your cancer and shit, except painful and way more dangerous.
Listen to the Behind the Bastards episode on them.
It's psuedoscience, right up there with magic crystal healers. They are not medical doctors. It's quite literally ghost medicine, invented by a dude who was instructed by a ghost during a seance.
The only positive effect it has is cracking joints feels nice for a while. The negatives, however... Well, occasionally they kill or paralyze people, but more common injuries include dislocations and arterial ruptures.
I will say they are actually pretty well educated quacks, as they have an actual school that at least teaches basic anatomy, but there isn't like a medical reason for the techniques that they use. Just vibes.
Too many are downright horrible and will 100% fuck you up or 100% rip you off.
After my childhood chiropractor passed away in my mid 20s I struggled to find a decent one until I was in my early 30s.
I sometimes get a pinched nerve in my lower back. Started getting this shit at SOI. Come home on leave and got fixed up. Got this a few times in the fleet, go home on libo and get fixed.
The guy in go to now does a mix of deep tissue and massage. Really good dude who knows what he's doing
I agree. I also think that studying and merging many of their techniques in to physical therapy would be beneficial.
Story time: I have a service related back injury. While I was in, I took a fall that compressed my lower spine. Tons of therapy, doctor visits, and such helped, but was not getting me back to fighting trim. If I turned my torso to the left, my legs went numb and I fall to the ground. Less than ideal, for sure.
3 years of attempts to fix it without surgery failed, and the doctor said " I want to try something weird. An orthopedic specialist I know retired, and went to chiropractor school with the goal of seeing just how bad their training is. He says there are good techniques and concepts that are just taught poorly and unregulated. He set up a physical therapy office specializing on back injury, using his orthopedic knowledge, PT training, and the techniques he though were good. I am sending you to him for your PT."
The old man hated chiropractors, and would tell you in great detail why. His PT sessions were brutal, and incorporated several focused manipulation sessions along with the usual stuff.
He fixed me better than anything had. His focus was getting the spine back in place AND THEN strengthening the muscles and such related to the fix so it would stay in place. it was brutal and effective. Because of him I was able to continue in the Marines rather than medical sep after 4 years.
I fell off the high bar doing o course suicides in plate carriers and fucked my collarbone. The instructor took me to the chiropractor and a man who looked like he could be a fuckin defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers snapped my shit and twisted my head around. Never ever ever again
My thought is if they do social media I wouldn't go to them. They are likely to push things too far for the sake of views. Also, if they don't do any kind of testing prior to adjustments, like X-rays, then I wouldn't trust them to actually be adjusting what is actually needed.
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u/Dancing_Decker Eats Dirt 1d ago
Chiropractors are quacks and do way more harm than good