Chiropractor - recommend or not?

I find the thought of chiropractors quite scary since I found that chiropractic treatments are one of the biggest causes of dissecting aneurysms in the vertebral artery causing strokes. Back washes at the hairdresser got a mention as well.

Agree with the above.
It can be dangerous.
At best is woo. Imo.
What about about an osteopath.
Or a private physio.
All the best.

Personally ( and we are all different) I find my chiropractor very helpful - to prevent locks up in my upper back and ribs. I also have spondylitis in my upper back amongst other back issues. I think the evidence for long term therapeutic efficacy is poor but for me it keeps me straight and in less pain. ( lock ups are so painful- and disabling- (as I’m sure you know)- and the nhs really has no answers!). Chiropractor treatment can be rather expensive. My chiropractor is female and quite gentle - maybe get a recommendation from a local friend? What has your GP suggested?

About 40 years ago I had a "mystery" back pain (which initially felt to be internal) that various hospital medics and scans could not determine. In the end a private doctor implied I was faking it and scoffed that I should consult a physiotherapist.

I did, and at the first appointment she could tell that I had scoliosis. She used both "traditional" physiotherapy techniques as well as chiropractic and others and within a couple of months had made a tremendous improvement. I still do some of those exercises at times and have led a relatively pain-free life.

You say you take "stronger" painkillers but less than the maximum. Why not consider good old paracetamol on a regular basis instead? The drug stays and builds up in your system, and is ultra safe.

Years ago my husband had a prolapsed disc. At the time he was delivering meat to butchers' shops, which meant carrying forequarters and hindquarters of Beef from his lorry to the shops. He started seeing a chiropractor and , between strong painkillers from the GP and treatment from the chiropractor. he was able to carry on working until he was able to have it operated on.

There have been several cases where people have been left paralysed after a chiropractor cracked their bones too vigorously.

After much pressure from a friend (who swears by chiropractors) I visited one with my very painful knee. He said I had a bone out of place so he knocked it with a mini hammer, did a bit of manipulation and said I would need at least three more sessions. In the meantime my hospital appointment came through and scans showed I had a torn meniscus. No bones out of place. I never went to one again.

I have found chiropractor treatments helpful but short-lived for back pain whereas acupuncture therapy better by far.

Another with a warning against Chiropractic treatment.

It’s far too aggressive, particularly for elderly patients (or children) and can cause harm, or worse. A good Osteopath will often quickly diagnose a problem and be able to establish whether he/she will be able to help. Sometimes, along with follow-up exercises, one or two treatments will be sufficient to give relief.

In any event, avoid at all cost someone who wants to click your neck or scrunch your spine. Yes, people might be impressed (if not shocked) but according to Osteopaths I have met, this is purely ‘showmanship’ as well as potentially dangerous.

Thank you to everyone who has responded. It has given me something to think about - I hadn't considered acupuncture. My GP referred me to the physiotherapist and I can self refer back to the physio at any point if I feel the pain is worse or I'm seizing up or need stronger meds. He wasn't in favour of hydro-cortisone injections as his opinion was that the NHS rarely does that now and not much evidence of efficacy. Which is odd as my DH had it done into his hip joint quite a few years ago and it was really effective for him.
I found I was taking paracetamol and other a range of other meds whether I needed them or not so went through trying not to take them unless really needed. When I'm sat down - I don't need meds so spend my days doing a bit of something and then sitting down to relieve my back before carrying on. On days when I know I will be active and busy I start with paracetamol and move onto stronger meds if I need it. As is typical with thoracic spondylosis - as soon as you rest - in general the pain goes away.
As with most pain related conditions the NHS goes through all the treatment options eg x-ray, mild pain relief, physios, as they are cheaper and so on before looking at MRI's of which I've had several due to breast cancer nine years ago.
I appreciate all your comments - thank you.

I used to see a chiropractor for back issues until I realised it was making things worse, not better. I also found the manouevres used to 'crack' my neck and spine quite frightning.

I see an osteopath these days, with much better outcomes.

Osteopathic treatment is better trained and regulated than chiropractic

I saw a chiropractor for back pain a few years ago. After three or four visits and treatment with a deep massage machine which left me almost unable to stand, she recommended an X-ray. The xray showed one historic and one recent crush fracture of my spine, and osteoporosis in my spine. She immediately referred me back to my GP and suggested a dexa scan. I am now on Alendronic acid treatment.
I’m grateful that the chiropractor did recommend an X-ray as my GP had been content to prescribe painkillers and physiotherapy. But otherwise I wouldn’t recommend one!

I went to a chiropractor for over a year after an accident that stopped me walking. That was over 15 years ago. She realigned my spine gradually, and a physiotherapist at the gym helped me get my muscles working properly so that they weren't pulling on my spine. NHS was useless - the physio took a brief look and gave me a few exercises and I never got another appointment.

Chiropractors are much better regulated than they used to be, and better trained - over 20 years ago Surrey Uni had specialist courses for chiropractors.

I have sponylolisthesis and have been using a chiropractor for about 12 years now. She always relieves my pain and is very perceptive and knows exactly what to do.

I have found a combination of physiotherapy, acupuncture and massage has helped me. I have severe lumbar stenosis and piriformis syndrome causing sciatic pain. My one visit to a chiropractor before my diagnosis sadly made my pain worse. I have also changed my mind about taking regular tablets. The physio pointed out that pills are beneficial if they help to keep you active. I hope you find a way to manage your pain so that you can keep active too.

Physiotherapists are the safest option. Acupuncture and Osteopathy are safe too, providing they take a full medical history.

I would avoid Chiropractors. One damaged DH's neck with a violent movement, some years ago.

I gave up on chiropractic and now get help when needed from an excellent physiotherapist and will not return to chiropractic - too risky.

I used to frequent a chiropractor for back pain which didn’t help. I went for neck pain, which worked well. I went with knee pain, had 3 treatments and then referred myself to our NHS physio who told me that I needed an arthroscopy and that the chiropractor had been wasting my time and money. My mum who had undiagnosed osteoarthritis, went to one for back pain and he managed to fracture her pelvis, so I do not recommend chiropractors.

My nasty fall caused knee dislocation and put my shoulder and neck out. The osteopath re-positioned and also identified cartilage damage in the connectivity between ribs and spine. He also diagnosed & fixed a long term neck crick from a previous car accident. Very impressed.

I have sent quite a few his way with great results, including a lady struggling with a knee replacement

In short, a chiropractor uses manipulative techniques to adjust your spine and joint position to improve nerve function and the ability to heal while osteopaths use massages, manipulation and stretching to help re-balance the body’s structure to enhance nerve function and blood flow.
Both professionals use similar treatments, but osteopaths usually use multiple treatment options while chiropractors tend to focus on spinal manipulations.
Both are well regulated and to practice, both must be a member of their regulatory bodies and have indemnity insurance.
My son is in his 4th and final year of his Masters of Chiro degree which is an entirely clinical year mentored by chiropractic professionals. Once qualified he will be able to diagnose using a variety of methods including x-ray. He will be able to treat and if needed, refer his patients to other health care professionals.
He attends a prestigious university in Bournemouth, which was the first institution in Europe opening some 50+ years ago, to solely offer chiro training. As such it attracts students from all over the world.
Don’t listen too much to scaremongering as much of the time people commenting haven’t had first hand experience of either profession.
Do however research carefully who you visit whether a chiropractor or an osteopath. Look at where they did their degrees and where possible get reviews from their patients.
That would be my advice at least!
Good luck 😊

I use an osteopath he is much better than a chiropractor who made my back worse. He also does acupuncture which really helps

My previous NHS GP offered Acupuncture to her patients for pain control; I used it several times ( for v. painful frozen choulder and later for sciatica) and highly recommend it.

I was sceptical and would never have tried acupuncture had I not seen the instant miraculous pain relief / mobility improvement when our vet used it on our arthritic old dog.
when it works on a dog, it's not a placebo effect.

My osteopath got me walking again 15 or so years ago when my knee arthritis first got bad. But when I saw him recently it didn't help my knee and I then had a sore hip, which I hadn't had before. I think it's ok for younger bodies but better to find out exactly what's going on internally before having treatment. 15 years ago I found his treatment much better than the physiotherapy which didn't really help.

For what it's worth. I worked with a chiropractor for several years. He trained me in gentle warming massages, which were done one patients before he began treatments. Many patients thought he was a god! A few didn't come back after initial treatments. He often used other chiropractors to cover when he was on holiday. None were ever considered as good to regular patients.
I had on one occasion coughed whilst cleaning my teeth which caused a facet joint problem, it was agony !GP could only prescribe Diazepam for a few days and rest. My boss treated me and after a couple of weeks there was much improvement. My boss got cancer a few years ago and since he died I have had a few problems mostly back and sciatica. I tried a couple of other chiropractors with relief for a couple of months but always needing to go back. I then tried an osteopath when I had trouble getting an appointment at one time. I had similar results. The main difference I found was osteopaths are more gentle and lead you through exercises more carefully and are less 'showy' than chiropractors, the don't intentionally go for 'cracks'. In the last 18 months I had retired and my GP service offered self referral to physiotherapist at local health centre. It was free, so I tried it when my back started twingeing again. After an initial consult, I went to a 'Back club's once a week for 6 weeks. We did exercises in a group of 6 and were advised what to do at home individually. I had about 6 follow up appointments on a one to one basis about 2- 3 weeks apart. It was all exercise not 'cracks' no massages, just exercise. I haven't been back for a year and my back hasn't been this good for 20 years. The chiropractor I worked for was very charismatic and American in retrospect that was the secret to his success with patients. Honestly, physio is best especially if you follow advice and keep doing the exercises.