New study pits Neurologists vs. Chiropractors

BostonGlobe ^ | 5/27/2003 | Stephen Smith

[Jimmyclyde]

It is the medical world's equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys: Neurologists vs. chiropractors, conventional vs. alternative medicine.

And the feud just got a little nastier this month, with the brain specialists using a freshly minted study by university researchers to load their slingshots with new ammunition aimed at chiropractors. That research links strokes in younger patients to chiropractic neck manipulations.

[the_doc]

It seems to me that this is pretty old news. Most of us MDs have known for a decade or so about the risks to the vertebral artery.

Still, some chiropractors do a lot of good for their patients. (Some neurologists don't deal with that fact very well.)

[DryFly]

The cause of tort reform would be greatly assisted by the elimination of chiropractors. With rare exception, all chiros that I have deposed are quacks who would treat a corpse four times a week for three months. Most chiro offices are nothing more than personal injury mills which are designed for billing, not truly rendering helpful treatment.

[wardaddy]

Bad girl!
;>)

[Old Professer]

Anybody that would let another person wrench his neck ought to have his head examined.

[Old Professer]

The chiropractors mostly see the mendane crap

Mendane, is that anything like a mundacity?

[Old Professer]

Wow, you must be on some really stron perscriptions; I don't blame you for staying away from those chriporactors -- seriously, did you spell this way while you were in school?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

It was a chiropractic INTERNIST who probably saved my sister's life. She had severe rheumatoid arthritis plus other autoimmune diseases. She had been to nine medical doctors, including the great Mayo. Her condition would temporarily improve and then get worse.

Because I was afraid my sister would die, I went to the Internet. Kept finding references over and over to a condition called leaky gut syndrome. Her liver was severly damaged due to all the drugs. I gave the info to my sister. She thought it sounded possible. Through the info she eventually located her chiropractic internist. A chiropractic internist does lots of tests. The upshot of the story is my sister has been restored to health. She looks fabulous and is off all medication except a thyroid medication.

Some Freepers may remember us being at the Inauguration. We were pushing her in a wheelchair. No more wheelchair now.

[wardaddy]

I have had minor success with chiropractors. I am not impressed with their white coats and calling themselves doctors...or doing x-rays. Give me an old x-ray machine and some training and I can see misaligned vertebrae as well.

I have chronic lumbar herniation and cervical as well. Mine is managable when it flares up with opiates and carisprodal(sic) (the only choice in muscle relaxers in my view).

For symptomatic relief I like a nice massage or even better...acupuncture....acupuncture does indeed help the healing...at least for me. I am a big believer in it for this. I do not think it is a cure for everything.

Chiropractors often claim to be able to attribute many conditions to spinal misalignment which is simply pure BS. They can help perhaps manipulate a "pinched nerve" out of the "pinch". I'll grant them that but that's all. They usually want to do all sorts of crap and repeat treatments and charge your insurance for it. I have had chiropractors warn me of the danger of neck snapping so they indeed do know it exists. But, since I prefer acupuncture...I never go to chiropractors anymore.

Acupuncture also does some sort of mental relaxation that I can't pinpoint but anyone who has ever had a "total body" acupuncture treatment will know what I'm talking about.

One last point...if you have a serious back issue with groin numbness and lack of leg control...then forget all the alternative stuff and get to a neuro or orthopedic doc asap. It can degenerate promptly and leave one with permanent paralysis. My cousin who plays semi pro soccer had such an event and knew to go to the doc asap (his dad is a trauma surgeon) and he had a splintered vertebrae and they did surgery that night in Greensboro. He was in danger of life altering consequences.

Just my experiences...flame away ya'll.

[wardaddy]

Good points....I agree.

[gas_dr]

No, when I get worked up, my typing skills suffer greatly...

Let me repeat that:

Wen eye git wurked up, mi tipeing skils supher grately.

[realpatriot71]

Obviously a typo . . .

[Sir Gawain]

I left the l out of scalpels. You really got me there. I bow to your superior proofreading skills.

[luckodeirish]

When I was in graduate school I dated a guy who was in Chiropractic College in Los Angeles. When they are in their last year, they attend "clinic" where they get friends and family to come in and be "adjusted" so they can earn clinic hours. This was not a pretty scene. After he graduated, he told me that there is a big secret in Chiropractic, that 85% is hocus pocus and 15% is probably worth something. He said that everyone at the college, including instructors, knew of this "secret" and talking about it was a big no-no. The students were told "as long as you get some movement and noise, the patient will think something is being fixed".

[realpatriot71]

Wow, you must be on some really stron [sic] perscriptions; I don't blame you for staying away from those chriporactors -- seriously, did you spell this way while you were in school?

LOL - oh the sanctimony! I'm remembering something about a pot, a kettle, and the color black . . .

[pt17]

there is NO scientific evidence to support the chiropractors claim that they are effective at treating systemic disease

The chiropractor I saw didn't claim he could cure system diseases and sent me to a radiologist to take a picture of my back before he did anything. The first of your doctor collegues was arrogant, extracted money and gave me drugs. Who was the professional in this situation, doctor gas?

[Old Professer]

The misspellings are in the original, didn't you notice?

Spell-checking is a tension-breaker. Some threads get too serious (series?).

[realpatriot71]

Some threads get too serious (series?)

Definitely :-) Much to series.

I just get terribly annoyed at the "grammar/spelling police". Unless soemthing is so terrible either grammatically or spelling wise, bringing up a misplaced/extra/missing/substitued letter is quite silly, and seems to detract from the discussion. If the author gets their point across, who cares if they forgot a comma after the preposition. The meaning of the idea is what is important, the rules that govern the syntax used to express said idea are really unmeaningful extras when it comes to discussion and debate on a board like this.

[Iris7]

There is a tremendous difference in quality of adjustments done by different chiropractors. A few do great work. I have one that does. I have been to about six that didn't. Haven't needed an adjustment for years.

The most important thing on the way to a happy back for me was being shown by an expert how to do squats. I had all my life been putting my back into vulnerable positions out of ignorance. Simple when you know how.

[Iris7]

You are completely correct on the serious neurological symptoms stuff. Fusion is the only practical approach more often than not. Works well and is safe when done well.

[wardaddy]

Yep...my cousin was warned that had his dad not told him to get his butt to the emergency room and to have kept trying to crawl around he could have had permanant paralysis...even egads!....some impotence...scary.

My lower back stuff has actually gotten better...not quite a severe as it used to be. It all started when I was about 30. I have a neck stretcher that hangs from the doorsill for my cervical injury (motorcycle nearly 3 decades ago).

My acupuncturist is from Shanghai and is an acclaimed infectious disease specialist at Vandy. His dad did surgery under acupuncture in the old days in China till Mao had him "disappeared". Very nice guy.

My Neurosurgeon (a family friend) told me that when your back is bad enuff with pain for you....you will come to me and want the surgery asap...lol...he also warned me about severe numbness being a big danger sign....or loss of control over your legs or lower torso.

I had a girl once who helped "crack" my back once and it helped some granted but I have found acupuncture to be the best relief short of dope. You should try it. It does not hurt at all and gives sort of a relaxing "high"....I'm not joking.