I've been having lower back pain and considered seeing a physical therapist. A friend told me guys like physical therapist and chirpractors are not really doctors because they'll just end up referring me to the medical doctors if the pain doesn't go away. Can someone give me insights?
Don't listen to your friend. Go to a chiropractor. Thank me later. For someone who has chronic back problems due to car wrecks and work out related injuries, I can't thank my chiropractor enough.
Chiropractors are temporary relief and are pointless...usually you feel fine until your next appt. Physical Therapists are more for rehabbing/stregthening injuries and I would recommend them...usually a doc will refer to u to a phy ther....not the other way around. you usually need a prescription to use one (if u want it covered)
Chiropractors are in the business of making you set up regularly scheduled "adjustments" so they can have a revenue stream from you until you figure out their business model and go to a real Medical Doctor and get whatever problem you have fixed. Physical Therapists are trained professionals that work inside the medical community, usually with services that are referred or prescribed by an MD. Their job is to work on you until you no longer need their service by building up your physical attributes to assist in actual healing and quality of life. It basically comes down that you should see a trained medical Doctor first, and let them diagnose your actual problem and prescribe the treatment or solution that is the most benefit. That treatment may very well involve physical therapy.
they're not really doctors i guess, as far as the literal definition is concerned, but that doesnt mean they're useless. Jus tlike they may refer you to an actual doc, a doc may refer you to them. In other words, there's things a doc may be able to do for you, that they can't and vice versa. I'd say go to a chiro and PT first, see what they tell you, evalute that and how you feel after (if they treated you in some way), and then go to a doc if you need another opinion, more help, or the treatment didnt work. Really, unless you tore something up or something gave out, there's no need for a doctor, since surgery isn't required. I think in your case you may just need an adjustment, rehab, or both.
Just read the first paragraph on Wiki about Chriopractors (with works cited!). The American Medical Association calls them an "unscientific cult". They also often dangerously prescribe "adjustments" for other neurological diseases that can get worse if not treated properly by medical professionals.
A chiro is the only one that has helped my shoulder and back pain. The "doctor" just wants to operate and give me pain meds. Go to a chiro.
My boss has been telling me to see a chiro for my gluteal/upper thigh pain. I've had it for almost three months. I feel like if i go see a chiro then i would have to keep going to get relief. i am not too sold on seeing them. Physical therapist is my final resort after seeing a spine doc next tuesday...i just want to rule sciatica out.
If your issues are due to subluxations, then it's likely you'll have to keep going. It's not so much the chiro's failure to "cure" you, but rather that your everyday movements caused the subluxation in the first place, so after he aligns you correctly it's just a mtter of time before you force yourself back out of aligment. To correct this you're better off going to a PT, so he can give you a rehab plan to even out your muscle tone/strength.
yeah. go see a medical doctor. all you will get are painkillers and surgery. they always want to cut and sometimes it really doesn't help that much. i say this as a guy married to a md. see a reputable chiro first...reputable being the key word. some of those guys are real crooks if he/she can't help you, go see a md and get whatever surgery they recommend.
The key to chiropractors is one simple, yet impressive statistic. Approximately 80% of all back pain goes away on its own after a couple of months. The implications of this are obvious. Chiropractors are hailed as kings for cracking your back because the pain was going to go away anyway. In addition, physicians are antagonized because they will usually prescribe a painkiller rather than take a radiograph. But why perform an unnecessary surgery and bring unnecessary risk to the sufferer when you can simply wait the pain out. If after a few months the pain is still alleviated, then it is time to use x rays and CTs. Chiropractors would be out of business if most people realized that their services were simply a placebo.
According to whom? I'm surprised at the level of witch hunting going on in this thread. I have chronic back pain: spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease. Chronic means it isn't going to go away. I'll probably have surgery at some point in my life. As it stands now, I have good days and bad days, and I always have to be careful with my movements to not throw my back out. When this happens, I'm usually laid up for several days until it "goes away on its own." I'd rather not wait several days. Chiropractors and RMTs have saved my ass many, many times. OP: go see a chiro.
According to the data. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18614473 RESULTS: The follow-up rate over the 12 months was more than 97%. Half of those who reduced their work status at baseline had returned to previous work status within 14 days (95% confidence interval 11 to 17 days) and 83% had returned to previous work status by three months.
