Experiences good or bad with chiropractic for low back pain

[spock]

I've been dealing with some chronic low back pain for about a year now. A bit of on again, off again sciatica, but nothing debilitating or excruciating. Physical therapy has helped some, but I'm looking for more improvement short of going to an orthopedic surgeon or physiatrist for injections.

If I'm being honest, I have always been somewhat leery of chiropractic as a first line source for orthopedic issues, but must admit that my continued discomfort combined with the near universal positive reviews for many of our local chiropractors, has me at least pondering seeking out their care for the first time.

I would appreciate any first hand accounts you may have had with chiropractic for low back issues, either positive or negative.

[roberts]

I had L5-S1 on both sides. Probably should have had surgery but opted to do chiropractor and PT. PT and meds helped but it was a long recovery and there's always been a weakness even after all these years. Chiropractor didn't make things any worse but didn't improve them either. This was 25 years ago and I don't know if treatment has changed, but for me it was no better than neutral. Good luck with this. It's an ordeal.

[Jim Owen]

Spock,

Went to chiropractor once. Small sample size, I know. Back got worse. Sciatica followed. Mri showed two broken disks.

Got cortisone shot and ten weeks of pt.

[PapaC]

I’ve dealt with lower back disc issues since my late 20’s ( Just turned 62 yesterday). I can tell you that decompression, stretching, (emphasize hamstrings stretches because it really helps when bending), and especially core strength exercises are what kept me going.

Yes, I did get chiropractic treatments off and on through the years. My experience is that it was temporary help. I don’t think it would do harm, so you might try it. Best of luck, I know it’s no fun.

[Yamaha Man]

I've had lower back pain for years, seen a chiropractor for years, then I bought a chair for my shower, I currently do stretches with the chair while in the shower, back cracks back into place everyday, no need for chiropractor anymore. Back is fine now. The chair paid for itself many times over.

[PatrickMadsen]

I've been seeing a chiro and masseuse going on 23 years Aug. 20th. The docs wanted t do surgery on both shoulders, elbows, wrists and carpals. I told them I wanted to try alternative methods for a few months before deciding. I was heavily into w/c sports for 25 years prior and proving this was just a "flesh wound. It's taken its toll but still in fairly good shape for 48 years post injury.

We wanted to see how long we could go before needing surgery. Other than a carpral tunnel release, it worked out fairly well. My shoulders are shot but do the best I can hand cycling with power assist, standing frame and light resistance rather than heavy weights. I see them once a week and really notice a difference when stoved up. The masseuse really makes a difference as she learns new techniques to use on me.

[Nymuso]

Been there, done that.

Helps in the short term. Underlying cause of discomfort needs to be investigated and possibly addressed by more conventional medical disciplines.

[AX17609]

There’s an excellent book on this topic entitled “ Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery” by Cathryn Ramin. In it she describes the history of chiropractic medicine and it’s rise to prominence in spite of its lack of biological support. She also discusses the failures of modern medicine in its rush to find surgical treatments. It’s a well-balanced discussion of the hierarchy of treatment options.

[Norsepicker]

I've seen a chiropractor for about 6 or 7 years, and was referred to my chiropractor by faculty members in the music department at the university I taught at. My specific problem is called forward sagittal balance, meaning the leaning forward of the body when walking or sitting. I had X-rays which showed this, and also serious hip arthritis. The chiropractor recommended a hip replacement but I resisted because my father had an early one, which failed, and the correction gave him a stroke and dementia and eventually killed him. The chiropractic treatment made life bearable, but I finally gave in and got the hip replacement which made a startling difference. I can now walk an hour a day at a brisk pace without any aids like sticks or canes, and while the back issue is still there the pain is diminished by 90%. I still see the chiropractor.

So this is my advice. Make sure you get a good chiropractor. How you can know is if they demand you get X-ray pictures of your back. Don't go to anyone wacky, ie. if they are excessively homeopathic, anti-vaxxer, and or make impossibly optimistic claims. If you have some other joint problem, fix it, with replacement if necessary. Do the same thing in searching for a surgeon. I spoke with numerous people who'd had successful hip and knee replacements with this surgeon. My chiropractor is eccentric but is highly moral and ethical. Back surgery is the least successful of orthopedic surgeries, and I don't know of many who have been happy with surgeries on the back. In terms of joint replacement -hips are most successful, then knees, then shoulders, and now I hear, ankles.

If you want, send me a personal message with your location and I can ask my chiropractor if he knows anyone in your area who's work he recommends.

What the hip replacement did was make me able to gain alignment again, to walk with my upper body over my hips. I still have to work at it, but it made me want to lean back for better alignment than forward. Good luck. I'm now 74, and lived with debilitating back pain for a number of years which the hip replacement essentially fixed.

[buddyhu]

My parents both saw chiropractors feom time to time, and when I started having back problems, I went to chiropractors. They didnt seem to help much.

The dirty little secret about chiropractic: when they go to school, there is some emphasis on building and maintaining a profitable practice, and encouraging/building patient dependency is part of this. When I found this out, i was much less inclined to spend money for chiropractors, especially in view of the fact that research does not support its effectiveness.

When i was in my 30’s, I ruptured a disc at L5-S1. Severe pain, sciatica, right leg would go numb after bearing my weight for a 1/2 hour. Unable to walk more than 1/4 mile without pain and numbness and weakness. I was not going to let a chiropractor near me. Surgery was recommended. I managed to avoid surgery by modifying my activities and doing physical therapy…but it took three or four years to completely resolve all the symptoms and eliminate the weakness. But that episode showed me the importance of stretching (hamstrings, etc) and strengthening (especially core, but also general strengthening).

In the years since the injury, i can still get mild to moderate pain on occasion. I mostly rely on stretching and increased exercise to address it. Acupuncture has been helpful too….much more than chiropractic for me. And massage is good too.

[joe white]

I deal with back pain daily. Ruptured L5- S1 in 2001 and again in 2011. Surgery repaired the disc in 01 but in 11 I didn't get surgery and suffered for over two years with severe left leg sciatica. I tried chiro, PT and some other things but the only relief I got at the time was from opioid pain medication and I hated that stuff.

As a final attempt to get back to an active life and rid myself of the pain medication I went to a reputable acupuncturist. Within five visits I was off the pain meds and on my way to a near normal lifestyle. In my case, with my particular injury, the acupuncture worked and the chiropractic did not.

[Mbroady]

I have both good and bad experiences with chiropractic help.
The bad was a doc doing an adjustment without knowing the underlying issues.

Fortunately it was only once. Then I went to a back specialist who, after some subscribed physical therapy (which was transformative) put me in for an MRI. We discovered that I have slight spinal stenosis of the neck, which is basically a loss of spinal fluid. The worst thing To do for this is the abrupt and jarring adjustments that many chiropractors jump on before I complete evaluation

So if you have decent insurance see a (good) back specialist before a chiropractor.

The good is i now see a chiropractor who works with traction techniques on that part of my body rather then the “ twist”. This in conjunction with exercise has just about eliminated any discomfort I was feeling. I might one day have to do steroid injections, but for now all is good.

[TBman]

Years ago I had lower back problems and was referred to a chiropratic group. Before even taking an x-ray the "doctor" started jumping on my back. I left.

I then went to another chiropractor who took x-rays, etc. before doing anything. After reading my x-rays he made some back adjustments and "recommended" daily adjustments. I said thanks and never went back. I don't remember how much the visits would have cost on a daily basis, but I do know it wasn't covered by my insurance. If I wanted another dependent I figured I'd talk to my wife

I lost weight and the problem went away. Now that I've gained weight again I get twinges of pain now and then but not like it used to be.

[PapaC]

One more thing from me; My primary doctor was absolutely, and completely against a back brace. He emphatically told me to avoid it. Said it would make my back muscles weaker, which would lead to more pain and problems.

Again, strengthening the core muscles was key for me. They surround, and support your lower back. It’s been a lifetime of every other day workouts for me, but I’ve avoided surgery, and function pretty normally.

[KarenB]

Like everything, it depends. It depends on the skill of the chiropractor. Personally I like to see a traditional osteopath when necessary, rather than a chiropractor. They do no force work, and it works for me. There are some chiropractors who do no force techniques also. I would also suggest continuing the exercises given to you by the PT. Also seeing a good massage therapist can help. Again, the word "good" is really important. And check your posture in various situations. Acupuncture is another modality that can be helpful. Is your pain exacerbated by a specific movement or work? Good luck.