Clunk, click solution to back pain (chiropractors in general)

Member Name: laramax

Product:	chiropractors in general
Date:	28/06/07 (733 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effective and lasting relief

Disadvantages: Can be uncomfortable

One of the most debilitating pains you can have is back pain, be it either a nagging ache that never seems to go away or a sharp pain when you try to do the normal things in life. I am not sure that it is accurate to describe Chiropractors as being alternative therapists these days as they are becoming more and more acceptable and many private health insurance companies will pay for treatment by a Chiropractor.

I first came across them over twenty years ago. My then husband was a professional squash player and one day during a particularly challenging match he 'put his back out' and was unable to straighten up properly after a drop shot! As always happens on these occasions there were numerous people in the changing rooms only too willing to offer advice and one of them suggested he went to a local Chiropractor. He analysed the options and figured as his GP was likely to advise him to rest for a couple of weeks, which as he was self employed he couldn't afford to do, and which would put him out of action he reasoned he had little to lose by trying the Chiropractor. The outcome was amazing - his pain went away and he was playing in a competitive match the following day which he won!

Basically a Chiropractor specialises in treating problems related to the spine. Because the central nervous system travels through the spinal cord which runs down the centre of the spine there can be problems which appear to relate to other parts of the body which are actually rooted in the spine. Chiropractors focus on the links between the spine and nervous system. Corrections of spinal imbalance are believed to help restore the nervous system and improve internal organ function.
The first time you see a chiropractor you should expect to be there for about an hour as they will need to take a full history and perform a physical examination. Reflexes may be tested with a reflex hammer, and blood pressure may be measured. Some chiropractors also use X-rays and other conventional medical tests to help them make a diagnosis. Later sessions will usually take about 30 minutes. The number of treatments you will need will depend on the problem. Personally I am a firm believer that the earlier you go for treatment the quicker the problem can get resolved. The bones of the spine all interlock and if one or more goes slightly out of alignment you will experience pain, I believe that the longer they are out of alignment the longer it will take to get them to stay in realignment so if I feel the need for treatment I go as soon as I possibly can and it has worked for me.

Treatment is usually carried out with the patient lying down. The practices I have visited generally have a couch for you to lie on for treatment. At one practice I just had to stand on a footplate, lean back on to the bed which has been made vertical and relax whilst the practitioner moved it into the horizontal - thus I didn't even have to climb on to the couch! The couches are usually sectional so that the chiropractor can move one section out of the way if necessary to get better access to a part of your back. Chiropractors mainly use a manipulative technique on the spinal column and pelvic area. These are designed to realign and mobilise the spine, and may result in an audible sound - a clicking similar to knuckles being stretched.

About six months after my husband had been for treatment I put my neck out and started to experience stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulders. I went to the same chiropractor my husband had visited and outlined the problem but also said I was worried that the treatment would be painful. He explained to me that my spine was slightly out of alignment at the top and that he could put it back into alignment if I wanted without the necessity for me to experience pain. To my surprise that is exactly what he did, I lay on his couch, he took my head gently between his hands and rotated it. There was no pain or discomfort just relief of my pain. He explained that many patients like the satisfying 'click' when the bones realign but if I didn't want that then I merely needed to advise them of that and they could gently achieve the same aim!

Since then I have visited them occasionally from time to time either for my neck problem or for a problem with my sacroiliac joint (where the pelvis meets the spine). I was given an exercise by them for the latter problem which enables me to relax and open up the joint (especially useful before a squash match) which has meant that the problem has not recurred.

There is a theory expressed from time to time that this sort of treatment is effective only in the mind of the recipient and so I shall relate a tale where this was clearly not the case. Some years ago we used to breed Great Danes and had a problem with one who developed a limp and restricted movement. We took her to the vet and an x-ray revealed a small sliver of bone had detached from an area at the end of one of the long bones in her leg so our vet referred us to a Doncaster vet who specialised in treating racing greyhounds. At the consultation the vet advised us that the sliver of bone was in fact something of a red herring - the problem our dog had was that her spine was out of alignment which was what was causing her problem. He felt that the movement problem may have caused her to chip the bone but that the bone fragment was not a significant factor. We must have looked surprised because he then decided to give us a demonstration to illustrate that it was a spinal alignment issue. He turned her head to one side and as he did so she lifted up one front leg, he turned her head to the other side and she lifted up the other leg. He explained that normally this would not happen but that it only did so because of a spinal problem. She was anaesthetised and he proceeded to manipulate her spine gently clicking all of the bones back into place. When she came around from the anaesthetic she was like a different dog, her movement was free and easy and she was able to jump back into our van without help whereas previously she had need assistance. She needed no further treatment and was fine thereafter - this sealed my conviction that manipulation can work effectively.

It is quite possible for Chiropractors to treat long standing problems but they are likely to take a longer time and more treatment to resolve and you will be unlikely to get the instant relief which I have had. I believe that they are most effective if you visit soon after you recognise the problem. The best way to find a good Chiropractor in your area is by recommendation and one of the best sources of recommendation is sports people who are likely to have had a need for the service from time to time. It is worth noting who gets the thumbs up locally so that if you do ever have a problem you will have a good idea where to go. In my area treatment costs around £25 per session with the initial 'double session' when you first register costing twice as much.

As you will have gathered I am a great advocate of Chiropractic treatment - it has worked for me and would be my first port of call for any spinal problem. Treatment does not have to be painful and has proved very effective for me and my family.

© Laramax 2007

Summary: A great way to get relief from aches and pains