Chiropractors
#11673 - 06/14/03 09:53 AM
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Lately I have been considering going to a chiropractor. My main reason is totally non-IBS related, but I was wondering as an added benefit, could a chiropractor help with IBS somehow? Does anyone have any advice on finding a chiropractor? I've heard that they take X-rays before they do anything. Is this true, and is there anything else they should do so that I know I got a "good one"? For those of you that use one, how did you find yours? I know they are covered by my health insurance and I can look in the book and pick one out. A couple of people from work have gone to them, and I was thinking of asking them who they go to, but they've also all been/are on Atkins, so I don't know how much to trust their judgment! 
Any advice/comments/input/info would be greatly appreciated! 
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If you have any in your area, I would look for an osteopathic doctor (D.O.) before I would look for a chiropractor. D.O.s are medical doctors like M.D.s, but they have, in addition to a medical school curriculum, also been trained in osteopathic manipulation. So they can do similar manipulations to chiropractors but, unlike chiropractors, have a thorough medical education to back them up. The problem is, D.O.s can be difficult to find (there's an osteopathic medical school in my hometown, but elsewhere, forget it!), and not all of them do manipulation--you'd have to find one in family practice or whose specialty is manipulation (because, just like M.D.s, they can specialize in surgery or pediatrics or whatever, and that wouldn't do you much good  ). Anyway, if you want more information, try these pages: web page and web page.
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Mags,
I have gone to a chiropractor for a couple of years now and have had great results. However, he does acupuncture, not manipulation. I wanted someone who could do acupuncture, but my insurance would only cover a chiropractor (not solely acupuncturists) so I found him through recommendations from friends. I definitely would talk to your friends at work and get their recommendations. (Ok..so maybe their judgement in ALL things isn't great!) It would be good to find out from them what types of things their chiro does.
My greatest concern about chiropractors is that some of them keep you coming back forever. My doctor said, from the outset, that if he couldn't help me within a couple of weeks that I should look at other options. He also did not take x-rays.
Another plus is that he is a firm believer in the benefit of supplements and other complimentary health treatments. I found it refreshing to go to someone with a medical background (you'd be surprised at the medical classes they take...they just can't prescribe meds) and yet not steeped in medical tradition (i.e., "You've got a problem? Here's a pill!").
In terms of acupuncture and IBS, my doctor did treatments for stress relief..which of course is a trigger for IBS. I can't speak to what a chiro could do for IBS via manipulation..maybe someone else can.
Good luck to you...let us know what you decide.
Barb
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That's so interesting! I had no idea chiropractors also did acupuncture. Is that something all or a lot of them do, or just something yours happens to do?
About 10 years ago, my boss at the time was going to a chiropractor and I was considering it back then, and he's the one that told me about the X-rays. I haven't talked to anyone that's gone to one since then. Maybe you didn't need it because you don't have the manipulation? 
I really don't know a lot about chiropractors, I guess you can tell.  I'm not even really sure if it's where I should go. I thought about also calling my primary doctor to see if he has any recommendations for one. Or not to go at all. It just seems like they have a bad rap, so that's why I turned to you guys!
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Thanks for the info! It did sound more "comforting" to have someone with more medical background. I've always been a little nervous about chiropractors, because it seems they have a bad rap. But you were right on trying to find a DO in my area. I did a search on my insurance website to find a provider and the closest was NY. I'm in South Jersey.  I was surprised nothing for Philadelphia showed up.
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i'm a firm believer in chiropractics. i've been going since i was 4 months old!
(in my experience) a good chiropractor will take x-rays, and ask you specific questions about your health, not just if your back hurts. some chiros really only focus on relieving back pain. which IS a good thing, and part of their job. but a well educated doctor will know that you can specificially target areas of your body (i.e. digestive system) based on how your nerves are connected. it's kind of hard to explain.
and sometimes you do need to come back pretty regularly if your problem is moderate/severe, till it gets better. and it's good to come back every few months to get realigned even when you're healthy as a preventative measure... to KEEP you healthy.
i know when i went to visit home and got to see my regular chiropractor, i felt better IMMEDIATELY afterwards. my IBS was nearly non-existant for a week or so afterwards. (part of this was also low-stress, though) the guy i saw down here in florida was just focused on making sure i didn't have any back pain, and didn't even know what IBS was!!
some doctors also will have hydro-beds, where you lay on them and water jets in the mattress massage your back to help you relax.
and if they know about other natural treatments like herbs and things, that's a great bonus, and also shows they know more than your average dude ;-)
hope this helps!
beth
p.s. i agree, talk to some people in your area if possible to get a recommendation. quality of chiropractors vary greatly.
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Wow! 4 months old! What do they do to you when you're 4 months old? 
I'm definitely going to ask those people from work to get some advice. It seems like it is hit or miss the same as finding a good any-kind of doctor.
I guess maybe I should give more info to see if a chiropractor is what I really need. Ever since I was about 15 or so, I have this weird feeling in my left side, like at the bottom of my ribs. It's really hard to describe. It's never hurt, just more annoying than anything else. It just always feels not quite numb, but uncomfortable. I've never been able to properly describe it to the doctor. Actually, I'm so pathetic with going to the doctor, I never even told one until last year.  Yes, IBS brought me out of my doc phobia. I've told 2 different docs (my GI & my new primary), and they both think it's nothing major. The GI suggested I could get X-rays (obviously, this isn't his area, which I understand, but he felt around my side anyway), and the new doc felt around also, and neither of them felt anything unusual. They both seem to think it's something like a pinched nerve, or my primary even thought it could be my posture, because sometimes if I move in different positions, it feels less uncomfortable. Or sometimes if I push on my back just the right way around the bottom of my rib cage, it feels slightly "relieved" or less uncomfortable, I guess is how I'd describe it. It's definitely feels like it's in the ribs, not something underneath. I do know that my new primary said he's heard of this in other patients.
Anyway, I guess I thought maybe a chiropractor may know more about this. Do you think I'm thinking in the wrong direction?
I'm sorry this is really not IBS-related. Although, sometimes if I'm bloated from IBS, it feels a little more uncomfortable. I just have no idea where else to get advice from, and I've noticed some people on the boards do go, so I'd thought I'd ask. Plus, I really was curious if it could help IBS.
Either way I may have to go now just for that hydro-bed...that sounds great! 
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I have been seeing a chiropractor for about 2 years now. He did take x-rays first, if fact he refused to adjust me until he reviewed the x-rays. At first 1 had to go 3 times and week and was a little sore. Than I started feeling a lot better! He slowly reduced the time between visits-2 times a week for a couple weeks, than once a week for about a month, now I go about every 2 weeks. My insurance pays for 24 visits a year,so why not use them?! Sometimes right after my adjustments, I will be a little "stiff" than a few hours later I feel much better! I do believe the x-rays are important and if your insurance pays for the visits they sould pay for the x-rays too! I guess I can't say if it helps my IBS but it makes me feel better overall.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I have been going to a chiropractor as needed now for the past 7 years or so now and have had great results. I don't see him specifically for IBS, but I find that when I don't have aches and pains in my back, my IBS does better, too. In fact, I'm thinking of going in for a treatment today or tomorrow.
Yes, they should do x-rays and offer other options if they cannot help you. Don't keep going back constantly. They should be able to help you within a couple weeks for each occassion you see them.
Good luck....and talk with others about who they see. Word of mouth from others is a great way to find anyone for any type of service.
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I used to see a chiropractor on a regular basis for my back. I have lower lumbar pain from a car accident that flares up every now and then. I found him through a coworker. Now when I think about going I give my mother-in-law a list of chiropractors and she suggests a couple of names. She worked at Texas Chiropractic College for several years as the Dean's Secretary so she knows several in the area. Another option for me too is that the college is at the end of my street and they have a clinic where the students treat you. I had a very pleasant experience when I was going and have thought of going back for adjustments. I love getting my hips popped. Some chiropractors offer massage therapy too. The chiropractor I saw asked about my other health problems and he took x-rays. This was before my IBS was a problem so I cannot offer any insight as to how it would help with that. I could see it helping though. I always felt like a ton of bricks were being lifted off my shoulders when I left.
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Laurie
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission - Eleanor Roosevelt
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I really appreciate all the feedback...I've actually learned a lot!
I did ask one of my coworkers today. I also found out that our insurance only covers $500 per year, and he told me he wiped that out pretty quick, because the x-rays went toward that. Also, I read in the insurance book that it's applied to your deductible for the year, and my colonoscopy in Jan. pretty much wiped me out for that for the year.
But, this is what I found out about his chiropractor: he was making him come in 3 times a week at $145 a pop before the insurance stopped paying. Now that he's paying out of pocket, he said the guy said he's giving him a break and only charging $45. He said he also told the chiro he's only coming in 1 x per week, because it's too expensive. He said he's been going for about 3 months. He said the guy said it would prob. take 2-3 years to get him straightened out. He made him bring in his pillow (the guy from work said he asked him if he could come in his jammies, but he didn't think the chiro found him very amusing ), he wanted him to get rid of his sneakers, buy 3 new pair, but not try them on till he got there, so the chiro could tell him which pair was best for him. He wanted to know if he could fix his allergies, free of charge.
My coworker said he does feel a little better (he had a pinched nerve in his neck that was causing tingling in his arm sometimes). He said that 2 other coworkers have gone to this chiro.
Well, what he's told me, he didn't sound very reassuring, but maybe that's just me. I'm definitely still researching. Heck, I've dealt with this thing 14 years, what's another so I can use my insurance. 
Oh yeah...you know what else he said. His OSTEOPATHIC DOCTOR sent him the to chiro. I need to check my providers again to see if I can find one--I don't know why only NY showed up. He said the reason she sent him to the chiro was because he was so leary of going to a chiro, because chiros do manipulation at a much slower pace than D.O.'s.--D.O.'s do their thing and that's that, where chiro's keep you coming back for more, basically is what he said.
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Hi Mags,
I've been going to a chiropractor for almost 3 years. First searched for one for my husband who has had 2 disk removed in his lower back and needed special kind of chiro treatment due to reg. manipulation wasn't option for him, too risky with his back.
We found medically trained chiro that uses an activator, a hand held device he uses to adjust the spine. Sounds strange but really works and with a lot less pain than reg. adjustment. My husband had such great results that I started going to him too and he removed year long neck pain (from truck accident and able to stop daily pain medication after 3 chiro treatments!) Which helped my IBS and then the 5th chiro treatment caused a releasing pressure in my middle back and was in IBS remission for almost 2 years!
Since then I get monthly treatments which temparily helps my IBS the biggest help now is Heather's cookbook and this Site.
Paintlady
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I tried chiropractic when I was first diagnosised with IBS. To tell the truth I've had better luck with yoga. But I have a grown daughter in the health field that swears by ZONE chiropractic, which includes accupuncture. Here is a web site to check out if you're interested. I think there are other links here where you can look into it more.
http://www.drpetergoldman.com/zone.html
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hmm sounds like this doc is asking way too much. 3 times a week at $145??? i think my doc at home is $50 each, and a discount if you pay up front instead of being billed.
and it shouldn't take 2-3 years to get better! especially going that often!! it will probably take a few months, though. most people feel at least a little better within a few weeks. it depends on the person, though. i usually can feel a difference after one visit, but i'm used to going and my bones are pretty loose and flexible and stuff.
i wouldn't go there unless you can't find anyone else. and i guess just go as much as you (and your insurance) can afford.
beth
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