Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)
  • Sciatica chiropractors
  • robland
    Free Member

    I’ve had sciatica for nearly a year now can a chiropractor help with it or even make it disappear.

    tjagain
    Full Member

    Nope – utter charlatans with no evidence to back any claims of doing any good and lots of evidence of serious damage. do not do it. the best outcome is they will relieve you of hundreds of pounds for no gain. The worst is you will be paralysed

    Any reports of improvement following chiropratic are merely those people who would have got better anyway

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    It depends on what is causing the sciatica.

    A chiropractor won’t be able to tell. They are Witch Doctors selling Snake Oil.

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    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    If you want to try a bit of woo, you’re better off giving your money to an acupuncturist.

    You have my sympathy – I had it for around 6-8 weeks during the summer. It was **** miserable.

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    Acupuncture.

    Alternative medicine that’s proven to work is called “medicine”.

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    the best outcome is they will relieve you of hundreds of pounds for no gain.

    That’s unfair and not true.

    They only relieved me of £40 for no gain.

    I later cured my sciatica by going to see a physio therapist who recommended some exercises, and also doing some weird piriformis stretching type exercises.

    boxelder
    Full Member

    Unlike you to have such a clear opinion TJ 🙂

    An Osteopath went a long way to clearing mine, with some acupuncture. It does depend what’s causing it though. Mine was a herniated disc, so pretty hard to solve without time and a lot of conditioning/learning how not to make it angry. Sometimes sciatica is down to a misalignment in your ‘bits’, in which case a good sports injury type/physio can sort it pretty quickly. If you’re anywhere near Penrith I can put you onto a very good one.

    mrchrist
    Full Member

    +1 for physio.

    Got rid of mine.

    That and Pilates.

    Some very basic but highly effective excerises here:

    https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercises-for-sciatica/

    tjagain
    Full Member

    boxelder – the osteopath did nothing to help yours – it would have got better anyway or the accupuncture helped. There is no therapeutic effect seen from either osteopathy or chiropractic in multiple studies.

    Acupuncture is a funny one ‘cos it does have theraputic effect especially for chronic pain. why no one knows but its the only alternative medicine accepted by conventional medicine as having use.

    I want evidence based medicine. there is no evidence for these clowns indeed all the evidence points the other way.

    I hate charlatans like theses people removing money from the credulous and actively damaging people.

    boxelder
    Full Member

    boxelder – the osteopath did nothing to help yours – it would have got better anyway or the accupuncture helped. There is no therapeutic effect seen from either osteopathy or chiropractic in multiple studies.

    Haha, but I didn’t tell you what he did! Through massage, manipulation and prescribing exercises, he eased it greatly. Now whether or not you call it Osteopathy is a whole different pan of pilchards, but Barry did good (and I was happy to pay him). He also wrote the official history of Sunderland Football Club – the man has faith indeed.

    submarined
    Free Member

    I am very open minded to alernative therapies, and a great believer that the body has the ability to put itself back together in ways we just don’t understand, and often the belief in alernative therapies is merely the catalyst needed. So i gave chiropractic practitioners a chance. Did nothing except try to sell me more sessions and releive me of cash.
    It’s very interesting if you read into it – for something that’s been around for 130 or something years, there are precisely zero independent peer reviewed studies that show even a smidge of proof of its’ efficacy. Same for Osteopathy.
    On most of the studies that have been done regarding these techniques and back pain, the improvement seen seems to follow a very similar path to that shown when the body was just left to get better on its own…

    boxelder
    Full Member

    Well, for me, the ‘proper medicine’ alternative was lots of painkillers and/or surgery. They got as far as mentioning penile disfunction…….
    I’ll do some reading up on osteopathy, but the manipulation and massage was very similar to sports therapy treatment I’ve had. He told me it was a disc herniation and which disc it was 6 months before an MRI scan and private surgeon appointment confirmed it. The surgeon was more than £40.

    Greybeard
    Free Member

    Chiropractor damaged my mother’s leg. Plus they surround what they do with mysticism like channelling energy flow.

    My sciatica sorted itself in 4 months with the help of NSAIDs and keeping moving. A lot of exercises are intended for sciatica resulting from the piriformis and had a negative effect on mine, which is from herniated disc.

    OP, if yours isn’t improving in a year, it’s either not normal sciatica or you’re doing something to provoke it, like sitting badly or (with my herniated disc) lifting too much.

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Are you sure it’s Sciatica? as said above, every chance it could be piriformis or many other things, it’s quite often misdiagnosed as sciatica IME, and if this is the case, a good physio will help no end.

    fossy
    Full Member

    Physio and follow the exercises and stretches. Only ever had it once for a few weeks before I snapped my back in two, not had it since 🙂

    gonefishin
    Free Member

    Acupuncture is a funny one ‘cos it does have theraputic effect especially for chronic pain. why no one knows but its the only alternative medicine accepted by conventional medicine as having use.

    There are studies done that show that it doesn’t matter where you place the needles nor does it matter whether you use real needles or fake needles so on that basis I put acupuncture in the placebo category too.

    boxelder
    Full Member

    It was my understanding that piriformis problem cause sciatica as the muscle extends across the sciatic nerve and is likely to cause it problems. Pain in the buttocks and/or extending down the leg is likely to be sciatica. One of the ‘treatments’ my quack osteopath gave was massage and manipulation/exercise of the piriformis, as problems there were a knock on effect of my spinal problem.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    There is no therapeutic effect seen from either osteopathy or chiropractic in multiple studies

    I’ve not heard the two lumped together like that before – I thought osteopaths were ok, do you have links to the multiple studies?

    ajaj
    Free Member

    “He told me it was a disc herniation”

    The trouble with this is that 50% of people over 45 yrs (age varies depending on which study you read) have a herniated disc. So it’s a safe diagnosis that can be confirmed by MRI even if it is completely unrelated to the symptoms.

    There’s a lot of overlap in chiropractor/osteopath/physiotherapist training. A chiropractor could give you the same rehab advice as a physiotherapist and be easier to get an appointment with.

    Then there’s the question of finding evidence to back up claims that physiotherapists can fix pain…

    Nobby
    Full Member

    When my CSIJD flares up I can barely move but generally walk out of my osteopaths considerably more comfortably than I arrived – with or without the needles. She diagnosed the problem way before my GP who, only once I had her notes, referred me to a consultant. Until that point it was a case of “take these pain killers & do some (incorrect) exercises”.

    tjagain
    Full Member

    Osteopathy is perhaps less harmful. Check Ben Goldacre “bad science” or bmj website for links to studies

    geordiemick00
    Free Member

    Interesting thread this.. I was just about to post “Physio or chiropractor?” Until I saw this.

    I pick up loads of niggles being a lardy lad but also sporty and swear by my sports physiotherapist as he always fixes me in one go for £32.

    However, I’ve had a trapped nerve in my arm for over a month and after 5 weekly sessions and lots of ‘nerve flossing’ exercises I’m no further forward.

    Constant dull ache in my lower arm, pins n needles and crap sleep.

    I had this in 2010 after going over the bars and traction relieved me of the pain, so I bought a traction kit and every year or two it comes back slightly and normally gone after 20 mins on the traction, but even that’s not shifting it this time.

    So, my question was going to be, shall I try a chiropractor instead of physio, not so sure how after reading this!

    Asked doctor for physio but I suspect we’ll be out of Europe by the time that comes through….

    ThePilot
    Free Member

    I’m rather conflicted about chiropractors, osteopaths and to a lesser extent acupuncturists.
    My sister is a osteopath and my mum used to practise acupuncture but now just sticks to massage.
    I’ve had a bit of treatment from both of them, more from my mum, but it’s not ideal to be honest, better to have a purely professional relationship with your practitioner imo.

    I have had some shocking treatment from chiropractors though. Before I was diagnosed with RA, I went to a couple of chiropractors. The first was a Mctimoney chiropractor. He made me rotate my shoulder over and over. The pain was near to unbearable but he urged me to persevere. I think I did because he had been recommended to me by a former flatmate who was a dancer and who I had seen crawling round the house unable to walk but, after she had seen him, able to perform that same night. So I guess it does depend what is wrong with you.
    The next made me lay on his treatment bed while he manipulated my neck. This was when, as I now know, my joints were swollen and could have easily become stuck.

    Then there was the osteopath. He was the lesser of the two evils and just totally useless. After a few sessions which basically involved me lying on his treatment bed while he frankly did not a lot other than talk about his boyfriend, he told me I should go back to my GP and tell them I was “seeing an osteopath but it wasn’t helping… well not not helping but not actually fixing the problem”. I didn’t see him again after that. I did get a Christmas card that year though.

    Finally I saw a physio. She asked me what I now know were some fairly pertinent questions before explaining, in the nicest possible way, that she couldn’t help me at that time but, if after I’d seen the specialist at the hospital I wanted to come back, then I should do at that time.

    So, all in all, I’d recommend a physio but as has been said it depends what is wrong with you. I’d don’t think I’d ever go to a chiropractor or osteopath again but, even given my experiences, never say never. When you’re in pain you reach out for help wherever it is offered no matter how much in your rational mind you don’t believe in it.
    I’m more open to acupuncture but, touch wood, seem to be ok at the minute.
    I wouldn’t bother with NHS physios. I had an appointment with one to look at my shoulder because that was the joint that was most affected at the time. By the time I got to see her, several weeks after I asked for an appointment, it was my knee that was causing me most bother. It had swollen up the size of a mini football. I couldn’t even get her to look at it. She would only talk about the shoulder which wasn’t bothering me at that time. Now I know people who work in the NHS will tell that is just the way they have to work but when you’re in such pain and feeling so vulnerable, it’s pretty tough to be treated in that way.

    Anyway, hope you find a solution, OP, sciatica is miserable but I guess you don’t need me to tell you that.

    scud
    Free Member

    i have always suffered with a bad neck after fracturing two vertebrae as a lad playing rugby.

    I had a 24 hour road cycle event coming up and typically just before it my neck starting giving me grief, so thought i would try a chiropractor locally, what a complete charlatan, he started by having me stand with each foot on a set of scales, when one registered slightly higher weight than the other, that had to mean i had an imbalance with my spine!

    He then used an infra-red camera as “heat will show the inflammation”.

    Only after about 30 minutes did he then give any sort of manipulation of my neck, this left with such severe neck pain for the next 6 weeks i threatened to sue him!

    Strangely though, i then saw a physio, who had trained in Australia and she was brilliant, the was a physio, but the course she said in Aus included elements of chiropractic treatment in their training, hers was a combination of some manipulation, stretches and other treatment, along with strict series of exercises to do at home and she was brilliant.

    franksinatra
    Full Member

    TJ is spot on.

    Sports physio, preferable one who works with rugby players. I’ve been there and sports physio worth every single penny

    tjagain
    Full Member

    Physiotherapy is a regulated professional with a governing body who regulated training and standards
    Anyone can call themselves a osteopath or chiropractic and there is no legal framework or professional standards

    Drac
    Full Member

    I’m rather conflicted about chiropractors, osteopaths and to a lesser extent acupuncturists.
    My sister is a osteopath and my mum used to practise acupuncture but now just sticks to massage.
    I’ve had a bit of treatment from both of them, more from my mum, but it’s not ideal to be honest, better to have a purely professional relationship with your practitioner imo.

    😱

    bedmaker
    Full Member

    NHS physio = good
    Chiropractic / osteoporosis = bad

    Pretty dogmatic view considering that plenty of what is being done in conventional medicine today will be rubbished by the Ben Goldacre of the future…

    The recent programme Michael Mosley did about the placebo effect was a good watch. The results were pretty amazing for some participants.
    Regular articles in the New Scientist on placebo too.

    If a chiropractor can harness that power to ‘fix’ someone then that seems to me like a good thing.
    I’ve never been to one, but did go to an osteopath to fix acute back pain about ten years ago. Worth every penny.
    The NHS physio I went to before that was useless.

    Anyway, back to the OP, ultimately nobody can fix it long term but yourself.
    Pilates and lifting weights did it for me once past the acute stage.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Sports physio for me, every time. But even this depends on the experience of the practitioner – a fair bit of physio isn’t particularly evidence based.

    Did have some chiropractor ‘treatment’ when I was younger, more out of desperation than anything else. Usual spiel of signing you up for a dozen sessions and popping your neck a bit. No benefit whatsoever, and now I’ve read more about the risks of vertebral artery dissection associated with enthusiastic spine-cracking, I would never consider it again.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I saw this thread and thought “ooh!” but TJ and a supporting cast of thousands beat me to it. It’s pseudoscience at best. The American Medical Association once referred to chiropractic as a cult.

    There’s two kinds of chiropractic. “Straight” chiro is, essentially, horseshit. It’s based in vitalism, which should tell you all you need to know about that. Most modern chiropractors are “mixers,” they mix chiropractic in with other treatments like elements of physiotherapy. Which is all well and good, those other treatments may well be efficacious. But that then does rather beg the question, why not just have those other treatments rather than going to someone who thinks that cracking your spine is going to relieve your constipation due the the body’s innate intelligence?

    These quack treatments (chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy, reiki et al) are no better than placebo, you may as well ask a priest to pray for you. However, the elephant in the room is that placebo effect can be immensely powerful. So the question then becomes, is there any merit to a placebo treatment? And that’s a tricksy one to answer.

    Chiropractic may actually help the OP (and others) just by nature of the placebo effect. However they’d almost certainly be better off going to a physiotherapist or some other practitioner of actual medicine rather than snake oil and woo.

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    There is no therapeutic effect seen from either osteopathy or chiropractic in multiple studies.
    Acupuncture is a funny one ‘cos it does have therapeutic effect especially for chronic pain. why no one knows but its the only alternative medicine accepted by conventional medicine as having use.
    I want evidence based medicine. there is no evidence for these clowns indeed all the evidence points the other way.
    I hate charlatans like theses people removing money from the credulous and actively damaging people.

    I agree with every word written above. My current injuries aside, my lower back has bee the source of difficulty for years. I went to a chiropractor once out of desperation, and have never heard a greater load of bollocks in my life.

    Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of his office when I phoned to tell him that, a day after his “treatment”, I couldn’t move my legs! (My instinct told me it wasn’t his fault, but I wanted to let him know that whatever it was he told would happen didn’t even remotely correspond with reality.) As it was, I ended up in hospital for 10 days with a double prolapse that was taken care of only by nerve injections, and later, physio.

    If in doubt, a mix of NSAIDs and proper physio is what I would recommend.

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    I was still living in Canada when this happened. I remember feeling almost physically sick when I first heard about it.

    franksinatra
    Full Member

    There was a workplace health event at my work a few years ago and it included a Chiropractic Doctor. I was intrigued by this, I asked him what sort of Doctor he was. Chiropractic Doctor is all he would say. Sounded pretty much self appointed and grossly unfair to genuine doctors (like my wife) who sacrifice so much and worked so hard to be entitled to be called as such.

    Anyway, to round things off I filled out one of his referral forms and in job title I put Self Appointed Doctor of Local Government Middle Management.

    He never did follow up on the referral form.

    anono
    Full Member

    Had great results from mine – no verrucas in more than 3 years!

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Did he cause paralysis, stopping you going swimming?

    robland
    Free Member

    I went to see a spine specialist yesterday he told he doesn’t think it is my back he thinks my hip as a worn out hip can give the same symptoms

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