They may not come as promising as their packaging promises you. That's what Stephen Barrett, M.D. a doctor on-line is trying to tell innocent sufferers of various ailments.
Generally my pain-in-the-neck has stopped troubling me, although once in a while there's still the stiffness and tension while sitting in certain positions or whenever I tried to carry heavy objects. Of course I estimate the weight before I do so. By the way, I got that Max-weight tattoo. Seeing is believing? I'm sure glad I got my life back after all those agonising days without going under the scalpel and spending a fortune on it.
Recently I found more things that anybody with my kind of complaints should know about before going for the same kind of treatment. Here's Dr. Stephen"s story:
My Visit to a "Straight" Chiropractor
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
http://www.chirobase.org/01General/chirovisit.html
Followed by a response from the other side:
A Chiropractor's Response
http://www.chirobase.org/11Responses/chirovisitletter.html
And here are some important guidelines:
When choosing a chiropractor, consumers should exercise great caution and consider the following guidelines.
1. Have the problem evaluated by a medical doctor first. Have underlying serious illnesses ruled out before deciding that the problem is neuromusculoskeletal. Heart disease, cancer, kidney dis' ease, and other serious problems that need prompt medical care may manifest themselves as back pain and dysfunction. Don't allow an overzealous, inadequately trained chiropractor to keep you from prompt diagnosis and care. If the chiropractor recommends X-rays, have them done by a radiologist.
2. If you decide to try SMT (Spinal Manipulation Technics), inform your doctor. Ask if there is any reason you should not have SMT (osteoporosis is one common contraindication). if not, ask for his or her help in locating the most skillful practitioner in the area (physiatrist, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc.). Some doctors feel that SMT hasn't been scientifically proven effective, but most are willing to go along with a patient who wishes to give it a try.
3. Remember that the main value of SMT lies in the rapidity of the relief it provides. If you have not experienced significant relief within three weeks, discontinue SMT. Do not submit to long-term care. Do not sign a contract. And do not accept the idea of preventive chiropractic care. Education about how to prevent back problems by safe lifting techniques, proper exercise, and ergogenics (analyzing and redesigning the workplace to avoid injuries) is valuable.
4. Avoid practitioners who:
· Appear overconfident or cultist in their zeal for chiropractic care
· Disparage regular medicine as jealously antichiropractic
· Criticize prescription drugs or surgery in an ideological manner
· Attack immunization, fluoridation, pasteurization, or other public health practices
· X-ray all of their patients, or routinely use full-spine x-rays.
· Use scare tactics such as claiming that the failure to undergo chiropractic care could lead to serious problems in the future
· Sell herbs or dietary supplements
· Perform colonic irrigations. These have no medical value and can be dangerous [23].
· Claim that subluxations exist and that their correction is important.
5. Children should not be treated by chiropractors. There are no childhood conditions that chiropractors are better qualified than physicians to treat.
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