Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
446049 tn?1649005835

When chiropractic makes things worse...

After two separate 3 days-per-week sessions for 3-4 weeks in the past 4 years, I'm
starting to think that my chronic and worsening back pain may have been caused by
wrong chiropractic manipulations that I received.

Has this ever happened to anyone and what was your recourse?
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
514494 tn?1376511148
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There are a lot of factors that need to be considered before pointing the finger towards your chiropractic care... What condition was your spine in when you began each course of treatment? What procedures were done during your visits? What line of work are you in (something physically demanding/stressful)? How old are you? Have you had any surgeries in the past? What are your hobbies? What medications did you take at the time, and what are you taking now? Were you undergoing other treatments for back pain at the same time?

You need not reply with answers to these questions; they're merely an outline of possible reasons a person can not experience benefit from chiropractic care. If a person continues to abuse their body while receiving chiropractic adjustments, the effect will not be very helpful.

If, however, none of this applies to you, ask yourself these questions... Did the doctor take x-rays of your spine before delivering the adjustments? Did the doctor perform progress exams to measure objective improvements? What specific adjusting technique(s) did the doctor perform? The solution may simply be trying a different chiropractor's approach. Not all chiropractors provide care the same way.

Truth be told, chiropractic care is not a silver bullet. It will not help 100% of patients with their specific ailments... The cause of your back pain may not be related to the spine. If that's the case, you might consider physical therapy, or something alternative like acupuncture or rolfing.
Helpful - 0
446049 tn?1649005835
Thank you for this information. No xrays were taken, although I had offered to provide
info from MRI scan. No other back issues and no heavy/physical activity either.
I'm 58 and close to 59. I've tried PT several times with different therapists and no help.

My next step is a pain management consultation.
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Chiropractic Care Forum

Popular Resources
Find out if PRP therapy right for you.
Tips for preventing one of the most common types of knee injury.
Tips and moves to ease backaches
How to bounce back fast from an ankle sprain - and stay pain free.
Patellofemoral pain and what to do about it.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.