I have scoliosis and I'm thinking to find a cure of it. Some commercials mentioned about chiropractice but I doubt it because it's said: without medication nor operation. Anybody can tell me what it is? How do they do it? How usefull it is for my problem? And is it expensive? (for this question please tell me what country are you from). Thank you..
Dee
Favorite Answer
Chiropractic medicine was first devised by D.D. Palmer to manipulate the spine, in order to free the cerbral spinal fluid. This is one of the most important body systems, but also one of the most underrated one's. Doctors of Chiropractic have more schooling then MD's. A good D.C. has the ability to free up the nerve and promote healing. It is in many ways safer then M.D.'s, since their practice isn't dependant on drugs or surgeries.
The key is to understand that healing takes time. The curve of your spine will take time to align and you have to give yourself that time.
Schweaty
Don't listen to people like Dee. She is feeding you false information.
More schooling than MD's, ha! That's an outright lie.
Chiropractors are nothing more than quackery. There isn't one single peer-reviewed (reputable journal) scientific research article that supports the claims made by chiropractors. Chiropractor has never been shown to be better than placeebo.
Dee talks about releasing spinal fluid? Ridiculous. Yeah, when they "release" a small amount of fluid from your spinal column when one undergoes a spinal tap, the often result is headache. Your spine intimately relies on a constant volume of spinal fluid
Chiropractors are nothing more than glorified massage therapists, what's more, some of their procedures (e.g. cervical spine adjustments) are outright dangerous (causes strokes- check the literature yourself for verification.)
Sure, they may relieve headaches, but 9 out of 10 times, tension causes headaches. A simple massage will have the same effect, but cost substantially less.
Lastly, Chiropractors claim that their adjustments can fix scoliosis (I know, I have a form of scoliosis called kyphosis). Utter rubbish. This is just a ploy to hook you into multiple treatments. You'll wind up seeing the chiropractor week after week and spending quite a lot of cash. Why you ask? Your spine and the bones involved will stop growing and harden around your 18th year. If you are young, one of the only proven ways to correct for scoliosis is to wear a brace. (others are surgery, and in some mild cases, electrical stimulation of muscles that support your spinal column to effect a straightening of the spine)
After your spine has "set," all you can do without surgery is maintain flexibility in your spine through exercise and strength training.
p.s. BTW note that people who see chiropractors (as the lady who said she has been seeing one since 1980) NEVER GET BETTER. Clear sign of quackery here- their treatments always require additional visits. If chiropractors was a real medical science, gee, you would think that people might be healed?
MARIA K
I am in the USA and have been in and out of Chiropractic since 1980. I have been to many different D.C.'s (Dr. of Chiropractic) and each seems to have a different technique. I like the activator method.
I didn't have scolosis, but, I had and have serious spine problems. Personally, I believe chiropratic is a wonderful modality. It really helped me feel better. Sometimes it is combined with massage and other physical therapies.
Chiropractic believes that many problems including colds and allergy can be cured by fixing "subluxations" or misalignments of vertebrae. Some chiroprators (and Osteopaths) use manipulation ("cracking") to adjust the spine. Some use light pressure and some use what is called an activator. It is pressed against the vertebrae that needs adjusting and uses air pressure to do the manipulation.
Some D.C.'s will do free exams. Take advantage of that and meet different Chiropractors and see which one you like and seems to have your best interests at heart. Make sure he or she isn't against "regular" doctors. Sometimes, it is beneficial to see a DC and an MD or DO.
Also, depending on the severity of your case, you may need to see an orthopeadic surgeon for advice.
As far as the cost, some insurance policies will cover your treatment. Also, most Doctors will work with you on payments.
Finally, look on the internet for scolosis support groups. Educate yourself. That way no one will take advantage of you. Take charge of your health.
Good Luck.
soniaatcalifornia
NO! Chiropractors ruined my back forever! I let one work on me in Houston Texas when i lived there and have never been the same since, my back got worse by the year after that! They are just scam artists looking to make money like most con artists out there just with a better education that's all!
JENNIFER D
I also have scoliosis. and no chiropractice doenst really help. all they do is try to allign your back. and at times pop it. at first it helped me but towards the end it stopped. it actually felt like they were making it worse. I live in the us and it is kinda expensive.