Thread: Is Chiropractic good for you?

Nothing is without risk and certainly the practice of medicine has a wide range of errors and mistakes. I've known a number of people who's health has been severely damaged or who have been killed by licenced allopathic doctors or the drugs they prescribed. My ex husband would be a case in point, inapproriate care after a major surgery has left him with damaged valves in the veins of his legs, blood pools in his feet. He is in constant pain and will be debilitated for the rest of his life. My mother would be another case, she had back pain much of her life, it changed and got worse. She was told that she just had a bad back and had to live with it - she had cancer and it was moving into her spine, by the time they finally really looked, it was too far gone. Checking out doctors is iffy business, the entire system acts to protect the incompetent.

I could give story after story of medical malpractice or drugs messing up people I've known. Bottom line the medical field is far from perfect and there are many things they do, drugs they prescribe, that they don't know why they help in some situations. Or they don't really know or understand the long term effects of a treatment or all the side effects. This is nothing new, I have a sister who was a DES baby (anti misscarriage drug used in the 60s, that caused serious birth defects and increased miscarriages). Fortunately her situation was mild and you could never tell as an adult. Medicine is very much a matter of ( a doctor gave me this line) educated guessing.

A little history; at one time in the US natural healers and homeopaths were very common, the AMA was a barely suriving organization promoting what some thought to be rather radical or dangerous ideas. A really wealthy man (Rockerfeller, I think) got po'd with his care provider and threw a bunch of money at the AMA setting in motion a shift that changed our health care radically.

Personally I think you need to be sensible about your choices, educate yourself, parctice good self care, ask questions and insist on understandable answers and take responsibiity for you health.

You wouldn't go to an eye doctor for a UTI, you shouldn't go to a gyn for non-reproductive care, although for many women that is pretty much the only care provider they see. A chiropractor can be invaluable with many problems. Mine took care wonderful , drug free, of my sciattica and educated me about my back and how it all goes together. A good care provider will treat your body and mind as an intergrated system. Too often over specialisation results in treatment that tries to act as if your body is made of isolated parts. More and more health care is becoming integrated with many practices(I used to go to one) include allopathic doctors. botanical medicine and naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists and others in one center.

Given that a significant part of what people seek health care for are things that will resolve on their own with a little time and a few common sense changes - like better diet or more sleep - your attitude is as important as anything else you do or whom you see.