4 ms·

This was my take too. It bothers me, perhaps a little irrationally, that chiropractic get a pass that other forms of quackery don't. https://quackwatch.org/chi

by pacaro 4y ago

This was my take too. It bothers me, perhaps a little irrationally, that chiropractic get a pass that other forms of quackery don't. https://quackwatch.org/chiropractic/general/ https://quackwatch.org/chiropractic/general/ My understanding of the evidence is that there is nothing for which chiropractic is the best available treatment, and for everything except lower back pain there is no evidence that it has any level of efficacy.

mwint 4y ago
If nothing else, it’s an incredible placebo.
- happymellon 4y ago
  Considering that a lot of medication is pain management, is that really a problem? Especially now that are realising that Ibuprofen is linked to chronic pain as it prevents your body from fixing the problem.
smeej 4y ago
I have Klippel-Feil Syndrome, presenting with a forward- and right-rotated C5/6 block vertebra. Not only is that rotation only treatable by a chiropractor, but specifically a Pierce chiropractor, trained in posterior to anterior adjustment is needed. Otherwise the prognosis is, "You're going to be hunched over so severely you can't look anybody in the eyes by your mid-40s, and you won't be able to walk 20 years after that." Definitely not trying to argue with you. Just suggesting there might be a whole range of niche things you're not aware of but do exist, and for which specific types of chiropractic manipulation of the positions of the vertebrae themselves is the only treatment.
- wnolens 4y ago
  As a long time chiro-goer, I've noticed that some chiropractors use the lower bar to entry "doctor" label to appear experts in other fields like nutrition or mental health. But one can obviously steer clear of those. My chiropractor is a physical therapist, sports massage therapist and traditional chiropractor in one. Very often I NEED some spinal adjustments to give me the range of motion back to do the exercises they prescribe to improve my issues long term. The effect is immediate and obvious. Those that claim it's pure quackery just don't need their services, or are too stubborn and would rather die in the "but it's not sufficiently peer reviewed!" hill than receive some relief for their musculoskeletal issues.
  - actually_a_dog 4y ago
    This is exactly right. Run far away from a chiropractor who claims to be able to treat anything other than muscloskeletal issues. Within their actual scope of practice, a chiropractor can sometimes work miracles. My mom goes to one frequently and it helps her immensely.
- prox 4y ago
  Your experience is a good reason for why we should never generalize. The common word is that chiropractics is a sham (and maybe there is truth to that) and then there is someone like you whose only options I assume is this treatment (and that is truthful as well) It makes me think we shouldn’t be quick to judge if actually don’t work in the field or related. Anyway I hope you have good results and a healthy outcome.
  - throwawaylinux 4y ago
    You can certainly generalize, and chiropractics is a sham, but if there is some placebo effect or it makes people happy then fine so long as people are well informed then they can choose to go to these quacks if they like. The problem is person having a serious and undiagnosed neurological problem is referred to a chiropractor by an alleged real medical doctor. Would you feel the same way if a doctor referred a depressed person to see an astrologist or psychic medium or a church? You will easily find thousands of anecdotes from people attesting to those helping them, and you might even find they could statistically help some peoples' mental health whether by placebo or giving them someone to talk to or a group to be part of.
    - prox 4y ago
      Did you read the parent comment I responded to? Here is someone who is specifically helped by chiropractics. So that it doesn’t work on let’s say 95% doesn’t mean that 5% gets a genuine improvement. The thing is just better knowledge of what chiropractics is useless for and when it makes a genuine difference. Generalizing that all is a quack/placebo doesn’t help move us forward in such a case. The end conclusion is better information and dissemination to doctors and health practitioners so they know when to refer.
      - throwawaylinux 4y ago
        Yes I did, and I disagree with you. Did you read my comment? Anecdotes don't mean that you can't generalize the idea that medical professionals should not refer patients to quacks. If chiropractics has some placebo effect or other effect in some specific cases does not make it okay to refer this serious undiagnosed nerve problems to them, that's just ludicrous.

by pacaro 4y ago

mwint 4y ago

If nothing else, it’s an incredible placebo.

happymellon 4y ago
Considering that a lot of medication is pain management, is that really a problem? Especially now that are realising that Ibuprofen is linked to chronic pain as it prevents your body from fixing the problem.

smeej 4y ago

I have Klippel-Feil Syndrome, presenting with a forward- and right-rotated C5/6 block vertebra. Not only is that rotation only treatable by a chiropractor, but specifically a Pierce chiropractor, trained in posterior to anterior adjustment is needed. Otherwise the prognosis is, "You're going to be hunched over so severely you can't look anybody in the eyes by your mid-40s, and you won't be able to walk 20 years after that." Definitely not trying to argue with you. Just suggesting there might be a whole range of niche things you're not aware of but do exist, and for which specific types of chiropractic manipulation of the positions of the vertebrae themselves is the only treatment.

wnolens 4y ago
As a long time chiro-goer, I've noticed that some chiropractors use the lower bar to entry "doctor" label to appear experts in other fields like nutrition or mental health. But one can obviously steer clear of those. My chiropractor is a physical therapist, sports massage therapist and traditional chiropractor in one. Very often I NEED some spinal adjustments to give me the range of motion back to do the exercises they prescribe to improve my issues long term. The effect is immediate and obvious. Those that claim it's pure quackery just don't need their services, or are too stubborn and would rather die in the "but it's not sufficiently peer reviewed!" hill than receive some relief for their musculoskeletal issues.
- actually_a_dog 4y ago
  This is exactly right. Run far away from a chiropractor who claims to be able to treat anything other than muscloskeletal issues. Within their actual scope of practice, a chiropractor can sometimes work miracles. My mom goes to one frequently and it helps her immensely.
prox 4y ago
Your experience is a good reason for why we should never generalize. The common word is that chiropractics is a sham (and maybe there is truth to that) and then there is someone like you whose only options I assume is this treatment (and that is truthful as well) It makes me think we shouldn’t be quick to judge if actually don’t work in the field or related. Anyway I hope you have good results and a healthy outcome.
- throwawaylinux 4y ago
  You can certainly generalize, and chiropractics is a sham, but if there is some placebo effect or it makes people happy then fine so long as people are well informed then they can choose to go to these quacks if they like. The problem is person having a serious and undiagnosed neurological problem is referred to a chiropractor by an alleged real medical doctor. Would you feel the same way if a doctor referred a depressed person to see an astrologist or psychic medium or a church? You will easily find thousands of anecdotes from people attesting to those helping them, and you might even find they could statistically help some peoples' mental health whether by placebo or giving them someone to talk to or a group to be part of.
  - prox 4y ago
    Did you read the parent comment I responded to? Here is someone who is specifically helped by chiropractics. So that it doesn’t work on let’s say 95% doesn’t mean that 5% gets a genuine improvement. The thing is just better knowledge of what chiropractics is useless for and when it makes a genuine difference. Generalizing that all is a quack/placebo doesn’t help move us forward in such a case. The end conclusion is better information and dissemination to doctors and health practitioners so they know when to refer.
    - throwawaylinux 4y ago
      Yes I did, and I disagree with you. Did you read my comment? Anecdotes don't mean that you can't generalize the idea that medical professionals should not refer patients to quacks. If chiropractics has some placebo effect or other effect in some specific cases does not make it okay to refer this serious undiagnosed nerve problems to them, that's just ludicrous.