CMV: Chiropractors are pseudo-scientific BS

but it really makes me question why no one can seem to settle on any scientifically-proven and clinically tested information about it.

Very long story as short as possible. Firstly I too used to feel like you OP, "where's the science behind chiropracty and 'spinal manipulation?" and I thought exactly this too;

Aside from that, it seems like joint/skeletal manipulations would only treat the symptom, rather than the cause. Wouldn't an alignment problem be more likely to be caused by a muscle imbalance, or posture/bio-mechanics issue? If so, wouldn't physical therapy, or Yoga, or just plain working out, be a better long-term solution to the problems that chiropractors claim to solve?

Yeah, so?

I'm in my 50's, had a few bad motorcycle crashes when I was in my early 20's, had a 'ruptured disc' repaired when I was 30 and have had a 'sore back' ever since. I've stayed fit and ride a cycle daily which has helped me stay reasonably mobile and too much discomfort (aka 'pain') as I thought it was very important to keep my core muscles strong and *esp 'evenly balanced' so my spine would be as straight as possible

You see It was obvious my spine was curved (scoliosis) from the result of the muscles 'pulling' on my spine unevenly and the Drs had TOLD me that 'due to the damage to my discs and vertabrae, my back would never really be 'straight' again. If I had thought a chropracter could've helped I would've seen one but I didnt and so I didn't, I listened to the "real drs"

Anyway, FF to last year and I wake up in agony and find I'm having 'trouble' using my legs!

So I go to Big City hospital ER who have me in an MRI within 15mins and 90mins later I'm wheeled back into my ER cubicle where a guy in scrubs says to me "well, we've found what's causing your pain, you have a massive 'abscess' in your spine (epidural abscess) which is pressing on your spinal cord and you're going to need an operation to fix it"

I say "when?" and he replies "Now, if we don't remove it now you might not be able to walk out of here tomorrow!"

"Ugh" I say, "well ok, let's do it, when can you operate on me?" and he says "we're preparing a theatre right now" and I'm like "sweet" and I begin to talk with him about the operation, of which I'll spare you most of the details, becoz my point is, what happened after the surgery!

My spine for the first time in as far back as I can remember, was 'straight'. I could actually feel it and the 'difference' when I first woke up as I was wheeled from the operation! It was such a Crazy feeling I'll never forget it. It was like my 'body' knew that something really good had just happened and that my spine was the 'straightest' it had been in ... ever! And like my whole body was kind of 'saying thanks', like it does when you put something cold on a burn, that "aaaahhhh" feeling, it was like that but for my whole body, it was ... unique!

Anyway, the following year recovering from the operation on several of my vertabrae, my "new, straight spine" is a fucking Joy! My whole body finally 'feels straight'. The 'curve' in my spine has gone and I can really notice the overall 'difference'. i.e. I'm still sore in places from the operation BUT, All the 'old pains' that I'd had for decades which I knew were directly attributable to my 'curved spine' have now gone! Like completely and I feel like a new person.

My point is that, this "new person" I feel, is so significantly "better" than the 'old' one, pre-operation, it's mindblowing! And it makes me wonder IF someone had a 'crooked spine' for whatever reasons BUT a chiropracter was able to 'manipulate' it back "straight". IF the effects of that are anything like the effects I'm feeling from my spine finally being 'straight', then no wonder some people swear by them, as the 'relief' is hard to describe, but it's Big!

/r/changemyview Thread Parent