I think I need a chiropracter

[aliasojo]

Having to face the fact that the old bod isn't quite as able as it used to be and I seem to be getting a lot of pain in my back/shoulder. All I need to do is turn over in bed these days and it sets it off!

Had this kind of prob on and off for years actually and Doc just sends me home with strongish painkillers. Getting fed up with it now and wondered if a Chiropracter might help.

Never having considered this before, I'm not sure about the best way to go about seeing one....is it just a yellow pages job and a phonecall for an appointment, or does Doc refer you? Anyone any idea of cost?

Alternative suggestions for peeps to see might be good? Does acupuncture work for this type of thing? (I'd consider anything, but I'm not into having someone walking up and down my back like you see on the telly. ;)

Need to do something as I'm averaging 4 hours sleep these days before back/shoulder pain means it's impossible to stay in bed any longer.

[waterbaby]

You don't have to go via your doctor, I see one and I just phoned up and made an appointment for a consultation. Well actually I visited, as I wanted to get the feel of the place.

I didn't want to wait ages for the doctor to refer me, and as I understand it, the NHS doesn't offer much chiro, though i don't know the ins and outs of it.

But I got recommended the one I went to, and although it cost £27 a session, it was so worth it. I paid £108 in the first two weeks, now I am down to one every three months and I've probably spent £250-£300.

Now I get far less back pain and I am training my muscles to work correctly to support my posture. If I had the option to reverse it and get my money back, I wouldn't. My health is more important.

That's my experience anyway.

[aliasojo]

Thanks wb. After I posted I wondered if a chiropracter dealt with skeletal and muscle pain or if it was just skeletal type stuff. My pain is more muscle based I think.

Having read your post though I see you are dealing with muscles based stuff too so I think I'll have a look in the phone book to see if I can get an appointment with someone. I don't know anyone who's ever seen a chiropracter so I can't ask for a recommendation.

[robnye]

i have been seeing first an osteopath then a chiropractor more recently for the past 4+ years,

more muscular and skeletal problems with my back....... currently go every 6/8 weeks, but this stretches out when it calms down, then shortens when it flares up..... depending upon what i have been doing....

couldnt tell you the difference between osteopathy or chiropratice....... some movements the same, some slightly different.... but both work well......

do you have anything like HSA..... if so you can claim half of the cost back

[aliasojo]

Lol, no Robnye...I usually fill in the HSA application for the free money they offer you to apply, then cancel it straight away.

However, since it would appear I'm now a certifiable 'old wreck' maybe I should reconsider. ;)

[Bendybops19]

As far as i understand, the nhs doesnt really offer alot of chiro because there is some issue with the training of the chiropractors...or something! They dont think they are trained properly. And even though i work in the nhs....i think its a load of rubbish! I am considering seeing a chiropractor myself for back pain, and i think it is def worth the money from what i have heard from friends.
I think an osteopath helps with skeletal problems.

[robnye]

chiropractors and osteopaths follow the same trianing until the last year or so (albeit at different colleges)

I asked my osteopath what the difference was...... and he said 'not a lot', mostly to do with techniques, but the outcome (or cracking of joints) is the same....... ouch

[Savvy_Sue]

Another possibility would be to consider seeing someone who teaches Alexander Technique (http://www.statsearch.co.uk/teachersearchuk.cfm). If you think it's mostly muscle pain, then it's likely you're holding your body wrong, and they are very good at spotting what and teaching you how to correct it.

[Woby_Tide]

it may not be relevant but try and find if you have a Chiropractor college nearby. Someone suggested chiro for Junior Tide and our health visitor recommended the local chiro college(we have a couple in Bournemouth but not sure how common they are). In the end Mrs tide ended up getting treated too for after pregnancy related back probs and stuff. After initial consultation (with qualified chiro and final year student) they were both seeing final year students(often aided by qualified tutors/chiros, students were from all over Europe as they got better qualifications here than back home, lot of Scandanavians for some reason). Fees were £4 a session for Junior, about £10 or £12 for adults so a lot cheaper and both are a lot better now and down to 3 month or longer checkups.

the College did have a big petition in reception to get chiro part of the NHS as it currently isn't recognised as people said above

[lush walrus]

Im not convinced that Osteopaths and Chiropractors are the same thing although they work on the same area of the body and are used to identify simular problems they use different diagnostic methods. Chiropractors work using the nervous system to identify where the problems lie, and then once the problem is located they sort of snap you back into position in theory repeating this proceedure until your body has learnt to position itself in that way. That is why at first you need to attend frequently (3 times a week for most) which peaters down to once a month, once every 3 months etc. So at first it is very expensive approx 20 plus a session lasting roughly 20 mins.

Ive tried both and found that the Chriopractor was the one who ultimately solved the problem. Be warned if you do try a Chiropractor, it may well make you feel worse before better. It certainly worked that way for me. Previous to tryng them Ive tried pretty much everything to get rid of periods of crippling back pain since an accident 11 years ago. Now touch wood I havent had any pain for more than a year.

One thing I forgot to add is that try to choose on recommendation and make sure they at least are fully qualified, I dont want to scare munger as I think they do a great job, but there have been reports in the past of patients being killed by a bad practitioner. Remember they are working on your neck and back, very valuable parts of the body.

[aliasojo]

Thanks everyone.

savvy sue: I'm not sure if holding my bod correctly has got much to do with it........when I get this problem rearing up again, it's always after I've turned over in bed at night or stretched before getting up. :o Things must be bad lol.

woby:I don't think we have anything like that near us unfortunately. Pity really as I would've tried that.

lush: Thanks for that.....

..I dont want to scare munger as I think they do a great job, but there have been reports in the past of patients being killed by a bad practitioner

Don't worry not sssssscared at all. :rotfl:

[lush walrus]

Ooops sorry! I just thought it was worth a warning, always better to be careful on these things!

[Woby_Tide]

May not be any use but looks like only Colleges may be

Anglo-European College of Chiropractic
13-15 Parkwood Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH5 2DF
Tel: 01202 436200
Fax: 01202 436312
E-mail: jgardiner@aecc.ac.uk (jgardiner@aecc.ac.uk)
Web: www.aecc.ac.uk (http://www.aecc.ac.uk/)

The McTimoney College of Chiropractic
The Clock House
22-26 Ock Street
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 5SH
Tel: 01235 523336
Fax: 01235 523576
E-mail: chiropractic@mctimoney-college.ac.uk (chiropractic@mctimoney-college.ac.uk)
Web: www.mctimoney-college.ac.uk (http://www.mctimoney-college.ac.uk/)

University of Glamorgan
Chiropractic Field
School of Applied Sciences
Pontypridd
Glamorgan
CF37 1DL
Tel: 01443 482287
Fax: 01443 482285
E-mail: sking@glam.ac.uk (sking@glam.ac.uk%20)
Web: www.glam.ac.uk (http://www.glam.ac.uk/)

University of Surrey
European Institute of Health & Medical Sciences
Duke of Kent Building
Stag Hill
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 5XH
Tel: 01483 879770
Fax: 01483 259395
Web: www.eihms.surrey.ac.uk (http://www.eihms.surrey.ac.uk/)

[aliasojo]

Yip...I had a feeling. We're always miles away from everything up here, lol.

lush: don't worry, I was only kidding and I appreciate the post anyway. :)

[nappentass]

I've had injuries and problems including being unable to take painkillers, thankfully found a Bowen practitioner in 2000 - which saved my life, I was suicidally depressed from living in pain all the time.
He now practices NST (another form of therapy based on Tom Bowen's work) and I can honestly say that I've felt better in my 40's than I did in my 20's!
I always check any problem out with my Doctor first, but anything muscular/physical I'm off to see Stephen my NST therapist.

Links you may be interested in
http://www.bowen-technique.co.uk/
http://www.nsthealth.com/

The best thing I can say about both of these therapies is that they are not invasive (essential if you're in pain!) and are quite gentle.
Best of all if it's going to work for you it will work pretty much straight away, you shouldn't need more than a couple of session - none of this 12 sessions @ £xxx and "we'll see how you" are lark.
My chronic original problems only took about 3 - 4 session to resolve, and now I go more for prevention or if I've a problem. Now I know that I can get on with whatever I want to do in life without fear, because I know most physical problems Stephen can sort out.

HTH
Jill

[november]

I had a long standing back problem which started when I fell over 20 odd years ago while 8 months pregnant. I twisted so as not to fall on my stomach :eek:

It sort of resolved (as in I was able to walk again) eventually but GP's, hospitals etc found nothing at the time.

I did it in again a few years ago lifting a computer in my previous job :mad:

It then got worse and worse with me having the odd week off in agony when I couldn't move and culminating in my embarrasing myself at a work exibition when I had to be helped home by a colleague as I couldn't walk or sit. Someone there recommended their McTimoney Chiropractor.

Its very gentle and doesn't hurt (good for chickens like me) and the two visits were all I needed :D I booked the first appointment then the second and was left to book a third if needed which I didn't. I do go back every six months or so though which is down as preventative but mostly because I quite like it and the massage afterwards :D If I remember rightly the first appointment cost £30 something and the others are £20 something. To me it is money well spent and well worth every penny.

Note - McTimoney Chiropractor's don't 'snap' you back into place - its more very very gentle 'flicking'. I was a real cynic about chiropractors in general before.

[edda]

[QUOTE=aliasojo]Having to face the fact that the old bod isn't quite as able as it used to be and I seem to be getting a lot of pain in my back/shoulder. All I need to do is turn over in bed these days and it sets it off!

Had this kind of prob on and off for years actually and Doc just sends me home with strongish painkillers. Getting fed up with it now and wondered if a Chiropracter might help.

QUOTE]

I put up with little niggles in my back for a few years but a worse jolt about 4 years ago caused me to go to a chiropractor after the doctor just said it was my age (over 25 and all backs get worse!)

Sessions were then £27 each - now charge £30 and after the initial visits (which helped), was down to once every 3 months. Saw this as preventative - bit like dental visits.

But then, same problem recurred last year and went back to the docs - who referred me to a physio. Physio said I shouldn't need to keep going to a chiro regularly - just go back went I had a specific problem. This was confirmed by another physio I met socially.

So make sure that you don't become a 'cash cow' to whoever you decide to go to. Once it's fixed (hopefully), prevention does help.

My sympathies with the pain - and I hope that you find a solution that works for you.

[Smiley_Mum]

I usually have to go to chiropractor at least one trip a year to keep everything supple and moving right, otherwise I get bothered with neck and shoulder pain. Not into taking NSAIDs long term and they are not good for your stomach either. A trip for me costs £27 for about a half hour consultation/treatment. One trip is enough if I go every six months but if I have left myself to seize up and ignored the niggles then two trips does it. Also get exercises to do to keep things from seizing but not a good one at doing them regularly. :o