Ask HN: How Do Chiropractors Work?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31599170

by hereforphone • 4 years ago

3 3 4 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I've visited probably a dozen chiropractors. Many of them have helped me a lot; only a couple seemed to be trying to scam me.

I had a discussion with my current chiropractor about "out of place" joints/bones and whether or not they will heal without chiropractic intervention. I'm concerned about this because I may be moving to a country without chiropractors.

He avoided answering, at most stating that chiropractic care "accelerates the healing process". He wouldn't tell me straight out that my body will re-align on its own over time.

I know there are people out there who believe chiropractors are a scam in general, but I've experienced benefits from them first hand for a couple of decades now and I'm convinced a "good" one is helpful. What I still don't know after all this time is whether the body will realign itself (for lack of a better work, as I'm a layman) on its own.

Any expanded information about how chiropractic care works would be appreciated, especially related to my concern above.

Vladimof• 4 years ago

I went once... will never go back. Very bad experience.

hereforphone• 4 years ago

I've had good and bad ones. It's hit and miss. Good ones can change your life.

Yaa101• 4 years ago

For me a chiropractor is a last refuge when physiotherapy isn't working it's thing. I personally have a lower back problem due to a Hyperlordose (extreme hollow back), which I am able to control well with physio exercises most of the time (keeps me from using painkillers).

When bones are out of alignment, especially backbones, then often they pinch nerves that have important functions like digestion, liver, kidney lung etc.

This translates into bad body functioning that can cause even bad illnesses, think of organs that clean up, or change sugar levels, or bringing oxygen to the brains.If these don't work properly you get into trouble.

First thing you notice when things are not working well is compensation by muscles working hard to try and make things workable in the body, this translates to back pains, feeling stuck, or even paralyzed.

Most of the time it is preferred to do physio-therapeutic exercises to slowly get the bones and muscle tissue into a "normal state" and release the nerve pinch, but sometimes when the alignment is too far from acceptable, or when things are too stuck to have physio work, then you need a mechanic force to get these bones in the proper place again, this is what chiropractic care is.

Like when you had an accident or fall, in that case it is possible that your bones can get a too rigid mechanical shift that isn't solvable with mere exercises.

When using that try to seek the system that does as little as possible to get you back in shape again, like Gonstead, seek for dr. Rahim on Youtube, he explains things very well and takes time for seeking what is off balance (mostly the foundation, like Illiac and Saecrum, which is Latin for hips and tailbone).