Chiropractor - Petersburg,IL

I found a chiro that worked for me and stuck to his method of treatment to relieve my pain for many years. I also found a good massage can help by easing tension/stress. In any casel, look to the individual credentials and word of mouth recommendations and use what works for you.

I have issues with my spine and my muscles tense up so bad in my shoulders it gives me a headache in the same area at the base of my skull almost everyday. My physician would give me muscle relaxers which masks the issue. My chiro will go in and use some really cool equipment that loosens the muscles and nerves and then he will re-align my spine and I am good to go for a while! My shoulders were not even the last time I went my left shoulder was quite a bit higher than my right because i was so tense. He fixed that and my physician didn't seem to notice or care that my body was out of wack. My daughter was complaining of headaches and neck pain since she could talk. I finally took her to the chiro and he said that she did have quite a few issues in her neck and i havent heard a single complaint about her neck for almost a month now when the pediatrician just said huh I dont know what would be causing that she looks healthy.

OMG, that is one of the most ignorant things I heard in a LONG time.

They ARE doctors! Mine has given me my quality of LIFE back LITERALLY!

My husband was resistant and now has a wicked 'man crush' on our chiro! He had no idea he could feel almost instantly BETTER without drugs or surgery.

Go ONCE and make up your OWN mind...you can THANK me later! :)

His reasoning sounds incredibly baseless. Do some research on-line.

My husband is a Chiro, let me tell you something.

Chiropractors go to a chiropractic school. They go to school for 10 trimesters, 3 years and 3 months with no breaks, and MD goes for four years and get summer breaks (normally) in the first and second years. So it evens out to be the same amount of time. Trust me these are not "easy classes" in fact about half of the people can not handle the course loads, labs, anatomy and cadaver exercises, internships and clinic, so they quit. Just like medical school.

My husband chose not to be an MD because he feels that a lot of MD's are pushed into nothing more than an, "Oh there's a pill for that" mentality as opposed to an. "Let's fix the problem." mentality.

Tell your husband that if you go see an MD they will prescribe you a drug, that may have serious side effects, that may lead to an addiction, and that is only treating the symptoms and not the cause. So, what happens when you stop taking the pills? The pain will more than likely come back, then they will recommend surgery. Lengthy recovery, more pills and it STILL might not fix the problem. Trust me once you have surgery, there is no going back.

Also more and more medical doctors are referring people to Chiropractors. Because they are proving to be more effective at pain control than anything else. If he doesn't believe me, then call and ask your doctor what they think. They will probably tell you to go to the Chiro.

Also there are good and bad Chiros just as there are good and bad Doctors. Heck I had an endocrinologist say she couldn't tell me if my birth control affected my thyroid! Hello! She was a THYROID DOCTOR, and she was the HEAD of the department!

http://familydoctormag.com/alternative-medicine/1362-chir...

Edit: If you have anymore questions please feel free to PM me!

Sorry but your husband is being totally ignorant and what he is telling you is simply not true. Chiropractors receive a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. They are not MDs, but neither is your dentist. Chiros don't become MDs because they don't WANT to. Both the University of Bridgeport in CT and University of Western States in Portland OR have chiropractic colleges. For more info see here:

http://www.cce-usa.org/Home_Page.html

He has no idea what he's talking about. Schedule your first appointment ASAP - you have nothing to worry about and relief from pain is waiting for you!

Don't knock it until you try it is what I would tell him. The chiro has fixed things on me that a normal doctor could not. Ear infection, migranes, hips out of place and all WITHOUT medicine just a quick pop and some therapy (they put sticky things on the muscle that hurts and it does something to the muscle, feel wonderful when finished). I would just go and worry about paying for it later.

The first time I went I was 10 and was SUPER nervous and still get a bit nervous, but it is all silly because I usually feel better within a few min. What medicine can make you feel better within a few min?

I think the only way to really know if it will work for you is to try it out. Check with insurance provider, many now cover chiro care. With the way insurance companies are these days that has to say something, right?
For every research study out there that says something works, there is another to say it doesn't. It depends on who is performing the study, who is playing for it, what their goals were to start, etc. Data can be extremely manipulated. I think chiropractic outcomes are particularly difficult to study because the determination of success of so subjective, not much concrete to measure (and western medicine/research doesn't like that). Sometimes treatments work even though we can't really explain why. Many meds are even that way, we have discovered (often by accident) that it treats a certain problem even though how or why it works cannot be understood. I believe many treatments that do not fall in line with the western way of thinking (chiro, accupuncture, homeopathy, etc) are immediately dismissed by MDs. It wasn't even until fairly recently that diet and exercise were encouraged "treatments" "prescribed" by MDs. I think that is such a narrow-minded, and very limiting way to think/live. I know some people say similar things about DOs (Doctors of Osteopathy), and it is likely because they have similar philosophies to chiros and are not "mainstream."
I have known many people that have been helped by chiropractic care. Even if there is some "placebo effect" as long as it helps I would do it. If you think it is the only way he will "let" you go do a little research online to see what you can find to support at least giving it a try. A google search should provide plenty of info to consider. To get you started here is one site I found that is supportive of chiropractic care, but there are many out there that are equally unsupportive. I still think it is worth a try, the risks are less than with meds and/or surgery. Just curious -- is he providing research to back up his stance?
http://www.dcdoctor.com/pages/rightpages_allaboutchiro/re...

If you can find one with a good masage therapist as well, that will speed up your recovery. I go every 3-4 weeks and get an hour long massage and then see the Chiroprator. He has given my life back to me. I did go to 3 different ones before I found this guy, but it was worth it. I feel so much better. I have been to a back surgeon due to a herniated disk, and there's nothing they can do except operate - which they tell me won't help, or keep me on pain/muscle relaxers. That's not how I want to live my life. I do have to use tylenol at times, but the pain now is nothing like it was before I started going to the chiropractor. I love mine and would recommend him to anyone.
A lot of the insurance companies pay for chiropractic care now as well.

There are bad chiros just like they are bad docs. Your husband's friends probably fall into the bad group!
Without my chiropractor, I probably would be disabled! But the first one I went to was a quack. If one tells you you need x-rays and to come in several times per week I would find another one.

oooh YES!!!! GO!!!!! LEGITIMATE!!!!

A Chiropractor does go to school!!! your husband thinks they are quacks because he hasn't experienced a Chiropractor ....God they help in sooo many ways....

If you lived here in VA - I would tell you go to mine!!!

DO NOT be nervous - yeah - I know, easier said than done - but really? the relief you will get is AMAZING!!! Yes, expect some discomfort for the first 24 hours as your body is adjusting to be right!!!

Well I have trouble trusting Western Medical doctors. lol. I mean they have no problem pumping you full of unhealthy unnatural synthetic medicine and vaccines that sometimes causes more problems and even death. Have you checked out those pharmaceutical commercials on the tube with an endless list of horrible side effects? Wow. Money driven health care, yuck. They usually do nothing but the "common" protocol of treatment written in a book and most of the time will not consider any other alternatives. Also though I'm sure there are some that couldn't become an MD there ARE some that wanted and prefer being a chiro instead ;) I think you should be proactive in any of your health care no matter what road you take. Question it all, it's your body and your health. Not sure anyone can "prove" that a chiro is legit to a person that believes other wise. I think that most of us that are pro chiro was once in your place, not sure about it all until we found relief. Hope someone else can give you some information that will help you convince your husband to consider it but I think bottom line it really should be YOUR choice and not his.
Best Regards,
C.

First of all Chiros treat different parts of the body than MDs do and they don't proscrib meds. So they don't have to take the same kind of classes. Let's see. I have gone to a pain specialist for my back and he gave me drugs that I could have gotten addicted to esialy!!! He did injections and hit my spinal cord and gave me a head ack for a month that another dr had to fix. Because I have herniated disks in my back. My regular dr would send me back to a different pain specialis if I would go to her for it. and they would want to cut on me. I instead decided to go to a chiro it took about six months and at first had to go regularly and now only about once every month or two but am in good shape and don't hardly have to take drugs at all. And most people are not as messed up as me. My chrio has only see one other person with more hurniations than me. But you do have to do research and get refurals. You can't just go to any one. that's that down fall. Well at least I can't. Good luck and God bless!

We were in a car accident after the birth of my second daughter (she was about 9 days old) and part of the process of getting the insurance to cover our injuries was that we were REQUIRED to go to a chiro alongside an MD. In the beginning, our injuries were so bad that we were going several times a week, which was extremely annoying, even if it made us physically feel better. We did one set of x-rays at the beginning, and another at the end of the year. You could absolutely see an EXTREME difference in our spines- it was amazing and more than we expected.

Not only did I notice an increase in my energy, and relief from my injuries, but also noticed I was sleeping better, my asthma was GONE, and my baby was sleeping better (she received cranial sacral therapy.) My husband, who had had some degree of back pain even before the wreck, was amazed that he was pain-free. He had had lots of leg and foot-pain (due to poor posture) as well, and this was also dramatically increased.

After the year of the year of treatment for the car accident, we continued to seek therapy, to a lesser degree (as needed, typically once every 2 weeks, but weekly in winter-- it helps us not get sick as much!)

Different chiros specialize in different things- some specialize more in nutrition and homeopathy, some deal with children/families, etc. We have tried a few for various things (my older daughter has an immune disease) and some are BIG into selling you things like supplements (pyramid scams sometimes,) so I would totally avoid those. You can usually get a free consult to just talk and see if you like the feel of the office/doctor/staff before you go. It should be relaxing and the chiro should be able to answer any questions, show you on a model of a spine where you might have an issue, etc. You can bring your hubby in with you.

I hope you feel better soon, and I hope your husband will support you in trying to feel better.

Here's a website the compares the educational requirements of a chiro vs an MD:
http://www.becomehealthynow.com/article/chiroed/664/
As you can see, they take more hours and for the most part, take the same types of classes. They do not take as much Pathology and take no Pharmocology classes because they normally don't do blood tests, don't prescribe drugs and don't do surgery. They are into Prevention. MD's treat your symptoms with drugs or surgery, that is all they can do (and why their malpractice insurance is thru the roof, because they can actually cause harm). Chiropractors try to get to the Root of the problem and isn't that the best way to solve any problem? So they actually study Nutrition, take X-rays to see if you have a reversal of the spine that causes a host of problems, etc.
Medical school don't "host" chiros because their "treatment" protocal is very different, their approaches are extremely different, as I explained above. MD's are into "sick" care, not "health" care. This you can see from all the example everyone has already posted.
As far as friends that flunked from medical school and became chiros, that's not really a great excuse to not see a chiro. Depends on the person, just as in every profession. There are good ones and bad ones, you need to meet with the person and see if you are a good match and agree with their philosophy. Some chiros won't even treat you until they take your history, explain their methodology and make sure you understand why they are going to pursue a specific treatment plan. How many medical professionals do that with you??
Anyway, I hope this helps and provides some statistics for you. Let me know if you would like to discuss further off-line. It's unfortunate that your husband is pulling the "money" card on you in order for you to feel better :( If he's that concerned, he should go with you to whatever chiropractor you choose and ask questions instead of just listing off "things he's heard and seen."
Oh, and here is another link to the US's ranking in health care, which is 37th!! If MD's are so great in treating us, you would think the most powerful nation would be ranked a heck of a lot higher...
http://healthpolicyandreform.nejm.org/?p=2610
Good luck!
D.

http://lindseychiroplus.com/

..they have saved me from severe pain multiple times. if you need more info please message me. I love these guys. BTW not on my insurance..I pay the extra because I do trust them. Have not wanted to experiment with a different place. they have beds that move with your body..you are not just on a board to be adjusted. Not many chiros I have looked into have that...

Sorry, I don't have a website to give you, just that I went to mine after getting referred by a friend (she had her migraines and sinus infections lessened and even went while pregnant). I went for what felt like a pinched nerve, eventually got my husband to go after PT, massages, meds, etc. didn't help his neck pain. Now the whole fam (incl 3 kids) goes and just consider it part of our health care maintenance. Luckily I have pretty good insurance that covers him. There ARE different chiros that may work a little differently, but maybe you can get a free consult at a few and compare notes on them? Good luck.

http://www.pbhealthcenter.com/aboutus.asp

Dr. Tom Bayne is the Best~!!!
(his wife Dr. Ingrid Maas is great too...)

Call and ask to speak with him regarding your questions and concerns.
I am certain he will speak with you....
You can and will only feel much better :)

Listen to what your gut is telling you to do....not how you have been "conditioned" to believe or what your husband "believes" to be the truth.......

I went to a chiropractor at the suggestion of my OBGYN doctor! He said he and his wife both see a chiropractor to work out general aches and pains. I think a lot of people share your husband's beliefs, but a lot more people are getting used to the idea that they do offer a service that can help. I did go to the chiropractor for a little over a year and made marginal progress. I was having a lot of head and neck pain from having two kids within 16 months of each other and carrying them and all of their gear around really took a toll on my muscles in my neck and back area. Finally, my internist suggested I see a physical therapist for the problem. The P/T basically gave me a back massage 2 to 3 times per week over the next couple of months. I don't have the daily headaches and neck problems I used to, but my kids are now 2 and 3 so I am not carrying them or as much stuff around anymore. My point is, go see a chiropractor. They are legit, some are better than others, but you would find that with medical doctors as well. A chiropractor can help you. Just keep in mind they do seem to have the mindset that their work is maintenance, so they tend to make you believe you need to go to them for the rest of your life whereas, physical therapy gets you in, fixes the problem and gets you back to your regular life. It is all a matter of personal choice! Good luck and I hope you feel better soon. Back pain stinks!
A.

I would say that there is a lot of misinformation about chiropractic; my boyfriend feels the same way but that's after talking to his bro, who is negative about everything. If you do look at a chiro website, it's just logical how a lot of the stuff they say about your spine, your nerves, even your feet (if one is shorter than the other or if your feet do not fall in a normal pattern), can cause pain and problems. of course there are certain things (like broken bones etc.) that cannot be fixed by a chiro, but if it's something minor and you just need an adjustment, then there you go. they can also give you good pointers on your posture, and exercises you can do to improve your situation. I guess for me, it's a more wholistic approach to a lot of things than going to a doc and having them give you painkillers, which helps in the short run, but not in the long run (and doesn't work if you do not like to take medication). Best of luck to you!!

Here's an interesting parallel: Dentists don't go to medical school either, but we use their services! That being said, I can totally understand your husband's position. My husband was the same way. However, we have a number of trusted family & friends who swear by their chiropracters and have had back, neck, knee, etc ailments that went away after visits to their chiropracters, whereas traditional medicine had no treatment for them. The issue with my husband is that he knew a guy in high school that was a total slacker--I mean, big time slacker--poor grades, poor attitude, you name it, and the slacking continued into adulthood. After floating around for a while, he settled on chiropractic school. Needless to say, that didn't elevate chiropracters in my husband's eyes!

But having so many of our family & friends benefit noticeably is turning the tide.

However, do NOT use Chiro One clinics. They're a joke and a rip-off. They will take your x-rays, tell you how your body is severely messed up, and tell you that you need to visit them at least 3X per week for 13 weeks, custom shoe orthotics, and physical therapy...and you have to pay for it all IN ADVANCE!! Any reputable chiropracter will treat your visits like a normal doctor--you pay as you go.

Plus, many big insurance companies cover chiropractic services. Believe me, with the insurance industry the way it is, if it wasn't recognized as a viable treatment, it wouldn't be covered on any insurance! Thankfully, our insurance does cover treatments, so once I do find a chiropracter I feel comfortable with, I'll start some treatments.

Chiropracters aren't doctors. But having someone who knows the anatomy of a back, who knows how to properly release tight muscles and help work the bones where they are supposed to be seems like something that could prove useful to those of us with pain.

I go to Prevention and Wellness Center in Vernon Hills. Both doctors are great!

I've been going to a chiropractor for years- and I couldn't live without mine. I have two fabulous ones I'd highly recommend- one in Savage and one in Stillwater if you'd like names. (I started going to the one in Stillwater when we moved from Eden Prairie. They're both awesome! And- why does your husband need approval as he's paying for it? if you're married it should be YOUR (both) money- not just his. Would he need you to approve something that would improve his health? Either way, it'll help tremendously. If he wants to talk cost, why don't you let him know what back surgery costs- which is where you COULD be headed. Good luck

Eh, if your teeth were giving you problems you'd go to a dentist, right? Even though all the things your DH says about Chiros could certainly apply to dentists, or podiatrists, or physical therapists, or respiratory therapists, or any other specialty that's not an MD.

I go to the same chiro as our family doctor goes to, on her recommendation.

Chiropractors are doctors! They do more hours of school in fact, and I trust them more, because they spend more time actually practicing their craft, and spend more time learning about one modality after learning about general health, whereas medical doctors learn about so many things it seems impossible to remember them all. Remind him that medical errors are something like the second cause of death in our nation!

I've been adjusted since I was a kid, and my kids are too. I've worked for chiros for 15 years now and it's changed my life as well as many others I've seen personally. Maybe he's the one that bees an adjustment more! ;)

Dorothy C said it best! Ive always worked in Orthopedic surgery & I was very "anti-chiropractic" b/c that was what I was taught by these "md's" & surgeons. Fast forward to when I met my husband when he was in chiropractic school. I have to say-boy did I get it wrong! Chiropractors actually have MORE study hours & MORE testing on their state boards than do MD's. They dont believe in caring for your body with meds or surgeries until its a last option. They treat the "before" & try to correct the body naturally to get it back into its best possible shape without adding all those drugs & chemicals or going straight for a surgical procedure. I have to stay its been a wonderful learning experience both mentally & physically for me & I wonder how I could have been so misguided? Every chiro has his own style & you may have to go to a couple diff ones to find one that works for you. Its your health-please dont let your husband dictate when you get well. Best of luck!

I agree that many doctors nowadays are telling patients to see chiropractors. My mom saw a chiropractor for her back upon the recommendation of her OB-GYN, who noticed her spine was curved due to her osteoporosis.

Some chiros are trustworthy, others are not, just like regular doctors. What I would do is get recommendations from friends around you or research chiros in your area. Then, without your husband, go check them out and see which one you like best. Most all of them will at least meet with you for no charge.

Once you've picked the one you like best, let the chiro know your husband has reservations. They deal with that all the time. Then your husband and you can meet with the chiro and he can help reassure your husband as to what he's going to do and why it will help.

Your husband is just ignorant of what chiros do and why. When chiros explain how the spine is nerve control center of the body and how a maligned spine can cause health issues, I think he can't help but see how it will help. I worked in a chiro office and we did this kind of thing ALL THE TIME! Your husband is not the first, nor the last, spouse to think chiros are quacks. And you would not be the first wife to bring her husband in to learn about chiropractic!

i am a chiropractor and (GASP) i got into medical school too. i chose chiropractic because it helped me with migraines where traditional medicine did not. i am from a medical family and we have always supported both schools of thought. the best approaches use both and in my experience, most doctors (all types) are open to whatever works best for his or her patient. i went to chiropractic school for 4 years after college to get my degree. i also have a masters degree in anatomy and teach at the university level. if you are looking for practioners that are "tops" in their field, i suggest you look on websites that have directories for their professional memberships- american chiropractic association, international chiropractic pediatrics association, etc. also, you wouldn't believe how many people show up in my office at their wit's end over needing to feel better and i am happy to say that MOST of the time, they get there with treatment- a good chiropractor will tell you if they cannot help you. people like your husband are my favorite patients because when they get relief, they are astounded and suddenly passionate about chiropractic. for me, i cannot imagine life without it! good luck-

Here are my experiences. I saw a chiro in the late 1990's and it was a horrible experience. I felt like the guy didn't care about my pain, twisted me all funny, popped me and left me broken on his table. Seriously, that's how I felt. I struggled with on and off low back problems until last year and I caved (after a week of spasms that would cause me to have to put down my 1 year old). I went to see someone who was recommended by my FIL and SIL. I explained my previous experience to the chiropractor (a woman) and she was very "gentle" with her adjustment. It helped my range of motion in my neck immediately, and within two weeks my back was starting to feel better.

What I DO NOT like about chiropractors is that they want to treat you all the time. She wanted to see me 3 times a week for 3 months. We can't afford that. I went until I felt better, then went monthly after that for a few months. Now I go whenever I feel like I need an adjustment. It's been a year and a half and I am a true chiropractor convert.

Good luck!

Um, not to be harsh but that is just ignorance plain and simple. Try a google search. I am sure there are website like what you are looking for. DCs are like MDs, there are good ones, bad ones, and amazing ones. I've been to 4 different DCs in my life and my current Chiropractor is the best yet! He graduated at the top of his class and was the president of the gonstead method at his school. He is very intelligent, and would have breezed through medical school if that is what he chose to do. From my experience most chiropractors choose their careers because they want to help people, not because they didn't have good enough grades! lol That is just ridiculous. Do some research. Some MDs tend to be very closed minded about things they do not know about. I think good medical and chiropractic care are necessary for a healthy life. Just my 2 cents on the matter.

I grew up going to them and I worked for one for 2 years. My hubby felt the same way as your hubby but after 20 years of marriage, he is now seeing one. There are some that are better than others. I've never been to a bad one but I always get referrals from friends before going to a new one. Anyway, they are really helpful. Doctors know medications, chiropractors get to the source so you can avoid all the drugs. Good luck and I hope you get relief soon!!

DEFINITELY GO!!!! GO! GO! GO!!! They are NOT quacks!!!

The relief you get will be wonderful!!!

Chiropractors are not considered doctors in the western sense, but eastern medicine should not be discounted. Physical therapists aren't doctors, per se, yet they are an important part of rehabbing sports injuries. I've gone to a chiropractor to relieve lower back pain when I was pregnant (worked like a charm) and both my children went as infants to help relax the jaw after quick labor & delivery (this solved my poor latch issues and I was able to successfully breastfeed). In all cases, my insurance covered the visits. So instead of asking your husband "permission" to go or for money to cover the visit, get a referral from your primary care physician. I will say not everyone is cut out to be a doctor in the traditional sense, but medical related fields should not be discounted. Does he feel the same way about nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians? Would be a shame... Anyway, I'm sure if you Google, there is probably a board certified association for chiros, and you can show your husband and ensure the one you go to is board certified. Good luck!

I worked for a good one. His name is Dr Michael Silbert in the loop (Board of Trade).
I'd say they all have their ups and downs and their qualities. It's a matter of seeing one that is willing to NOT make you sign up for any silly plan or make any promises. MDs don't, so why should they. It's just another way to treat the body, as well as acupunture, clinical massage therapy, or orthopedic.
Good luck, and wish you the best.

I have very mixed feelings about chiros/doctors. I don't know really how to find a reputable chiro, I called the ones who my insurance would help pay for and decided from there. I've heard to stay away from ones who do accupuncture and other such "alternative medicine" and stick to more the natural wholistic viewpoints, but like everything else, everybody has their strong opinions mostly based on experience alone. My biggest beef with chiros is their sales pitch. "give the gift of health" slogan irritates me to no end when I would speak with the chiros who advertise a lot or the chiro I ended up going to. And they always seem to want you to come more than necessary and prolong treatment so it costs more. It was tough for me to discern between what's medically necessary/helpful and what is the sales pitch. Doctors on the other hand tend to fix more quickly but not necessarily the root of the problem, sometimes just prescribing pain medicine and telling you to rest which relaxes the problem but doesn't get to the root. Huge generalizations I realize, but my fear with each I guess. Doctors are necessary for spine/disc issues as a chiro could really make it a lot worse if not careful. Chiros are very helpful with physical therapy if it is a muscle/nerve issue alone. So the tough thing in my opinion is knowing whether a doctor or chiro are needed for the type of back pain. When I went to a chiro about a year and a half ago, it worked great beyond the deciphering sales pitch vs. necessary. My issue was back/sciatica pain that they thought stemmed from my c-sections/very weak core muscles. I agree that was the issue and the physical therapy especially helped a lot. My husband just had spine surgery 6 weeks ago for a slipped disc, in that case we didn't want to risk a chiro since it was severe pain that began so suddenly indicating not just a muscle issue. Make sense? Another issue I have with chiros is that the constant adjusting of the back seems to cause more issues than help, as though it trains the spine to not keep itself in line but rather stays so loose in line that it needs constant adjusting. Don't know how medically reliable that concept is, but it just seems that the friends who regularly go to chiros have the most back issues, that they always look forward to going to the chiro to help pain that others who don't go to a chiro don't have or at least don't notice/aren't bothered. So while natural approach appeals to me, intervening to correct the spine often does not. A friend from Germany is a medical doctor and her mom does natural medicine there. From what I understand there, regular back adjustments are every 6 months as opposed to every month which makes more sense to me to allow the muscles to train to support the spine themselves. Just my mixed feelings thoughts/reasoning on it all for what it's worth. Best wishes to you in wading through all the info to find what will work best for you for getting relief!

i didn't notice this suggestion. Talk to people and find one you want to go to and try. But before you go, call the office and tell them your situation with your husband, Belive me I"m sure they have heard it before. Ask them what brochures, websites etc that they could suggest to make your case with your husband.

It might come down to a lesser of two evils thing, What is the worse hubby thinks can happen if you give it a try and go to a chiro?? At worse you are out a bit of money. Maybe set a time limit or money limit, you agree that you'll go for 2 month or you'll spend up to 1,000. and if it hasn't helped you'll have the surgery. I"m sure once you go and they chiro gives you relief he'll jump on board.

best of luck and feel better

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/chiropractic-pain-relief
and this is webmd run to help people with medical information, not just anyone but MD's very reputiable.

I do agree with many of these posts. Here is the link to Chiropractors
http://www.chirocolleges.org/. Others have posted the difference with Dentists as well, MD's do not go to Dentist schools either. Their are many different Doctors and to say Chiropractors are not Doctors is ignorant. In this day and age for Insurance companies nationwide to pay for this service it is legitimate. If Chiropractors were not legit then the goverment would shut them down. Each state has Licensing boards that grants the license to practice Chiropractor once they fulfill the school requirements to practice.

You asked for more concreate evidence and it seems to me that in the Science world that they look for cause and effect. If so many people have said that they had a problem and then upon seeing a Chiropractor their pain had disappeared or brought under control then you have your concreate evidence. So many people look for prove when it is in front of them.
I have seen a Chiropractor for 16 yrs and have gone to about 5 different ones over the years due to checking them out or main one on vacation. They all have Degrees of Chiropractic on their walls. They all have pulled me through some painful days when I could not bend or walk due to bad night sleep or rollercoaster rides or whip lashes.
Please listen to all the advice ask your husband to open his mind to the world around him, Insurance, Goverment and many friends. Chiropractic is a well recognized form of treatment. They are specializing in the spine and the central nervous system which controls the whole body. With all the Chiropractors in practice today, ask your self this: How many reports do you hear of someone dying or being paralizied due to Chiropractors? Yet we hear of everything everyday with internet, if they were as bad as your husband says they are they would be stopped by the public.

My background is also a Registered Massage therapist of 16 yrs and I went to school for 500 hours. We studied anatomy, physiology and protocols (ethics) business. I have seen so much positive with Chiropractors that I just hope you will be able to get the help you need. I always tell people if your pain is burning and firey then you need a Chiropractor if it is dull and achey then massage, but the two work hand in hand. The muscles hold the spine in place and the spine if twisted will affect your muscles.
Wishing you all the best!
M.

I think chiros can be great. However, I have some more serious back issues which makes me nervous to get adjustments because I don't want to risk anything that is too invasive. Lucky for me, my husband is a very talented acupuncturist and I actually find the acupuncture helps more than chiropractic, and for me there is no fear of it making anything worse because it isn't at all invasive like a spinal manipulation can be with chiropractic. His website is www.SassackAcupuncture.com, were you can find out more about how acupuncture works. If you do decide to try acupuncture, make sure you ASK where they went to school. Make sure it was a two or three year accredited acupuncture program - there are far too many other MDs and Chiros out there who attempt to do acupuncture after a simple weekend course and they don't really know what they're doing with it. Won't hurt things, but they just aren't as effective.

I believe. Every form of treatment has a place. A good chiro will be and educator, show you appropriate lifting, standing and sitting. They will show you how to do excercisies to help. They will help strtch your back and "adjust" you and possibly use some stimulation, hot or cold therapy on you. While they may not fully replace a physical therapist, personal trainer and an ortho or neuro you may learn something about how to care for the structure that you need to go through life on. I also don't believe in the excessive visits they prescribe. I'd go once a week for 6 weeks to get out of acute pain and then only when needed. Follow the exercises and instruction they give you. If you are overweight losing just 10% of your body weight could take away the pain. If your inactive take up bike riding or walking and strengthen your muscles espcially abs and back but remember legs and arms help to take some pressure off the back too. Visiting a chiro for a few weekds is better thab becoming addicted to narcotics or not taking time to prevent future injury. Medicine works best in a east meets west and includes alternative medicines.

I have been seeing my chiropractor MONTHLY for 11 years! It's the best thing I do for myself to prevent the bone spurs in my neck from getting worse (only surgery can remove them). I had gone for 2 years and was still skeptical, since my condition can not be healed 100%, but controlled. Then, I had been experiencing groin pain for several months when I did squat exercises. I finally mentioned it to him, he checked the alignment and commented that one hip was ever so slightly higher than the other, adjusted it, and yep, it went away! It had been aching for months! And consider this, if the insurance company is willing to pay for visits to a chiropractor rather than physical therapy, it must have known benefits.

I have had along the lines of what Jess S. said, but never got to the conversion part. I only went to one, and she REALLY screwed up my neck, she did some sort of accupuncture and I think one needle went in wrong. I felt it at the time, and that spot has never been the same (eleven years ago). So, I think what your husband is worrying about is that there seems to be varying degrees of skill, and less rigid standards. Only my thoughts, I don't know the testing procedures. But as so many people here have said, i know a lot of people who have had amazing experiences, I would definitely get recommendations from people you know.

Try physical therapy. Check out www.athletico.com for details. You can get a complimentary screen at any one of the clinics and they can help you decide if physical therapy is beneficial for you. If you need physical therapy, you will need a prescription from a physician.

My chiro actually goes to the hospitals 1 to 2 days a week to work with patients. That gave me confidence right away. Talk with friends, etc. to get their feedback on their chiros.