Freaking About Chiropractic Care... Reading at 1 in the Morning Is Bad.

Studies have shown that adjustments do not cause strokes. Chiros have been hated so much by the medical establishment that they would be shut down if that were true.
But the chiropractor you are seeing may not be a good one.
I don't know how I could function if I had not had good chiropractic care.

http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/stroke.shtml

Ok, my husband is a chiro. If your doc isn't giving you exercises to strengthen the muscles then he's is doing you a disservice. Headaches can happen when you get your neck adjusted because you are opening up a bunch of pathways there. Adjusting causing a stroke, yes it can happen, but it is EXTREMELY rare and are usually caused by a weakness that was already there in the artery. These same types of strokes are caused by exercising, heavy lifting, things along the same line.

A lot more people are harmed/die per year from side effects from drugs or misdiagnosis of doctors than chiropractic adjustments. By all means tell your chiro this has happened. He should want to know and be able to give you a reason for it.

Sounds like you are in bad shape and need Chiropractic care. If you aren't confident in your doctor, try another one. They each have their own techniques and tools that suit some people better than others. If you have fusion and spinal problems, there is no one more qualified to help you. Unless you're interested in beginning pharmacutical drug addiction or having invasive surgical procedures done. You are looking at having your spine fused completely with surgery and losing any rotation you have left. Physical therapy is another route, but for your condition you could simply look up excersises on the internet and get as much benefit.
You are already exploring the most effective and least invasive approach to your problem. Give it some time and be positive.

Hi K.---You may find that you feel pain as things are moving back to where they are supposed to be. Your body has been out of alignment for some time and has learned to compensate for that.

I believe in chiropractic care and that it can take care of many issues without going the more invasive allopathic route. Having said that, if after a period of time, you may want to have it checked with a medical Dr. Know also that there are different kinds of chiro practice. There is the regular 'cracking' to move vertebrae back into place. There is also a practice called upper cervical, where the main focus is the head sitting on the first vertebrae correctly. This requires very little adjusting as the theory is that once that sits properly, everything else below it falls into place. Then there is Network Spinal Analysis, another form of chiropractic that does not 'crack' the neck or spine. I've tried all 3 and prefer the last 2 types of chiro.

It may take some time for you to find the right combination of care that will work best for you. A naturopath I work with had horrible back problems for over 10 years until she found the combination of bikrum (hot) yoga and NSA chiropractic. She also shares that much of conventional back care/surgeries DOES NOT work and often times makes a problem worse. I can share articles and research with you on that subject, if you'd like.

Take a deep breath and find comfort in knowing you are working at a solution for your health problems. I wish you much luck. D.
PS. Parker is a beautiful city. My sister lives there.

You can get a stroke both FROM using a chiropractor, and NOT using a chiropractor. You have 2 major arteries in the back of your neck. If your vertebrae and muscles are clamped down so hard that you're restricting blood blow, that could cause a clot and thus a stroke.
If you go to a hack chiropractor who adjusts you the wrong way, it could cause tears in the arteries, causing them to clot...thus the stroke.

In short, it's uncommon, and really, don't worry about it.

Your case sounds severe and the reason that you have a headache is that the muscles and blood flow are being "corrected", and you're getting it where it's been reduced to a trickle up until now. The tingling is due to the nerves regaining feeling where you likely didn't have it before.

These are good things.

Heat will help to keep the muscle loose (like, HOT heat. More than a heating pat. Use a hot water bottle with HOT HOT water in it.). And massage will help.
Anti inflamatories like Ibuprofen or Aleve are your friends.

You'll be feeling better soon.
It will take more treatments. Something like that is not a 1 time adjustment.

My OB recommended a chiropractor for me when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was having terrible pain in my lower back every time I stepped with my right foot. I had tried massage therapy and it didn't work for me at all, although I love getting massages. I was afraid to go to the chiropractor because I had never been but it ended up being the best thing for me. I had to go several times for the first 2 weeks because my back was in such bad condition and after my first few appointments I was feeling worse instead of better. I was tempted to stop going but I decided to keep up with it and it really ended up working well for me. He got me all straightened out and I was able to walk pain-free again.

I know that there is a chance that something could happen from seeing a chiropractor, but I think it is pretty rare, especially if you have a good doctor. My chiropractor is a chiropractic neurologist and he is awesome. He never takes advantage or tries to keep me coming back on a regular basis. His goal is to get me healthy, which may take one appointment or several appointments, depending on how bad off I am. When he finally has me aligned again he tells me that he doesn't need to see me anymore until I'm hurting again (usually once every one or two years).

I remember being concerned about things like this when I started chiropractic care 20 years ago. My chiropractor told me that it is very rare for anything like that to happen under chiro care. That is why the malpractice insurance for chiropractors costs SO much less than it does for a medical doctor. Because the insurance companies know the risk of them having to pay out is much lower. Chiropractic is safe, and it helps millions of people.

I love my chiropractor, and right now he is helping to alleviate my neuropathy. Awesome!

I don't mean to be the evil witch raining on your Chiropractors parade, BUT...this is how they reel you in to a regular treatment program. The treatment plans are usually quite extensive and last for weeks going for 2 to 3 times/week. When I had an extremely sore neck, from similar injuries...I ended up switching because the chiro was a schyster! The example he gave you was a rare and worst extreme, now tell him to adjust you when you need it and to zip it ;) I'm serious, don't freak out...

sometimes things feel a little worse when they are getting better. the combo of accupuncture and chiro seems intreresting to me. my pick would be straight acupuncture. It did much more for me the any of the others.

I agree with applying heat. Also before your next adjustment 1) tell your chiro what's going on and explain your worries and listen to the response - you should be able to make sense of the response and feel comfortable with it; and 2) ask if he/she can warm up the area before adjusting if he doesn't already. Mine has an awesome hand-held vibrating thing that he rolls all over my back to get me all loose and relaxed before adjusting, that way he's not having to move stiff joints (which, in my opinion, hurts instead of feeling better). Alternatively you might just hold a hot water bottle to your neck on your way to his office and you will be loose/warm before your appt.
I agree that much more damage is done by misdiagnosing medications (or treatments) by traditional doctors than by chriopractic care.

You're more likely to win the lottery or get struck by lightning in your life than to get a stroke from a chiropractic adjustment. Tingling is likely just nerve sensations from new movement. Use ice after an adjustment.

I've been adjusted since I was a kid, and my kids have been adjusted since birth. It's like dentistry, you'll always have a spine, and horrible things can happen from nervous system interference, so take care of it for life!

Medical and prescription drug errors are within the top three causes of death in our nation, but most people still go to MDs and take prescription medications, right? No worries sister :)

It is normal to have some aches after the first few adjustments. Make sure that you are drinking a LOT of water after your adjustments, as this helps to clear the toxins, that are released, out of your body. This will also help reduce the aches.

I can go on and on about how I feel about chiropractors, but I will bite my tongue and just write the short response below.

I went to a chiropractor for neck pain and the treatment made it much worse. Same as you my headaches got worse and I developed new symptoms after several treatments. I believe that he caused more injury and now I continue to suffer from the pain.

In my opinion, go to a spine specialist and get properly diagnosed and treated.

Physical therapy makes so much more sense than chiropractor, strengthening and stretching will benefit your spine, because if your muscular system is healthy, it will improve your posture, put less stress on other muscles, prevent muscle spasms and therefore better alignment of your spine.

Hi--
I recommend chiropractic care, but not all chiro's are made alike. I can recommend a fantastic one in the area if you feel unsure of yours.
Also, for your situation I would highly recommend looking into rolfing and orthotics. A rolfer is to your muscular system what a chiropractor is to your skeleton. They work with the muscles and fascia of the body to insure that the muscles are working correctly (google it for me info). I can recommend two different great rolfers if you're interested. Finally, if your neck is out that usually means your ankles and feet are not working correctly. Orthotics is a great way to fix that. Please email me if you are interested in more information or the theory behind what I am telling you. I'm happy to go into it further if you feel like these ideas resonate with you.
Good luck feeling better!
J.

I have arthritis in my neck and lower back issues as well...i have been to a chiropractor in the past but I prefer a physical therapist they retrain your muscles instead of knocking bones back into place and muscles around retaliate by swelling.

I have some of the same issues with migraines and neck and back pain. My husband who has been to a chiropractor who doesn't crack backs helped him. He is urging me to try it, but I am not too sure if I should try that or something else.