Was I Violated or Is This Normal? - My Trip to the Chiropractor

Sounds like he's not a fit for you but no, I don't think he was doing anything appropriate. Many chiropractors work on soft tissue as well as the spine and joints.

If you do not want to press charges, which would be hard to prove anyway, you could get online and write a review of his practices.

I wouldn't go back adn I would tell my sister why.

I have never had a chiropractor touch me anywhere but on my back. Now they will adjust from base of the skull down to the buttocks, but the inner thigh and breast? Sounds really strange...sorry that happened to you.

I let my husband, who is a chiro, read this and he says that what your chiro did as far as breaking up the scar tissue, is not unusual. He also said that he normally waits for the patient to say they are having issues with that area before he just jumps right in and does stuff like that, because yes, it can be awkward.

He says that if he was working on the muscles by your breast, normal. If he was working on the breast tissue itself, not normal.

Why didn't you stop him if you were uncomfortable?

It would be hard not to interpret the treatment as inappropriate if your starting feeling was that he was creepy. That doesn't mean he didn't touch you more intimately than necessary. But it also doesn't assure you that he did, or you wouldn't be asking us all what we think.

I wasn't there, so have no opinion on his manner, other than it obviously bothers you. I would definitely not go back to any professional that I was so uncomfortable about. As for where he touched, perhaps these pointsof comparison will be helpful: I have had treatments for chronic hip spasm that included a full spinal adjustment plus strong thumbs jammed hard against a couple of pressure points in my buttocks, next to the sacrum, for a couple of minutes at a time. Very helpful.

I also saw a female chiro some years earlier for a broken tailbone that had been pushed out of position. She used a gloved finger in my rectum to physically push the tailbone into alignment. Unpleasant, to be sure, but it helped. A male chiro would probably use the same procedure.

And I also had a male chiro/naturopath who offered, among other treatments, pelvic exams and pap smears. And I know, from a sister who's a registered massage therapist, that she constantly gets training for extended and new therapeutic techniques, and attends classes with chiropractors and physical therapists. So I guess I don't find the places you were touched to be especially shocking. I hope you get lots of women telling you of similar experiences. I'll be interested to see whether others find your experience out of bounds.

I'm concerned, though, that you're feeling violated. That is painful, and sometimes those gut feelngs are accurate. I hope you get to a satisfactory resolution.

If you are not comfortable with him then don't go back. It is nearly impossible to adjust someone when they are uncomfortable.

I think it was all in your mind but it is in your mind, ya know? Let it go and find another chiropractor you are comfortable with.

Its hard to say whether he had ill intentions or not. What should have happened was a clearer understanding of what was to occur and for him to communicate the exam process and check with you as you are going to make sure you are comfortable etc. It sounds like at the very least he is unprofessional and maybe assumed that since your mom and sister had been under his care for some time, that you have had chiro work done before--somewhere else etc. I would go with your gut and not go back. Take some time to research some other chiros in the area and get a better comparison. I am sorry you felt violated. It sounds like he spooked you a bit before coming and you were apprehensive about coming in the first place and your encounter with him justified the way you pre-destined the appt in the first place. Bottom line, go to another chiro. GL and hope your wrist feels better soon.

M

Did he ask you and give you the opportunity to say you didn't want a full body exam? I suggest that normal would be to give you a choice. You went in for your wrist. Whatever is going on is unrelated to the rest of your body.

I've been to a couple of different chiropractors for neck and back pain and they did palpate my neck and back but not my legs and arms. And they told me what they were doing and why before they did it. I felt that I could say no at any point.

I suggest that this is not normal if only because he doesn't have good communication with his patient. I suggest that it's possible the situation was such mainly because of the way in which he did it and not related to sex at all. You should feel comfortable tho perhaps a bit anxious. I suggest listening to your gut feeling is good and wouldn't go back.

After thinking about his I wonder why he'd be palpating soft tissue unrelated to where you are having pain. A chiropractor adjusts muscles that are pulling bones out of alignment. Adjusting your back, neck, jaw sounds "normal" but breaking up scar tissue on your thigh, abdomen and breast do not.

I would go to YELP.com & see if there are anymore reviews about him...

I have been going to the chiropractor for years and have had two creepy experiences. I asked my current chiropractor if the things that I experienced were normal and she said NO WAY.
Oh, and even the creepy ones never touched near my privates or my breast, I've never had a massage therapist touch me there either!

Mabey it's his technique, but he needs to work on communication skills and a less invasive procedure, in my opinion.
Also, he could be genuinely inappropriate. Having grandchildren and having a wife in the next room doesn't stop some people from being scuzzballs.

Out of desperation from hip pain during pregnancy, I went for the first time to the chiro/PT and was emarrassed to have my butt, groin, and hips massaged and bent in all directions by the hippie male therapist. The kicker was that all the while he was discussing breastfeeding with me!!! It worked though, felt much better after, humiliation was worth it!

I had a really long post written out but it boils down to this. It's hard to say because this can really be based on interpretation, but you're the one who was there and feels what you're feeling. Therefore I would have to go with your instincts on this one. I would file a report with the office manager.

Try to feel without taking into consideration how your fiance feels about it, though, in case he's fueling the situation and exaggerating the emotions with jealousy/possessiveness. My husband hated it that I had a male OB during my last pregnancy and delivery and was worried that "something inappropriate" would happen just because it was a man and he was touching me and looking at my privates. Our partners aren't always the best judges on these things, especially if they also share an already-negative opinion on the specialists.

I don't know how this guy does he 'practices' this could be normal for him.. but I have been to many chiropractors and I have never had one touch my inner thigh or my breast or anything on my front side. Other than my shoulders and to put my hip in. When he put my hip in he bent my hip outward and bent my knee towards my other knee and pushed on my hip. granted his hand was close to my pubic area but it was clearly only to push on my hip nothing else. this was after he tried to get it to go in from behind ( he needed to push on my butt) and it wouldn't go in. He even said I felt it move but does it feel like its in to you.. when I told him no he told me what he was going to do before doing it on the front.

to me it sounds more like a massage therapist would do... I guess my main question is do those area's feel better? Does it feel like what he did help in those areas even if you didn't notice it before? If the answer is yes then he was only doing his job. Where you dressed or in a gown? ( some prefer one way to the other) If it was gown and he was touching skin to skin and there is no difference in the way you feel then Im not so sure he was just doing his job.

Chiropractic treatment is simply manipulation of the spine to resolve problems in all areas of your body. A good chiropractor can tell you where your problems are by feeling your spine...not the other parts of your body. Now, if he was pressing on a particular spot after noting something wrong in a particular vertabrae to confirm the issue, that's different. If your gut is telling you he's just doing his job, I would go with that. There are plenty of chiropractors that will not give you the creeps :) Go to upcspine.com and find one in your area. Interview them as you would a medical doctor. They are human too!

God bless,
M.

I agree with Marda. It could just be a lack of communication on his part, but that would give me the creeps too. I went to a chiropractor for head and neck pain. He did x-rays and felt around in that general area that was affected, but told me up front what he would be doing as well. I suggest finding another chiropractor since it seems this guy did find a possible solution to your problem.
HTH,
A.

My chiro does both adjustments and muscle massage if needed. he also uses a "vibrator" as you say. I have never had to have "work" done on my inner thigh...although I could see how one might need it. But the side of my "chest area...or Breast" has been done especially with a little one to carry as I have a lot of shoulder issues. Cause all the areas of the body connect in some way or another. It sounds like he is a great Chiropractor...but maybe lacking in the area of making sure his patient is comfortable. My chiro never touches any area unless he mentions it first.

You need to be more outspoken when you go to an apt...if you have issues have them stop. You are as equally guilty of anything that happened in that room. Especially if there was no force involved. You most likely were the only one in the room taking the actions to a place in yoru mind that was wrong...not the chiropractor

If you feel violated then you were violated.

It sounds more thorough than most chiros I know, but nothing out of the ordinary. He wasn't caressing your thigh or pinching your bare nipples! I've had issues with my pubic bone since having kids and have had that adjusted, and especially if your breasts are large or if you have a rib out those areas can be worked on too. And the butt cheeks are my worst problem because of my sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back down your butt cheeks into your legs. They do treat the body as a whole, because "the leg bones connected to the hip bone" :) and chiropractic is important because your spinal cord houses your nervous system which controls all bodily function. If it doesn't work, you don't! The tool is Awesome for breaking up scar tissue, which all of us have if we've been injured ever, had babies, nursed, etc. if you don't feel comfortable, don't go back or maybe see a woman chiropractor? It really can help with many, many issues. Sorry you felt uncomfortable.

So Mr/Dr Niceguy decided to go beyond the call of duty to fix all of your problems...because you were there? Even your breast needed his expertise? I find it strange.

I have seen many chiropractors (stopped for different reasons than yours) and they have NEVER touched me in a manner as yours has. I have always had xrays done, I have always had their machines (like the one you described) and many others - I think I have used them all over the years, and I have never been massaged by anyone other than their massage therepist (female) who is "in office." I think his wife being in the office is clever, it gave you a false sense of security. I would go again, bring your fiance in the room and see how he treats you then, OR if your fiance is too pissed bring in a male friend that you can trust to have your back.

I think that you wouldn't be doubting him if he hadn't already given you the creeps. Since he did give you the creeps, you probably should have choosen a different practice to go to.

I have had mine press on my buttocks (in a professional way) and any area that was troubled...including my breast bone (not my breat). Based on your description (and you said your gut agreed), I think he was just doing his job. Those probably were some problem areas. How do you feel? Did it help?

The chiropractor I had been seeing here has been arrested 4 times over the last several months and charged with molesting women and girls. I never had that happen to me there, but would have said he is eccentric. So go with your gut feeling.

I too went to a "trusted" chiro. He told me that I had all kinds of things wrong. My sister just had back surgery, so I decided to check with an actual doc to find out what's wrong. Chiro was telling me that I have ALL kinds of issues, but my back doc says that at the most I need physical therapy, not 3x a week chiropractic care. I do NOT trust chiros at all at this point.

The butt cheek and thighs are more like a Licensed Massage Therapist would massage/break up scar tissue... not really a chiro. The side of the breast, sacral area, entire back and rib cage would be a chiro.