Chiropractic Treatments-Need Advice

[Misfit Toy]

Back in 2004, a CFS friend called me and urged me to go to an "Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor." I had never heard of this kind of chiro before. They essentially believe that the neck and back and rest of the body would be ok if your atlas bone in your neck was in. They take a device that looks like a gun/laser and send a sound wave that hits your atlas bone and puts it back in place. I know, totally bizarre, but what I liked about it was there was no snap, crackle pop. They don't touch your neck. This laser doesn't touch your neck. Like I said, it's just a sound wave that is sent out of he laser to your neck.

I have been going for 7 years. In the beginning, it would work and hold for weeks. Now, 7 years later, I can barely hold the adjustment for a few days to a week. There have been 2 times this year where literally an hour after going to the chiro, I am in horrible pain all over again.

This weekend, like many...was one of those weekends where I went to the chiro and felt better for 5 minutes afterwards. Yet, in my mind, I feel like I need to keep going. I don't know if I have been brainwashed or what. After my last appointment, I came home and danced for 5 minutes and my neck went out. I am now on pain pills. This is new. I never used to have this and the doctor basically tells me, "don't move."

The doc is 40 minutes away from my home, in another state. I have to pay tolls, pay for gas, etc. I have actually (this is really crazy) pondered moving to New Jersey, so I can be closer to this chiropractor. I also feel like I will never be able to move, like I must stay in this location for the rest of my life to be near my chiropractor.

This weekend, I had a total meltdown realizing that my thinking doesn't make sense. It doesn't because it's NOT WORKING. I am sick of going to the chiropractor, etc. ANd, I am sick with the fact that he wants me to come every week and I go every week. I go because his treatment lasts for too damn short. There was once a time when I was fine, I walked in there and left in pain. I told him how I was pissed. I should have never come. I was fine when walking in and not so fine, when leaving. Sometimes, I hate this man.

When you look online at Atlas Orthogonal chiropractic, everyone who gets it feels so much better. These people hold their adjustments for weeks to months, to years.

I have a herniated disc and bulging discs.

I am thinking that what I need to do is to stop going for awhile and hope that my neck just settles down. I need to detrain myself into NOT believing, that my atlas bone in my neck is the sole reason that my neck is a problem and that if the atlas is in, I will be fine. Mine never remains "in" so what the F ? And, bottom line, I have herniated discs which have nothing to do with the Atlas bone.

This chiro wants me to buy a shirt that is $110.00 that keeps your posture upright. It has boning in it to keep you sitting up straight or standing straight. I decided, no way. I have fibro and I have a feeling that would kill me. And...$110.00? It better be made by Versace.

Any thoughts? Anyone with a similar story?

 

[xchocoholic]

Hi spitfire,

$110 for a shirt ... I bet his logo is on it too .. Lol

Another funny chiro story ..I had one tell me to wear shoes all the time. Heaven forbid my toes might have some freedom .. Lol

I have fm and bad disks too so I saw chiros off and on unsuccessfully for years too until I finally gave up. I was desperate and it seems to help some.

The heat packs and electric stem were helpful but the adjustments never were.

A chiro even told me once that an adjustment can be reversed as soon as I got off the table.

A deep massage, but not too rough, has always helped as has ice or heat. The exercise that my pt taught me helps too but i'm just too tired to keep it up.

Good thing you didn't move closer. Have you considered moving to a warmer climate ?
The warm weather in fl is great for my pain.

Tc ... X

 

[Misfit Toy]

No way would I ever live in hot, humid, FL. Never feel better down there.

Electric stim...what is that? Is that the thing with the suction cups that you put on? I may get one of those.

 

[xchocoholic]

Don't tell anyone, but the east coast of fl, right near the beach isn't as humid as the rest of the state. I just moved from a condo that was 20 minutes inland to one near the beach and I can't believe what a difference having the ocean breeze made. Not to mention, I feel l like i'm on vacation everyday. Lol

I just meant that a warmer climate may help your pain.
My body tenses up so bad in the cold, that my pain is non stop.

I had a tens unit, personal electric stem unit, for years and it was a life saver. The ones at the chiros office seem to feel better, but it could be that they just knew where to put the pads. I just used it for my shoulders since they were in constant spasm .. I never tried it on my lower back ..

Fwiw .. I found that tomatoes and bacon bring my fm back. Nothing helps or changes my disc problems tho.

Tc .. X

 

[Misfit Toy]

Oh, I have heard that the East Coast of Florida is better and nice. I could go for being on the ocean.

I have been thinking of investing in a tens unit. It would be better than that shirt. Like I said, I feel like I have been brainwashed by these chiros and like I must go for therapy. It all sounds crazy. "Your atlas is out, which causes all kinds of sickness." When my atlas does go out, I can feel it, but everyone's atlas must be out. We all throw ourselves around. how does anyone keep it in?

It's all bollocks!

 

[*GG*]

I've probably mentioned this to you before, but have you tried acupuncture? Community acupuncture is relatively cheap, probably less than a chiro visit!

GG

Ps here a link to find a place close to you, some in NJ and PA: http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/clinics#VI

 

[Wayne]

Hi Spitfire,

You may be interested in my experience with Orthogonal Chiropractic and Atlas Profilax. Here's a link to a fairly lengthy post I did at one point; several posts of mine on that thread expound on some of my perspectives and experiences:

Atlas Profilax - Orthogonal Chiropractic

Good luck finding some relief for your chronic neck pain.

Best, Wayne

 

[Gavman]

I have had chiropractic treatment. One did no major damage, the other couple i saw with their cracks have caused me problems with my neck. The one that worked would reset my atlas. While i felt a bit better after these treatments, they wouldn't hold very long and it became a go more type of problem. I feel much better getting work on the muscles surrounding the spine than cracking it. Especially with the sensitive nature of being a CFS sufferer, i would wait on at least getting other peoples word of mouth and ensuring they are not cracking anything. I doubt i'll ever go to another again though.

 

[u&iraok]

The chiro helped me a little but not enough to go regularly. It only helped for a few weeks and I don't want to have to keep going just for a little relief. Massage helps me more, I think. Maybe I'll go to the chiro every several years when my neck gets really bad.

There's also a catch 22 for me with going to doctors--the effort and stress of going to them is bad for my health! I don't have the energy to spare for 7-10 adjustments. When I went to the chiro I caught a virus, maybe from it being too much effort to go when should have been resting. (Interestingly, just when I was starting with the virus, the chiro could tell, he could feel my lungs were getting congested, he felt it from my back. He did something they do for people with pneumonia, to get the fluid out which worked but I still kept developing the virus.)

 

[xchocoholic]

Hi again,

I got a msg asking me about the newer models but my computer is acting up so I thought
I'd put my reply here.

I had a tens unit at least 10years ago so I don't know how good they are now.

When mine got old, it started zapping me so I just stopped using it. New batteries didn't help either.

Tc ..x

 

[Misfit Toy]

Wayne, I am not sure if you read my initial post, but I did go to and have been going to an atlas orthogonal doctor or chiro for 7 years now. My post or belief is that for me, they don't work. It's a hoax and the atlas is not the sole reason someone is in pain if it's out. They try to tell you that it is, but it's not. Not in my case anyway.

I have decided to cancel my next appt and only go when absolutely necessary because at the end of the day, chiropractic treatments don't work for me.