Discussion: Chiropractor

My non-orienteering running bodies have a monthly (or so) habit of visiting Chiropractor. For them it’s almost like “you got to have chiropractor” if you are serious about running. Up to till recently I never considered services of chiropractor however recently I am re-evaluating my position regarding chiropractors. I was wondering…

How many of you use services of chiropractor on regular bases?

What are the reason’s you are using chiropractor?

Does it help with your overall physical fitness to have regular chiropractor alignments?

Good question. And what about massage therapy? I know many of the top teams at JWOC (and I would imagine WOC too) have their own team massage therapist. Does massage enable your muscles to recover more quickly, or is it simply an injury prevention technique?

Not sold on the chiropractic thing, although many good runners (and others) seem to think it helps. I went to one after my last serious back injury. He was very experienced in working with athletes and I think he did help get me back to competition quickly. However, I was a little put off that he wanted to keep seeing me after I was better. I do have a chronically bad back, but I've always been able to control it by doing core exercises. I didn't see why I needed to keep coming back when everything was working fine.

Massage therapy is another matter. I get a massage once or twice a month and I do believe that it helps a lot. When I was bike racing competitively, I got one several times a week.

I tend to see a chiropractor every three to six months or so. Of course I do things to give myself a reason to do so... This year it was pole vaulting, in years past water skiing or snowboarding falls have sent me in.

I find my body moves more smoothly the first week after a vist than before, and so I run easier and better. After several months, I can feel that my body is out of alignment and the compensation affects me.

Given a good referral from someone you know that trusts their chiropractor, I don't see that much bad can come from trying it out. You might give it a go and see how it affects you.

I find massage beneficial to work out both general and specific tightness. It is hard to get all the knots just stretching.

I can accept the principle of chiropracty, ie, your body and particularly your spine can get unaligned and hence lead to problems. However, as with Eric I am put off by the fact that they want to treat you regularly without ever getting at the root cause. You may decide a chirpractor helpful in the short term. However, IMO, your best long term benefit comes from the appropriate physical therapy. For me and my back that is a collection of strengthening exercises and yoga/stretching.

I started seeing my chiropractor about 3 years ago after hurting my back while working with weights in the gym. He did magic! After couple visits I could resume my training. I visit him couple-three times per year, usually when start feeling some uneasiness in the back from hard training. Once he relieved my back from really bad muscle spasm. Couple things to take into account:
1. Select carefully your chiropractor so you can trust him/her. Best if someone references one to you.
2. Don't do any alignments right before a competition. Give yourself one-two weeks space. Any alignment procedure would affect your core muscles and you may feel strange while running on uneven surface.

By the way, I completely excluded working with weights from my training and started to do more of off trail/hill running to bring necessary strength.

Speaking about massage, it is always so good to have regularly :) Especially if you are in really hard training cycle. It does prevent injuries and allows body to rejuvenate faster. Other forms of relaxation therapy may include hot bath and sauna. And don't forget about stretching and yoga!

Our chiropractors, affectionately known as Thumbs-of-Death and Dr. LeAnimal, are both adventure racers with good navigation experience, so the great thing about them is that they rarely tell us to stop doing the activities we love. They'll suggest modifications, stretches, and strengthening exercises, but don't try to turn us into couch potatoes. We only see them to treat injuries - usually nothing to do with the spine, e.g. ankle sprains, knee injuries, shoulder problems. They both do a lot of soft tissue treatment, and I do feel that I recover more quickly from injuries with their help. They don't particularly want to treat us regularly, however, we tend to injure ourselves regularly, so we do see them pretty often!

I recommend a good remedial masseur. As well as muscular and soft tissue injuries I've been treated successfully for tension headaches and apparent toothache - he goes for the trigger points.
However we support our local physiotherapists who get results and you don't have to keep going back to them. We don't use chiropractors.
Whatever you go for - surgery or massage - it pays to see someone who understands sportspersons and the demands they place on their bodies.

I was treated by teammate/chiropractor during a competition (5-day AR). I ended up with a compressed neck/pinched nerve from a canoe portage and my whining finally paid off. On the floor of a convenience store (en route) I was layed out and adjusted. What a relief!

Outside of that, I've really only been to a chiro twice before, but I've also found a sports physio overlaps in capabilities. Honestly, the two times I've injured my back, it comes down to whoever has an opening the soonest.

Don't see chiros, go see a physio! Chiro treatments are very passive, and they want you to come back again and again to get more dosh off you! A good physio will provide you with some passive treatment but more importantly active treatment like strengthening of appropriate muscle groups etc to fix the cause of the problem so you dont have to keep coming back again and again each month and paying more money!
I friend of mine was a chiro but he quit and is now studying to be a physio as he hated the fact that chiropractics was all about making money off people by getting them to come back again and again.

Suffered a back injury about a week ago while training for a 10K -- had slacked off for a couple of weeks and jumped right back in with a 6-7-mile run...had muscle cramps and pain during/after, but followed it the next day with a 3-mile run to not stiffen up....day after that, thought I was fine, went to reach for something and back went out....out of commission/training for the week...getting better and doctor (ortho) says it's up to me whether I do the 10K next week (about 7-8 days from now, 2 weeks from the injury point).....says it will likely make my lower back worse and I probably won't be ready -- any suggestions??
He didn't recommend a chiro, because he says any potential misalignment is muscular and he's sticking by the physical therapy -- I've already had one session and I've been sold on physical therapy for years -- has always worked for me and I think physical therapists are amazing people who have a very healthy and sound perspective on the body, healing, etc. Doctor did say massage is fine for short-term relief and comfort...

I'll second Bash's comment- Thumbs-of-death and LeAnimal have saved my knee with their Active Release Therapy. I could hardly run to work (4km) without having enough pain to slow me to a walk. It's different now- I can run pretty much as far as I want.

Key is to go only to a chiropractor someone else recommends and trusts. As you've read, there's a whole range of practitioners out there. The Parker College of Chiropractic is located here in Dallas, so any health fair you go to is thick with DCs. I've had some of them look me in the eye and promise they can cure diabetes, asthma, ADHD, you name it. Many also oppose water fluoridation and childhood immunizations. Scary. Caveat emptor.

Never seen a chiropractor 'til last month. Was adjusted by an American Chiropractor whilst in Zimbabwe in August/September (we were at the same, non-chiropractic related conference). He was clearly v. experienced and really knew what he was doing. To be honest I had thought about seeing one here in the UK for a back problem I've had for the past 5 years but never got round to it. Since Zimbabwe I have been virtually pain free, which makes a change from constant daily discomfort! As far as I understand it, here in the UK, most Chiropractors work on a pain relief/after injury basis. In the US, it seems there are also those who believe that you need to be seen regularly so that your body is functioning as it should be. The theory is that if everything is aligned as it should be, then your body functions as it was meant to. The guy who treated me had a number of patients who pop in on a monthly basis for a quick once over and any adjustments which need making due to the wear and tear of everyday life. In discussing this with him, I did not see it as being for profit, but a deep conviction that it made a difference to them. Anyway, I'd recommend him and if you are thinking of seeing a Chiropractor in Vermont, drop me a line and I'll let you know his details. But as others have said, I think you should see someone others recommend....

I think you should see someone others recommend....

Ok, can anyone recommend one in the Philly area for leg alignment problems, preferrably one with a sports focus (and one not totally cynical of western medicine, while we're at it).

(My one previous experience with a chiropractor seemed more like a meeting with a witch doctor or shamen. While I don't totally discount the benefits of such in certain circumstances, I'm not convinced its the right medicine for bio-mechanical problems).

Nov-2006 issue of Runner's World. From Interview with Lance Armstrong (Lance is planning to run NYC ING Marathon). Part of his answer regarding hip flexor that is hurting:

I always had a little of the problem when I rode, but at the same tome I was getting massage every day, had a chiropractor every day...

I've never been to a chiropractor, and never plan on going one. Daily massage would be great if I could afford it.

Randy, I've had good luck with a shaman. But I don't know any in the Philadelphia area.

go see an osteopath the are physio, chiro , natrpath all in one. theyre tops