UKC

Whats the view from the learned ukc masses of this form of treatment. My wife has had concerns about my daughter's wellbeing and was recommended a chiropractor by various people in her circle, some who are a bit, well, into this kind of thing. I had my reservations.

She has come back after the initial consultation and without a scan used he has made some incredible assertions about neurological, opthamalogical, spinal issues which I find hard to believe he could diagnose under those conditions.

It is true that I am closed minded to alternative treatments, preferring evidence based therapies, so I struggle with this stuff so I'm keen to hear what others think about it. I dont want to dismiss something that I have little knowledge about but I just dont buy it.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

You might want to read the section on chiropractic treatment in Simon Singh's book Trick or Treatment. He goes through the evidence around a number of alternative rememdies.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I would be wary as hell. There is no evidence supporting the majority of claims made.
The more someone promises it can cure the more dubious I would be.
It can help for some spinal conditions but beyond that it isnt supported. It has the additional downside that unlike some alt medicine which cant cause harm (apart from through inaction) Chiropody can be dangerous due to pissing around with the spine.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I am currently seeing a chiropractor for shoulder and neck issues and have in the past had treatment for a back problem. I can't comment on your daughter's particular case as I don't know anything about it beyond what you have described above, and I'm not a chiropractor (or a physio, doctor or anything else that might have some insight).

My personal experiences have been very good. Currently the very long-term issue with my neck and more recent issue with my shoulder are being resolved and about 25 years ago I had treatment for 2 prolapsed discs and a hip misalignment. I had been given a very gloomy prognosis by my GP and physios for this but the treatment worked.

I don't know about now but many years ago I was told that there were quite a few snake oil chiros on the scene as it was possible to qualify by correspondence course. I doubt if that is the case now but it would be worth checking online reviews and also speaking to your GP and any medic friends you may have.

I won't pretend to understand it fully so won't offer a critique but I wouldn't think of it as 'alternative' in a mumbo-jumbo new age way. It is founded on well established principles.

Good luck with whatever you do.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
My wife has come back and apparently he has diagnosed psychological and anxiety issues due to the right side of the brain not firing properly. Im a little concerned about this and how he can diagnose it.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


Is this person a qualified metal health practitioner? No.

Would any medically trained professional talk about a side of a brain "not firing properly"? No.

Do you want to put your relationship with your wife before or after your daughters welfare?

If someone willingly wants to go to an alternative practitioner themselves it's one thing. In your case it sounds like another thing entirely.

Is this daughter an adult or a child?

For what it's worth if I suspected anything was wrong with my child and my partner insisted on going to untrained people peddling stuff not backed by evidence before exhausting professionally trained routes I would be talking to a divorce lawyer and pushing for full custody on the grounds they were putting the child at risk.

Edit: I'd also consider everything up to such nuclear options if it seemed my partner was inventing issues and making the child beleive themselves to be ill, in order to fit in with a social group.

I hope you find a gentle solution, and that your child gets the help they need - if they need it.

Reading between the lines it's potentially mental health related. There are charities with whom you can discuss the situation with a person professional trained in a recognised way, as well as your GP.

In reply to wintertree:

It's a bit early in the day to be on your seventeenth pint is it not?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

That sounds dodgy to me. Does she suffer anxiety?

I suppose the only positive thing I can say is that placebo can be a powerful thing, so if she thinks a session with a chiropractor can cure her anxiety then maybe it will, not for any other reason than placebo, which wouldn't be a bad thing I guess.

In reply to marsbar:

She does suffer anxiety and struggles to deal with situations, yes.

Ive questioned my wife more on this and it seems that he has diagnosed an underactive right side of the brain and overactive left side plus mis tracking of one of here eyes and that this is somehow connected to her spine. Hes also diagnosed a misaligned spine.

It seems he's a neurologist, spinal surgeon, opthamologist and phychiatrist too.

Can these things be diagnosed in an hours session with a chiropractor and can they be treated by such.

My wife makes a good point. I have had many misdiagnosed issues from Drs and consultants and I am very dubious of the profession. My wife states, and I agree with her, that Drs can be a bit myopic and perhaps not see the bigger picture. This is certainly true in my case.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

The "brain" par of that diagnosis is utter hogwash.


I can think if several things he may be, those are not included.


No.


Doctors are fallible like all of us, however the person your daughter is seeing is not only a snake oil salesman, he's potentially dangerous. Avoid.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
Mistracking of the eyes is categorically not a spinal problem. He does not know his anatomy.

He asked your wife some questions, she said she gets stressed and he diagnoses stress. Wow! He is a flipping diagnostic genius isn't he?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Some times it works, but quite often it doesn't and it's not unusual for it to make things worse in my experience. What you want is someone who does Bowen technique.

In reply to Removed User:


It is founded on complete bollocks. It started off as pure snake oil promising to cure everything by f*cking around with the back.
Some practitioners have turned it into something more sensible eg dealing purely with back injuries but the woo is still strong in it.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

My bullsh*t detector is beeping like crazy.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

If alternative medicine worked it would be called medicine.
Maybe it comes from working in a hospital but a lot of people I work with would be very wary of chiropractors, I'd think a good physio much better. To each their own though.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

If she is struggling with anxiety get her some counselling/CBT either through the NHS or privately. Why go for unproven 'therapy' when proven options exist.

That's obviously just my opinion. Regardless I hope your daughter picks up.

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:


Seems sensible advice. Certainly the only sort of chiropractor who would claim to help with this sort of thing is definitely on the woo side of the line. Which begs the question of whether you would want them to be manipulating the spine and more importantly neck.

In reply to KevinD:

I agree. In my opinion these 'alternative medicines' either do affect the body (in which case don't let an untrained, unregulated doctor mess with your body) or they don't (in which case don't bother going) .

Like I said if you want to treat anxiety I've seen CBT do amazing things for close friends.

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:

Another CBT recommendation here. (Hardly surprising, as it's one if my team's main tools.)

Though again, make sure you check out the practitioner has a professional qualification (psychologist/OT/mental health nurse,) and not just a certificate from a 2 day online course.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Well, opinions here certainly match my own.

In reply to Baron Weasel:


"Keep out of the black, and in the red; nothing in this game for two in a bed"?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


If this is what he actually said, this is simply bullshit. Even for a qualified neurologist that would be a questionable diagnosis.

In reply to KevinD:




Chiropody? I suppose toes and feet are connected to the spine...
Maybe this would work :
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14681698_1790345287919995_202...