Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Alternatives and ALCHEMISTS Treating AS with a Chiropractor????

Hello friends, has anyone received chiropractic care for their AS, and if so, how has it helped/not helped? I will be speaking with my rheumatologist before going (as I havent been to a chiropractor since a year prior to my diagnosis, about 5 years ago) The thought of someone else cracking my neck kinda scares me since it is the area that gives me the most pain, but I'm willing to give it a go if the Rheum says yes. But I need some input. I know everyone else reacts differently to these things, but I would still like to hear from those with firsthand experience. If nothing else I can get a great massage in the chiropractic office, which I know helps me

i was a little surprised at everything a chiropractor does / can do.
i see one on an "as needed" basis.

my lower lumbar, where it meets the SI is almost always out of alignment, but when the PT or chiro have realigned me, either slow and isometrically or fast, the results have been the same. it realigns back, but quickly on its own, and then is inflamed and sore, so we don't do that anymore.

so the chiro doesn't treat my spine.

what i go to the chiro for is ultrasound. i didn't know they would do that.
i have my SI ultrasounded (is that a verb?) when its really inflamed and have the lower back and buttocks muscles ultrasounded if they are spasming to "protect" the SI. the ultrasound helps things "heal" faster for me.

he'll also ultrasound the upper back if i'm having myofacial pain / muscle spasms.

he also ultrasounded my hip for several months when that was bad. and i thought chiros were only for the back and neck.

so, i go mostly for ultrasound. its easier than going to PT for it. i don't need a referral from a doctor. i don't need a referral from my insurance. there's no limit like there is for PT. i can get in very quickly when i need to, within a day or two usually if i'm flexible about the time.

almost forgot. he also gave me the form to have my thoracic spine xrayed, so they can do that too. kind of like going to a PT and doc all rolled into one. kind of like my physiatrist in some ways.

sue

If you have fusion in the back or neck a chiro treatment could be very dangerous. All advice I have ever seen is that AS patients should avoid Chiro care.

I was having a bad back day years ago and met a chiro at a friends dinner party. He asked if my back hurt and I said yea and that I have AS. He said OH then there is nothing I can do for you for that one. He felt any decent chiro would not touch an AS patient with active fusion.

i think that's why my chiro won't work on my spine.
i think he and i are both afraid that he could do more harm than good.

sue

The NASS here in UK is very clear in in its advice to avoid chiropractors and osteopaths for AS as you could suffer permanent damage. They only advise treatment by a physiotherapist. Take care.

I have had both chiros and PTs adjust and align my spine. I have learned that I am extremely sensitive to misaligned vertebrae. When I am out of alignment, the vertebra put pressure on the nerves and the muscles in the area go into mild spasm.

After much experience, I've reached the point where I know when I am out of alignment and need to be adjusted. My PT uses some very gentle manual methods to adjust me which are unlike anything I've ever had a chiro do. If I see a chiro rather than my PT, then I prefer an activator as some of the contortions and spine cracking which chiros have done to me has proved to be irritating for my spine.

However, I have absolutely no sign of fusion in any part of my spine. Drizzit is right; chiropractic manipulations on a fusing spine are risky.

In addition to spinal manipulation, a good chiropractor should also be able to help you with posture and biomechanics, both of which are quite important for a person with AS.

Just be sure you go to a chiro who knows something about AS. Run out of there as fast as you can if the chiro doesn't know much about AS.

Karen

I would stick with the great massage.

I was seeing a chriropractor for 1 1/2 years leading up to my diagnosis. It didn't help, as the disease progressed and became more chronic over the time period. I started out with monthly visits, and was going every few days by time I finally went to an MD and had x-rays and blood work and was diagnosed with AS.

I think with chiro adjustments you would feel relief quickly almost instantly afterwards, if they were making any difference. That never happened with me. I never got up from the table and said, YES, that feels much better now. Even thought he Dr would ask me, I could never admit to feeling any better right away.

But he did have a great therapeutic massage therapist, who gave me wonderful soft tissue massages, and I continued to see her. I do believe she helped me in releasing all the Candida toxins in my body and helped with my healing in that way.

Thanks to all!
I think I will solely be going there for massages and that electronic stimulation thingy that loosens tight and tense muscles. No cracking going on here, the thought alone scares me too much. But hey if I can get a massage for a copay of $20 as opposed to the $100 the spas charge, I'm game.

if you know that you can tolerate massages, go for it
but if you don't know, be careful. my muscles only spasm more when they are massaged, even in the gentlest of ways. for me, counterstrain and ultrasound are the things that help release stubborn muscle spasms. but i think i am unusual in this respect.

sue

I"m the same as Sue with massage... yikes! Unless it is very deep pressure points being done. Vibrations hurt very much for me.

I did a LOT of chiro care when I was in remission & in the early years and it helped quite a bit. Now that things are in a constant high flare, the adjustments don't stay more than a minute or nothing moves, which cause pain.

The only thing I do is have my hubby give me a bear hug & try to straighten out a couple of my thorasic vertebrae. Many times nothing moves, but he is very gentle.

It depends upon the state of your disease.

ultrasound is unbareable for me on my SI & Low back. It is perfect for my neck & rib area.