Accepted!.. but Meds or Dents

[xylem29]

Anyone who asks themselves the med/dent question should do med.

 

Dentistry is a medical specialty that you have to have a passion for right out of the gate. Either teeth get you off or they don't.

 

Why not the other way around?? Perhaps they should do neither!! Hahaha.

[Tode]

Neither does age necessarily bring wisdom, nor are the young necessarily foolish or naive.

 

I don't think that chiropractors are all bad, but the problem is that the profession is poorly regulated and so there a lot of spin doctors and charlatans who perform useless, excessive, or dangerous procedures:

- Cervical Spine Manipulations: estimated to cause 200 strokes per year in Canada

- Pediatric Treatment: some chiropractors claim to treat cholic/ear infections, where in fact double blind studies have shown that such treatment is no better than placebo

 

The other thing is that chiropractors are not primary health care workers - that's not just my opinion that's legislation.

[shaka84]

1. the profession is poorly regulated.

 

I agree. It's the main reason I am getting out sort of speak.

 

2. High neck manipulations cause 200 strokes a year.

 

No evidence of this what so ever. Is it possible, I think so, but many academics do not. Take a look at Walter Herzog's work at U of Calgary. Take into consideration that all treatments have risk and should be weighed against benefit on a patient by patient basis.

 

3. Pediatric treatment is contraversial in my opinion. Saying that, one of my patients works on a nurse helpline and she says that a referral for chiropractic treatment for colic is recomended by the service so go figure.

 

Like it or not, according to WCB and ICBC, chiropractors are primary care and never require a referral for treatment. I am not sure what you mean by legislation and necessity.

 

shaka

[Dwayner]

I had some back problems when I used to golf a lot, I would go to a chiro once a month during the golf season. I would get my back cracked - then feel great. After a few weeks it would start to get sore again - after a month, crack. This guy was personable and I found very trustworthy

Recently, at UBC I was having a sore back again and decided to go to phsyio. The physio was very quick to figure my body out. I had a weak stomach. I was an avid attender at the gym and worked on core strength a lot. However, when he stomach - he meant the just above my grown region. He gave me half a dozen excercises for that - about 4 years later, my back has never bothered me again! In this case chiro was a bandaid for me.

I was also in vancouver once visiting a friend. And my back was totally wacky. I went to a chiropractor and I had 2 options:

1 - pay like 200 dollars for them to test my spinal nerve conductance or some crap. otherwise they would not touch me... a liabiltiy thing...

but get this and number 2 - pay the chiro fee plus an emergency 75 dollars because i was not a patient who had done the impulse crap...

needless to say I left. and, i do not intend to go back to chiro ever.

d

[shaka84]

Dwayner you just hit the nail on the head. There is no continuity in treatment and in this case you saw someone who sounds crazy. That happens far too often for this day and age.

 

The surface EMG is a crap marketing tool that unfortunately hooks patients because some people think it looks cool. It has no diagnostic reliability what so ever.

 

If you see a chiro for low back pain and he doesn't suggest that you should strengthen your core, run!

 

shaka