How to choose a chiropractor? I need suggestions.

[kfeusse]

Before Christmas I asked on here about my son....the forging 16 year old whose back was bothering him.  I was trying to decide if I should go to a doctor or a chiropractor.   I choose the doctor route.  Our GP noticed a slight curve in his spine and sent us to a spine specialist at a children's hospital.  The doctor there said, he did have a slight curve, but that wasn't what was causing his pain.  They gave us some exercises to do and sent us home.  After a month of doing the exercises with no relief, they sent us to PT.  The PT just told us there is nothing he can do.  So, I guess we are going to check out a chiropractor.  I know very little about picking one from many names....I was told that Palmer School grads are supposed to be good, so I looked to see if there were any in our area...and I found 10 (all about 45 minutes from us...none closer...although there are other Chiropractors closer).  

Shortly after my son started complaining about his back, he told me the top of his hand hurt when he gripped his hammer or did certain things.  He has stopped all forging for months and his getting frustrated we aren't getting anywhere.  I do have an appointment with a hand specialist in our area who is widely known to be very good.  I want to rule out any kind of injury before moving forward and they will do x-rays at his appointment on Friday.   I have no idea if a chiropractor can help with a hand too...if he hasn't fractured it or something. 

Some of the Palmer grads have techniques listed, but that means nothing to me.  Maybe you guys will know which technique I should be looking for.  

How do I pick one out?  

Thanks for your help. 

[Katy]

I would avoid Palmer grads.  They aren’t taught science, they are taught all disease comes from the spine. 

If chiropractic will help, it will make a huge difference in 3-5 visits. Avoid Palmer grads, ask around locally, look for good reviews online. 
 

ETA:  a chiropractor helped me with a severely sprained ankle once. He shrugged and said he wasn’t sure he could help, but he cracked it and the pain was immediately cut in half. The second adjustment snd it was gone. The medical doctor had told me it would have been better if I’d broken it because a bone would heal faster. It was still weak for a long time, but the pain was gone quickly. 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Katy

[kbutton]

I see a Palmer grad. Just don't talk about other medical stuff, lol! He adjusts the atlas bone, and it's the only chiropractic that has helped me long-term. In addition to adjusting the atlas bone, he uses an impulse gun that I gather is evidence-based. It's very, very effective. It's not the little manual thing that is spring-loaded--it is gentle but has more umph and some of them actually sense how much pressure to apply and for how long. It makes a huge difference in my treatment (have been to another Palmer grad that uses it sparingly, not nearly as effective). You want someone that is willing to listen to odd symptoms like arms, ribs, knees, etc. hurting because they will usually know what is causing it. Better yet, you want someone who seems to be able to look at and touch your spine and know you're having those symptoms 8/10 times. 

This type of chiropractor will want to do very precise x-rays and possibly some other non-invasive scans that show where there is muscle tension.

I had a chiropractor adjust a strained foot that kept getting worse instead of better with doctor advice, and after adjustment, the swelling visibly lessened before I even left the office. It was a little sore but completely functional after that, and it was basically normal by two weeks or so. 

Regarding the spine curve, you might ask around to find a PT that works with scoliosis patients specifically and/or people with connective tissue disorders (like Ehler's Danlos, Marfan, etc.). My son had PT to stabilize his spine, and it's been extremely helpful (along with chiropractic).

[Masers]

My chiropractor has helped me so much with chronic headaches. I almost never get them anymore. She also helped me have a much easier and more comfortable pregnancy then I’ve had in the past, despite being older. 😝 I actually started taking my son after I saw a testimonial on her site about helping a 13 year old bed wetter stop having accidents after nothing else stopped. He is younger than that, but has consistently wet the bed his whole life. He hardly ever wets anymore...he’s only been going about a month, and since that time has wet the bed once or twice, after wetting 4-5x/week before that. Pretty cool. She said his spine was out of whack from his birth, most likely, which was making him overcompensate by holding his hips weird, which was pinching nerves in his bladder. Or something like that. Haha.

I just looked her up and she did not graduate from a Palmer school. She uses “torque technique”. I don’t know if that’s helpful, but I think if you ask around locally, you’ll get good answers. I had seen other chiros in the past without much noticeable difference, but this one came recommended by multiple friends and family members. I have since referred about half a dozen people to her myself, and they are all happy with her, too, with a wide range of issues! Good luck!

[scholastica]

Look for Logan grads, especially look for someone certified in rehab chiropractic. They do more than just adjust. They know a lot of other techniques and also can give exercises.