Chiropractors Are Not What You Think They Are 

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I have a severe, rare spinal malformation and one of my earliest memories of the medical industry is my childhood spine doctor sitting me and my family down and explaining to us in no uncertain terms that I should never, ever walk (or roll) through a chiropractor’s door, because they will promise miracles, but with my anatomy I would be more likely to be paralyzed or even killed. Dude probably saved my life.

As much as I don't like chiropractors in general and think their practices are bogus; shout out to the chiropractor my mum took me to when I was twelve after almost breaking my neck, who straight up told her to just take me to a hospital instead. You're cool, in my book.

After 130 treatments in a year for sciatica and a herniated disc, my Gonstat chiropractor shattered a disc in my lower back. I was partially paralyzed from the waist down. I had to go to the ER, and they had to do a Discectomy, where the surgeon had to remove my broken disc and put in a plate with screws into my spine. For 1 year I had to use catheters just to urinate and I had bowel movements about 1 every 5 days for 3 years and couldn't get an erection for over 2 years. I had spinal nerve damage that took about 8 years to get most of my feeling back. But thank God, I am finally almost back to normalcy. My Chiropractor had a very busy practice with probably over 50 patients a day in Chula Vista, CA. If you have sciatica from a herniated disc, get the surgery. I was afraid to and will regret it every day.

I am an orthopedic surgeon and you do not understand how much I can appreciate this video and trashing of chiropractic care.

I wasted years of my life and thousands of dollars going to chiropractors when a month of physical therapy was all that I needed. Fantastic channel by the way!

I always thought Chiropractic was just a slightly specialized massage. The idea that a bunch of people think that cracking your back/neck/whatever could do anything other than make you feel slightly good is baffling

My mother has osteoporosis and broke her neck one time, along with a segment of her spine (luckily she was able to walk again, but she lost motor controls in her arms until one day she fell and a medical miracle occured and she got feeling back in her left arm). She went to a chiropractor, first thing they did without any questions, was go to yank on her neck and try to crack it. And yeah, he did it, and my mom was just GONE. She was in SO much pain, cussing them out etc etc, wasn't even what she went there for. They almost killed her within 5 minutes because of their lack of ability to ask simple questions.

Love this video! Way more interactive than my own content and very effective approach to showing the utter foolishness of this practice.

The program director for my occupational therapy program joked at our orientation that if we fail out of the program we automatically are accepted into the chiropractor program. Savage

I went to a chiropractor for a few months when I had a herniated disc in my spine at age 23. No improvement. A year (and many bottles of ibuprofen) later, physical therapy and an MRI determined I needed surgery. The physical therapist said the chiropractor probably made my back worse with the jarring, rapid, severe movements. Potentially related note, my highly experienced neurosurgeon said my herniated disc was one of the worst he had EVER seen.

I read a report once, a man had a long term issue with his thigh causing continual pain and mobility impairment despite medical intervention. So one day he loads a bit of DMT into a pipe and goes to see the doctors on the Astral Plane, who quickly get to work performing a spiritual surgery on his leg to repair what could not be healed physically. He felt whole. He felt Renewed. He felt healed. He came down from the DMT and verified _"Nope, still broken"_ Not everyone does that last bit.

I spent thousands of dollars on migraine and back muscle and spinal issues, until one chiropractor accidentally mentioned that all of my issues stemmed from one leg being shorter than another. I got a 1/4" shim for my left leg, and arch supports for my high arches, and bam! no more issues. THOUSANDS of dolalrs, and YEARS of pain. 🤦🏼‍♂️

My grandma worked as a mechanic for 40 years at a steel mill. She had back issues and didn’t want to get anything done surgically. She went to a chiropractor, a year later she needed to get surgery because her back got worse. It got so bad she couldn’t walk. Going to the chiropractor was a bad move. The man was sweet to her but he kept telling her that her back was basically fucked but if she kept seeing him he could “probably” fix it.

"Anything that goes wrong in the body, it has the potential to make it better. How it makes it better? I can't tell you." That is one of the wildest things I've ever heard on multiple levels.

I used a protractor, found out my bones were at a funny angle.

I went to The Joint, first ever adjustment. Was in a little bit of pain afterwards, but didn't think much of it and thought it might be normal. I woke up the next day and literally could not sit up. I ended up needing back surgery a few weeks later and now I have severe chronic pain and can't stand up for longer than 30 seconds. I was hiking with my partner an hour before that appointment, and now I need to use a wheelchair when I go out and a walker around my house. There are so many things I wish I would have known.

I went to the chiropractor in 2018/19 for really bad lower and upper back pain and a twisty ribcage. I was told I had scoliosis, and I believed it until I was 21 (2021). £50 per week, so £200 per month. I eventually saw a physiotherapist for a second opinion and they said I’ve never had scoliosis. The reason for my back pain is that one leg is shorter than the other so my hips are not balanced and my ribcage compensates. You could literally see it in the way I stood! I was given a little block to put in my shoes and my back pains gradually got less and less. Yes, the back cracks were satisfying but did nothing.

Whenever someone on the internet brings up chiropractors I’m obligated to talk about the time a chiropractor told me adjustments would cure my depression and I wouldn’t need my antidepressants after about 1 year of adjustments. This was my first visit to the place, it was just the consultation. I was 15. They also had an empty 5 gallon water cooler jug that they were filling up with their patients old prescription medications that they didn’t need anymore because getting adjustments cured them. It was between a quarter and a third of the way full. I think the worst part of this is that my mom, who has a masters in psychology and has been in the field since the late 90s, believed them. She wasn’t 100% all in on it, but she legitimately thought they might’ve been on to something.

my 2 cents, I have gone to a chiro a few times... but it wasn't the adjustment that assisted in relieving the pain I was in, it was the follow up "medical massage" (I think they had to tack on "medical" to get the insurance to cover it) as the issue was not in the (admittedly crooked) spine, it was caused by muscle strain, likely due to bad posture while working at my computer complicated by the already extant muscle strain due to my scoliosis. Then, and to this day, I can pop my own spine as well if not better than a chiro, from hips to head. I used to test things by stretching and popping myself just to see if the chiro could actually get more pops than me, and she never did. Benefit of the massages though, I learned where to focus my own efforts to relieve the tension myself so while they were nice, they are no longer needed either.

I worked a job loading and delivering heavy cases of wine and kegs of beer. After repetitive stress on my back joints and one major injury in my sacroiliac, I left the profession. But I never healed properly. I went to see a chiropractor, eventually, someone who seemed intelligent and competent and not one to make wild promises. I quickly realized the care he was providing was only short-term relief, and wasn't going to fix anything on its own. But I credit my chiropractor with making me more aware of my back muscles, joints, and bones and how I use them. The areas of my body he focused his attention on were the trouble spots. I began to use my body in smarter ways to accomplish physical tasks, not trying to over-exert when my body was stiff, etc. I certainly got my money's worth out of the experience. I feel like the treatment was a low-key success. I wouldn't go back to see him though.

My mum used to see a chiropractor who pulled her legs. Turned out she had degenerative arthritis in her hips and he made it much worse. That was about twenty years ago, she's been an ambulatory wheelchair user for the last four years and is in constant chronic pain. She would have had problems anyway, but this guy made it so much worse, and probably hastened her decline and eventual need for mobility aids.

Bro I didn't realize it was this deep, I go to a chiropractor 2-3 times a year and they always tell me that they can't fix anything but the can provide short term realize to soreness/aches, nothing more nothing less. I didn't realize people thought this could actually cure/treat serious stuff

Thanks for making interesting videos. I usually scroll by because content in these types of videos loses my interest quickly but yours keeps me wanting to watch to the end.

When I was 23, I had a terrible pinched nerve in lower back that was excruciating pain, 10/10 pain when in the wrong position. I could barely get in and out of a car without assistance and could not get up from bed without sliding to the floor. It lasted for 2 days and was so bad I was in tears. I thought I would not be able to work anymore or function normally. My family helped me to a chiropractor and he cracked my lower back in that spot. The relief was instant. I could leave the office on my own, get in and out of the car on my own, do everything I could do normally after that. The only thing left was a little residual soreness. After 2 more visits I was 100% back to normal. This was 15 years ago. About 5 years ago I had the same thing happen again after moving heavy furniture so I didn't wait and saw a chiropractor who fixed it again. There IS a need for chiropractic treatment given the right circumstances. I don't see them normally, but it's good to know they are there if I ever have that trouble again.

I stopped telling people I don't believe in chiropractic because I kept getting a ton of backlash. It really is cultish.

my dad works in spinal surgeries, and it is INSANE how many patients he sees as a result of chiropractic gone wrong Edit: holy shit… was not trying to start a war about how spine surgery is the greatest thing of all time. And i’m certainly not saying that if you have a little back pain that you should jump right into spine surgery. First off, my dad isn’t a surgeon, never said he was. He’s a neuromonitor. Second I wasn’t saying surgery NEVER goes wrong. Ofc it does, and no the medical system isn’t fantastic. But I didn’t make it. And sometimes surgery is necessary. My only point was that it’s very common for him to see patients who were paralyzed because of bad chiropractic services. ALSO for those saying “what about spinal surgeries that cripple people” When you go into a surgery like that, you’re informed of the risks. And you know the purpose/ rewards of the operation. However, with chiropractic people are not told the very serious risks, and are mislead about the “rewards” At best it can temporarily relieve pain, at worst it can paralyze you. That was the point of my initial comment.

I used to attend a university that allowed the nearby chiropractic school to use some of its lecture halls. One day, I was passing by one of those lecture halls and heard the lecturer (I don't know if it was a professor or a guest lecturer) telling the assembled students that diseases cannot come from bacteria, and I quote, "because your body is full of bacteria and if they could make you sick you would be sick all the time"). I didn't stick around to hear all of the statement that followed, though I vaguely remember them acknowledging viruses as a "possible vector for disease". For the record, the school was known as a "straight" (i.e., only "woo") chiropractic school that also taught homeopathy and was repeatedly disciplined by their accrediting body - not the state/regional college council, but the CHIROPRACTIC accrediting body - for poor curriculum and student outcomes.

Hey at least you guys aren’t me, who realized halfway through Chiropractic school and then dropped out!

When I was 7 years old our chiropractor realized that my right leg was noticeably shorter than my left. He referred me to an orthopedic specialist but not before trying to fix the leg himself...for a YEAR! I ended up needing 3 surgeries to correct the problem and the orthopedic specialist was not happy at having lost 12 months to chiropractic quackery.

They did a surprisingly terrible job making it sound like not a scam in that clinic. Wow. It's pretty normal to go, for example, to a physical therapist for multiple visits preplanned (generally not prepaid, though, afaik...), but in that situation in my experience there was never a doubt in my mind that I was receiving legitimate medical care for a specific issue that they were trained and qualified to treat. If you have any experience with spotting scams whatsoever you could see through it, which is so slimy because you know their target demographic is people who are naive to being swindled and in pain, bad enough to seek help for it, something many people struggle to do at all. It's really gross.

i'm fairly impressed by the quality and variety of the content that u guys keep pushing out! greetings from germany

I’m a roofer and going to a chiropractor definitely helped my back

I think what no one is talking about is a lot of people seek "alternative" methods because they have such a hard time getting help from the traditional medical system - it's ridiculously expensive to try to get a correct diagnosis and help and that's IF you can get a doctor to listen to you and not dismiss it as something "trivial" like diet and/or exercise.

I used to work in personal injury on the plaintiff side and I cannot tell you the amount of times I would see a client go to the chiropractor for months and come back into my office looking and/or feeling much worse. I’ve never had a personal experience with them but from seeing so many clients come back to me worse off than had they just gone to physical therapy for a few weeks is unbelievable.

I used to go to a chiropractor for back pain. I finally spent about 2k on a good mattress and bam. No more back pain

absolutely fantastic video. I've always felt a bit cynical of chiropractors, even though my mother has had some positive experiences with it. Never would have guessed it would go this deep.

A guy who was working at the same place I was always complained about a bad back and how when a chiropractor treated him he always felt better. But then a week later the pain would return and he'd go back again. He must have spent a fortune on chiropractic treatments. I suggested he saw a doctor but he was convinced he was getting the treatment he needed. Then one day he got a pain in his side so took time off work to see his chiropractor and came back saying he was now feeling better. The same thing happened the next day. I suggested seeing a doctor, but he went back to the chiropractor. The following day at work he collapsed in agony so I called an ambulance. He was taken into surgery and his appendix, that the surgeon described as ruptured and gangrenous, was removed. A few days later back at work he told us how he was going to sue the hospital because his chiropractor told him they didn't need to be cut open and bits taken out, all he had needed was another manipulation of his spine. I told him his chiropractor was definitely manipulating him!

I was lost as to why chiropractic was in a weird "grey zone", both lumped in with things like homeopathy, and still being "recognized" as real medicine. Thank you very much for this insight.

My dad and my sister had their hips messed up because of a chiropractor but instead of stopping they go more because of that pain

I love my chiropractor, I also love my acupuncturist, my massage therapist, and my primary care physician. They all work well to keep me going.

I grew up in Davenport, home of the Palmer College of Chiropractic and where chiropractics was created. It is quite literally a part of the culture there, everyone has a chiropractor and no one ever questions it, even though the whole theory was born out of a weird dream.

I started a chiropractic massage clinic with my ex girlfriend. She was the chiropractor and I started to feel like she really had no idea what she was doing. Then we went to a seminar for chiropractors and it blew my mind. It wasn’t about healing, it felt like a huge crazy cult that was all about how to bill patients for more money. There were many millionaires there so their systems as far as money collection do work well, as far as chiropractic itself I have never been to one since.

I just binged all your videos. Keep up the great work

Well, years ago I went to a chiropractor who treated some back and leg pain I had so well. She worked on my fascia, which was really rigid and causing pain, on muscle tention, taught me exercises to strengthen my back, taught me stretches, posture. It changed my life. She's one of the few good ones. She uses science, and didn't promise miracles, just down-to-earth practices. Did she crack my back? Yes, and it caused immediate relaxation in some of the painful areas and the exercises she taught helped my overall condition. I know probably most are quacks. But a few do a really good job. P.s.: The pains haven't come back.

This takes me back to when my mom tried taking my kid brother to a chiropractor for his chronic pain (only briefly, and only because she couldn't get the doctors to take him seriously and was out of options). The chiropractor kept insisting with just a little more time he could fix everything, in spite of how much pain the kid was clearly being put through. Turns out he had a tumor on his spine, so. . . .

Love seeing videos like this. My grandfather is a retired rheumatologist (so, a joints-muscles-'n'-skeleton doctor), and he's made it clear for years that chiropractors are peddling BS. Apparently that's not a super popular opinion, since I've gotten pushback from friends and acquaintances when I tell them I'm not willing to go to a chiropractor. But honestly, I feel like you shouldn't need a doctor to tell you it's BS. There's a chiropractic office near me that lists all the things it "treats," and it's very, uh, revealing. Here are some of the things that this chiropractor claims they can "fix" by yanking on your spine: - chronic pain (par for the course) - headaches (hmmm) - hearing impairments (what) - autoimmune diseases (HOW) - depression (girl WHAT) - ADHD (???) - autism (?????) etc. I don't know how anyone can read this shit listed out and not immediately smell BS. Anything that claims to cure everything will probably just cure you of hyperfinancism (a.k.a. having too much money in your bank account).

This really opened my eyes. I had no idea thank you

I've had scoliosis reduced in a chiropractor center. The treatment focused more on machines, dry needling, etc. Bone cracking were just for temp relief and show in the end.

Had back trouble for years so I tried a chiropractor. Took me years to finally set appointment as I was skeptical. The whole thing was just as you described. I felt like I was “ being sold” the whole time. I could tell it was a script the “Dr” had delivered many times before. I agreed to first treatment just to see if it would help. He made some adjustments and had me bend and recheck range of motion. I didn’t notice any difference and he didn’t like me telling him this. Eventually telling me “ trust me it’s better”. As an engineer this made zero sense to me. Anyway canceled all other appointments they made me sign up for and consider it a SCAM.

I once found a chiropractor who was realistic about what he could and couldn't do. He was also laid back, saying come back if you need another adjustment, otherwise I'll see you when I see you. A couple of years later, he went out of business.

Even if chiro works, there's basically no situation where you "must" crack any of your joints or your neck to get relief. Whatever relief can be had from it you can get other ways that don't risk harm. I have spinal stenosis and it led to developing three bulging disks, the three from the bottom one up. Something called Rolfing ended up completely reversing my atrophied leg and the guy who did it told me he couldn't "cure" me but could make the symptoms manageable and he did exactly that. When I saw a neurosurgeon years later he told me he's never seen improvement like that without surgical intervention and what alarmed me is he displayed zero interest in how and why it happened.

Fantastic video - so much work went into it and shows this issue goes waaaay deeper than I knew. Exemplary.

a buddy from college is finishing up his “degree” in chiropractic care or whatever it is. i feel so bad for him because he’s so dedicated to it but too much of a believer in it all to see through the smoke and mirrors. and to think there’s entire schools pushing out these pseudo-physicians… insane

I worked in a physiotherapy clinic for 7 years, and the amount of folks we had in who had issues made worse by chiros is insane

I worked in Spine surgery and one of my patients was rolled in by wheel chair by her friend as a "walk in". She had a displaced C2 fracture and required emergency neurosurgery. She just went to a chiropractor.

the placebo effect is a real thing, people actually feel better when they are expecting something to make them feel better

My uncle in law only saw a chiropractor from the 1970s until the early 2000s. Late 2009 he started having problems with balance, and his chiropractor said "Bob, you have to go to a real doctor." 2 weeks later he was dead of liver cancer. They are placebos made flesh: if you believe in them, they work ok, but theyre not really doing anything.

Physical therapist here chiming in! I really dug this mini doc 👌 If we are honest, there is a lot of quackery in both PT and Chiro. At the end of the day they both just give a person the license to practice therapy (with Chiro having WAY more legal wiggle room which causes trouble). What makes the difference is if the professional follows an evidence based practice or a tool/gimmick type practice. In PT school we also learn mobilizations/manipulations of joints. The difference is we are taught (and research shows) these are only useful initially after injury and in conjunction with rehab exercises. Also, only in specific circumstances. A manipulation just changes how the body feels and percieves the manipulated area. The "crack" you hear is basically air releasing from the joint. This is great for temporary relief if pain/discomfort is present. But to be honest, crack or no crack, the end result is the same if you do appropriate rehab exercises. Other shams, or really non-useful modalities, include ultrasound, cupping, that wierd chiro hammer thing, KT tape (in 90% of contexts), scraping tools. Im sure there are plenty more I couldn't think of. Most of these are either placebo or temporarily change a sensation the body is feeling thus altering pain signals. Do these all look sexy? Yes, and great to market to customers. Are they useful beyond extremely rare circumstances? Nope! In either case, if you go to see a PT or a Chiro only stay with them if graded exposure to load and exercise is the bread and butter treatment. If they try and convince you to do another modality make sure they can REALLY explain why before agreeing. After all, YOU are the boss in your treatment. The healthcare professionals around you advise on your situation but you have the final call. As a side note, traction and E-Stim/TENS are great for pain management and muscle re-education with certain injuries/patholgies. The only two techniques/modalties actually worth the time. Ill step off my soap box now. 😅 I welcome constructive discussion friends, whether you agree or disagree.

I love how I got 3 SEPARATE CHIROPRACTOR ADS on this video

"What's a scam that's become so normalized that we don't even realize it's a scam anymore?" Taxes, banking . . . "chiropractics" Oh.

My mom got roped into chiropractic for chronic pain and mental health, but says she can’t see a therapist because we can’t afford it.

My grandfather was a Gonstead trained chiropractor. I was adjusted by him (at no cost, thankfully) from infancy until about a year before he died in my early 20s. I have chronic neck related pain and headaches, and I firmly believe that either all the adjustments in childhood damaged something, or I was conditioned to be too aware of how my neck and spine feel. Any time I visit home, Mom tries to set up appointments for me with whatever chiropractor she's currently seeing. (None are "as good as Grandpa," of course. She can't find the right one.) Her favourite "almost good enough" splurge guy who's quite a drive away is all into the woo woo stuff. He's got all the gadgets. He has lasers to offer laser therapy. He sells supplements. Everything. How many chiropractic appointments have I booked for myself since I moved far away from home a 24? None. Not a penny spent.

Very interesting discussion. It seems to me that anyone with the title "Dr." in front of their name suffers from a serious ego trip--chiropractors, medical doctors, and higher ed professionals alike. Everyone is lying about stuff for personal gain. Personal discernment and communication with one's own body seem essential right about now. You can't tell up from down anymore because of money and the power it holds over almost everyone. Thanks so much for your high quality, carefully researched video. I appreciate this work. 🙂

I went to a chiropractor for a small shoulder injury that prevented me from working ( i'm a violinist). He diagnosed me with a " stuck" vertebrae in my neck, proceded to crack it and never dealt with my shoulder. It got better on its own, but my neck suddenly became my " focus" afterwards. I went a few more times each time providing relief but then another part would feel "stuck" . He told me when he frees one region another one can get blocked and that i should make some more appointments... i stopped going. I realized the body given time and rest heals itself just the same as after chiropractic adjustement. In fact better , without the added trauma of manipulations and the weakness and fatigue that comes with it... Much better to move and strech and rest and trust the body to heal itself. With the money i saved i bought myself an extra bike 😅

My husband had horrible back pain problems and a huge swollen stomach. The military sent him to a chiropractor. He ended up in the emergency room still in pain where the nurses could feel the massive tumour on his back, you could see it clearly in the X-rays the chiropractor charged us for. A year later he was dead.

A chiropractor nearly disabled me in my early 20’s, it took months of physical therapy to get through the pain they caused

I know someone who used to get adjusted constantly. One day, less than an hour after leaving the office, he had a wet stroke, and is now permanently paralyzed, on one side of his body. I also have personal experience with one. Before the situation with the guy I mentioned above, I was very seriously injured, and I was being treated by neurologists, orthopedic specialists, oral surgeons, and several other specialists. A family member suggested trying a chiropractor, so I went. The guy, without even doing an exam, went into a spiel about how all doctors don’t know what they’re doing, and chiropractic adjustments, multiple times a week, were all I really needed. I told him he was out of his mind, and left. I am thankful that I did.

Orthopedic surgeons persuaded me into a hip surgery that just made everything worse. I discovered later the problem was my left sacral joint had fused. I had been to chiropractors. It didn't help long term, only short term with things I could later learn how to do myself at home. Most chiropractors suggested many add-on services, which didn't help or have any real research available. But, it was a chiropractor who finally got me walking regularly again. He got movement back in my left sacral joint, combined with massage therapy. Six different previous chiropractors and surgeons couldn't figure out where he succeeded. Also, I'm pretty sure the industry knows about chiropractors being ambulance chasers. Insurance limits the number of visits and the copays are higher than other doctors.

My father is a chiropractor. About two years ago I had to have heart surgery because my mitral valve was prolapsed and was allowing blood to flow in the wrong direction which was causing major issues. I didn't tell my father and just did the surgery because I knew it was vital and I also knew he would think chiropractic could have fixed it. Sure enough, when I did finally tell him about the surgery after I had mostly recovered he was upset with me because he honestly felt like he could have fixed it with adjustments.

Everyone I have ever known who sees these guys has one thing in common: "Yeah He's great! I see him 3 times a week!"

This video is important. Thank you for posting it.

This is what should show up first when ppl start looking into the topics. I have spent so much time trying to find healing in some level of chiropractic adjustment. I'm not saying my journey was all bad. But there was a lot of mistruths, and harmful practices. We can do better now. And it starts with knowing all aspects of what's going on. Thank you for your work. I hope more people find you!

I was lucky to have a really nice chiropractor who helped me with my shoulder stiffness and other back related problems. The thing is he told me to not come back anymore after 2 sessions with him, cus he had nothing else to do. Nowadays I don't have the same issues anymore. Definitely look out for and be careful with any chiropractors who want to cure other non-physical issues, or those who want you to come back over and over.

To anyone who has been hurt, scammed, or otherwise harmed by a chiropractor: it was not your fault. *it was not your fault.* Chiropractic is so often my presented as medicine. Chiropractors are good at making themselves seem legitimate and marketing themselves as healers. With hindsight, it’s easy to look back and see the holes and red flags. It is not your fault if you missed, overlooked, ignored, or whatever word you want to use, them. You shouldn’t have to be looking out for red flags when seeking medical treatment. I don’t know what you went through, but I’m guessing that you probably had/have some type of long term problem that was ignored and/or treatment wasn’t working. I’ve been there. I know the desperation, the fear, and the resignation. I know the feeling when someone finally believes you, when they take you seriously, when they say they can help you. It’s easy to ignore red flags and dismiss concerns when this person/people are listening. What happened wasn’t your fault. I hope you’re doing better now. Remember to take your meds, drink water, and get some sleep. ❤️❤️❤️ EDIT, because some of y’all did not get the fucking point of this comment: I’m talking about medical trauma. Something pretty common with trauma is to blame yourself for what happened. It’s never helpful to feel guilty about a traumatic experience. I was hoping to reassure anyone harmed by a chiropractor that they shouldn’t feel guilty for being harmed. It’s especially not helpful to say things along the lines of “well you could’ve googled if chiropractic is legit”. Technically it was possible but it’s a bit late for that now, and blaming someone for being harmed by another person they trusted isn’t fucking helpful. Sure, you can say that one should live their life always looking out for red flags but you shouldn’t have to. Especially in medical settings where there is implicit trust. Chiropractors target vulnerable people. I was 15 when I first saw a chiropractor. I had been dealing with unexplained pain since I was 8 and migraines that I was tools to treat with essential oils since I was 10. In the months leading up to seeing a chiropractor I was in so much pain and was so weak I could barely walk on my own. I struggled to grip a pencil and to type. I went to the ER multiple times and saw multiple specialists who all basically dismissed what was happening, either saying they didn’t know what was wrong or that it anxiety. So when I went to chiropractor that a friend of my mom recommended and they actually listened to me and took me seriously I wanted to believe them. I was skeptical of some of their practices but when the first “medical professional” took me seriously in 7 years I went along with it. Unless you’ve been in that situation where you’re desperate for someone to believe you, you don’t know what it’s like. I don’t want to hear what you would’ve done because until you’re in that situation you don’t truly know. If it seems like I’m angry here it’s because I am. If you dont have someone positive to say, if you’re just going to say we should’ve known better, just don’t comment. If you’re the type of person to see this comment and respond by blaming victims, fuck off. Just don’t comment, it’s that fucking easy.

I had a chiropractor slam me so hard into his drop-down table that I had to have back and neck surgery to fix what he destroyed.

Jeez wow. My chiro, in Australia, basically acts as an improved massage place that just helps to release tension temporarily. It did help me back when I had a really stiff neck to not feel pain everyday, but I would never believe (and they have never claimed) it would do much more than that. Edit to note: they've never used neck cracking or anything, just hands and the little activator thingy.

I used to think that Chiropractors were just a specialty doctor for your back. So when I was having back problems, I went to a Chiropractor and the first appointment seemed fine. The adjustment thing made sense for my back because I do have low level scoliosis that makes my hips off balance very slightly, so maybe this would be all I needed to correct this slight problem I always had. They acted in a way that made it seem like they were real doctors. Then they said to bring someone important to me when I came to the second appointment so that they can understand what is going on with me. I thought that made sense, so I brought my boyfriend at the time. They wheeled in one of those old tube TVs on a cart that played one of the weirdest videos I have ever seen. It basically made it clear that they were not only NOT doctors, but they were trying to convince us that we shouldn't go to real doctors. It was essentially an anti-medicine propoganda video. After that they did start trying to do the thing where I pay upfront for several sessions in advance. Everything about that second appointment made it very clear that my understanding of what a chiropractor is was very, very wrong.

When I moved to Texas, literally all of my friends I made here said they go to a chiropractor and it shocked me because I have never been a supporter of the chiropractor. Now I realize that physical therapy is what everybody needs. Physical therapy helps to strengthen weak spots of the body where the pain is to provide lasting change. Chiropractors are crap. They always have been

I had a situation where I had slept wrong and my neck hurt and I couldn't turn my head one direction. Of course, this had happened before and it usually went away after a day or so, but this persisted for over 2 weeks. Nothing worked (heating pad, stretching it, etc.) so I made an appointment with a chiropractor. I explained the situation to him, he pulled out some kind of handheld clicking "gun." He pulsated it around my shoulder and... INSTANTLY the pain was gone and I could turn my head again. I couldn't believe it. I suffered for 2 weeks and he fixed it in a matter of seconds! I don't know what the diagnosis was or how he knew that would fix it, but I was grateful.

Its basically like a massage and feels good for a while but you always have to go back.

Went to chiropractors for years .. every time I had a back ache. I would get a couple of required repeat treatments and it would clear up in about a week. Finally I decided to wait. I had a back pain and left it alone maybe did some stretching and exercise.. it cleared up in about a week. So I broke the repetitive cycle for myself, took up yoga and other exercises and now I’m happy to say I’m a recovered chiroholic

I have a friend who, when he was in college, told me he was going to study to be a chiropractor. A month later he had switched to software engineering and never spoke of chiropractic ever again.

Excellent job on this video!

Every time I hear about chiropractors, I remember this funny/ not funny story about someone I know: There's this girl I knew from school. I don't know how or why but she always ended up with guys who were drug addicts and/or drug dealers. By the way, she doesn't even drink or smoke cigarettes, let alone use drugs. I saw her again after years and she told me that she was dating a guy who was just about to finish school to become a doctor. Oh wow, that's a change from the guys she used to date! Good for her! After a while, I saw her again and found out that she was single again. She told me that when her boyfriend finished school, they both invested all the money they had to rent a place where he could practice as a doctor, they paid for ads and it worked! He found a few patients and he started making good money but shortly after he started practicing, something happened (she didn't explain what exactly and I didn't ask for details ), someone sued him and that's when she found out that he wasn't a real doctor. The "school" he went to to become a doctor were just online classes he took to become a chiropractor. Funny how she keeps finding these guys but at the same time, to her, it's not funny at all.

My best friend was a chiropractor. While he was at school he told me, "This is all nonsense. The popping sound is the most effective placebo effect ever." He quit his practice within a year because he didn't like that he was essentially scamming people.

This is an absolute wake up call for me. I’ve been thinking about going to a chiropractor due to joint issues I’ve been having over the years to which have been getting a bit worse. Now been sagacious on the history of chiropractic lies, I’d rather go to a medical professional with info that’s backed by science. Going to a chiropractor could’ve made my scoliosis worse and I’m already thankful enough that my scoliosis didn’t progress any further. This video honestly probably saved my life

subluxation does have a medical meaning but it just means a very brief dislocation that goes back into place without medical intervention. like a shoulder subluxation is a shoulder dislocation that pops back into place like a few seconds later

Great story, editing and animation! regarding the topic....I absolutely love my chiropractor and there is a time for his skill set and there is a time for me to see my Western Medically Doctor.

My baby when he was born had torticollis (he is now 7 months old), I was horrified when a lactation consultant suggested I should take him to an infant chiropractor. And I've seen on mom's facebook groups people talking about taking their newborns to see an infant chiropractor for stuff like colic.

The chiropractors here if anyone ever asks that they are so straightforward and are just like "Yeah this is only for temporary relief of your back pain this isn't gonna treat your medical issues" they even have a giant disclaimer out front saying so, I would say some chiropractors are crazy some aren't

I went to a chiropractor for about a year and half in 3 month increments about. I had terrible neck pain, and being a nurse, I feared pain killers and orthopedics surgeons more than chiropractors even though I knew chiropractors were scammy. The main doc told me he could fix my pain in three visits. He did. He then told me I should come in once a month for maintenance adjustments, which I would do for awhile but I felt good so I would stop. Eventually the pain would come back and they’d fix me back up and this repeated. One time I got fixed up real good and then I took a long vacation in my car and started toning down the intensity of my workout and I’ve never had to go back. During my time, they did do some of the fancy stuff to me periodically but I always hated it and never let them do it again. The neck sling yank thing, skin cracking. All of it hurts and none of it helped. One of the docs had a routine he did. The upward rotation neck crack, both sides, popping my back down the length of the spine, and then the spine twist pop. That’s it. Sometimes I felt like he wasn’t putting effort into his therapy but it always worked, never hurt, and kept me going. The other guy did way better but always tried something fancy. Chiropractors are not medical doctors. I’m not even sure they’re good physical therapists. They are slightly more advanced massage therapists who have a higher success rate running their own businesses. That’s all.

I've only experienced that at the Joint. I walked out when they told me I needed to sign up on a monthly plan and come in once a week forever as a routine. Felt like a cult. Also thought it was weird the waiting room watched. I had never experienced that at any small private chiropractic. I did have a good chiropractor that showed me stretches for a pinched nerve so props to that one.

Been to chiro for a couple of months...nothing changed. They just kept telling me it takes time. Never left a session thinking "I feel so much better". When my prepaid block was over they had already lined up and scheduled in another block starting from scratch before discussing with me, expecting me to accept that 'my treatment is going to take longer than expected'. They also never answered questions directly. I asked them "What kind of excercises can I do to help improve things between my sessions?" Their only answer was always 'walking'. I asked them "how is the best way I should be sleeping". Her answer was "A healthy back should be able to sleep in any position without problem as long as your comfortable". Even I know thats not true. What they want is for your back NOT to improve so you keep coming back and popping your neck and do useless 'adjustments'. They also frquently dodged questions like "why is chiropracty not on the NHS?" I gave them the benefit of the doubt and got nothing back but more back pain. My sleeping has gotten even worse. Don't hire these people.

I tried to have this conversation with my mom a few times. She has been going to chiropractor offices for chronic pain and general wellness since I was a little kid. In fact I had my back cracked a few times when I was a kid. When I had tension once it felt helpful, but other than that I usually felt worse afterwards. My mom thinks it's weird that I won't go to the chiropractor at all as an adult, but in reality I find that a lot of rest and listening to my body is more helpful than chiropractors have been. I don't have a problem with people wanting their back stretched and cracked, but I do have a problem with people using that as pseudoscience and taking it too far. EDIT: The last line I said has people confused. I'm referring to the video where it talks about chiropractors making claims that a back crack will cure cancer. Chiropractors can manage pain but won't cure you, that's the important distinction. My mom has a similar reason for going to the chiropractor but I'm not going to say what the condition is. She used to do other things like yoga and hula hoops but it's gotten harder for her to do as she aged and the problem got worse. I think it's fine that she wants to go to the chiropractor, my whimpy delicate body won't handle it most days.

I saw a chiropractor about three times. The first two times, he just twisted my neck and adjusted it. The third time, he got a new device that he never used before that was the electro shock thing for the muscles to help strengthen them. Obviously, he did no training with the thing… not only did he leave it on my neck for too long, which would send all of the blood to that area… He put it too close to my carotid artery and sent a shock to my heart. After he took it off of me, I didn’t realize anything was happening until I stood up and was talking to him in a room. My girl at the time, who was a nurse, said you are pale white come over here and sit down. When I did, she tried to take my pulse and couldn’t find one. She immediately told the chiropractor to call an ambulance, because she couldn’t find a pulse, and I was completely white. The chiropractor ran out of the room, saying that I was just woozy because of him talking about the process. She said, he has been watching horror movies since he has been seven years old… I don’t think what you are saying is having any effect whatsoever. I cannot find a pulse. I’ve tried multiple times. He wouldn’t call an ambulance so she took me over to the hospital and they said I had an arrhythmia caused by that session. After a little bit, it normalized and they sent me home. The next day, I still wasn’t feeling good and we went back over to the hospital and it was still there. They kept me for a little while and then sent me home again and said that it is probably just the effects of what happened today before. The next day after that, the doctors office called and had the balls to say that you ran out of the office without paying. For which my girl went crazy on them and said that they almost killed me that they should be surprised if they didn’t receive a call and/or a letter from a lawyer soon. Never apologized, never admitted to what they did. I never did sue, I wish I had… just to hold him accountable because he wouldn’t call an ambulance. Cared more about his license and insurance then a human being. Needless to say, he had other patients that he must’ve hurt… Because his practice is closed and I heard he was sued multiple times. I have a bad neck and bad back, from car accidents, and sports that I played from the time that I was a year old, on. The first accident being when I was a year-old. Needless to say, talking to multiple doctors and surgeons… And asking the same question, they all give me the same answer… The question I ask is, is it voodoo? For which they reply, that is the perfect description of it. while, yes, it may adjust some bones back into place… They will just go back out of place because you’re not solving the root of the problem, which is usually lack of muscle in the area or some issue with the discs. Continuously cracking the bones back in place will wear down that bone and could cause future issues. Not to mention, could injure some discs in the process. If anybody goes to a chiropractor with moderate to severe issues in their neck. Meaning, like me… Narrowing and moderate to severe arthritis… Which is in my back also… and it is severe enough, they could end up paralyzing you or killing you. I would link a RU-vid video here, that shows many people getting paralyzed from these Chiropractors. Some people are dying. Because the chiropractor isn’t doing their due diligence with getting and analyzing MRIs and judging whether or not a patient is healthy enough to even attempt something like this. As, if they don’t do x-rays and MRIs, they will not know the severity of what is going on and could make things worse or even paralyze or kill a patient. Again, it’s a short term fix to a long-term issue. Because if the bones got turned in the first place, they are more than likely to do the same again. Which indicates other issues allowing that to happen. That they cannot fix with chiropractic adjustments.

This is strange. I have only been to the chiropractor maybe a half a dozen times in my life but the times I did go he helped me immensely.

My mom believes wholeheartedly in Chiropractic and pretty much any "medicine" that isn't actual medicine. It terrifies me.

My wife occasionally sold things at a flea market and her table was always right next to a chiropractor. All day, she listened to them, diagnosing everyone with the same thing just to get them to make an appointment. A long time ago my wife went to a chiropractor for back pain. They told her it was an alignment issue. The real reason: fractured disk pressing on a nerve. The solution: Surgery to remove the fragment. Real medicine 1 chiropractor 0

Went to The Joint today for a first exam after work. Yep I'm 'misaligned' in my pelvis according to them. Nope not pre-paying for more treatment. Thank goodness for friends on Twitch and Discord for giving me the heads up on this.