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though you could not see it, KB, I just did the "it's on me" McNabb chest pat to indicate mea misunderstanding.

Hey doc,

Thanks for the advice, although it should have been somewhat obvious, to numbskulls like myself, it helps to have the obvious reinforced. Resting is doing the trick, and although I've been working this week at a trade show (specifically, helping in setup and teardown), the arm is getting better.

I think I would not ascribe all the benefits they do regarding their manipulations. However, people HAVE benefited from their therapy. I guess it is hard to definitively answer that questions since it is too general.


Ok, I guess I was very vague there.

To be more specific, I've had a recurring "nag" in my back for ages, usually temporarily solved by leaning against an edge and then cracking my own back. When I say nag, I mean a stiffness/uncontrollable urge to do so, but the discomfort never lasts after I crack my own back. I am just curious, do structural back problems come and go, like mine seem to do, or are they chronic. I know I don't need surgery at this point, but I'm wondering if regular visits to the back cracker can head off things before they come to a head?

FB,

What I'll say is the jury is seriously out about back surgery.

More patients who have had back surgery do NOT get better. A meta-analysis of patients who have had surgery say the success rate is less than 50%.

So, the best thing to do is conservative management which may include a chiropractor. Strengthening your back muscles, understanding where your stress is carried (most men it is between the shoulders), and being smart about how you treat your body are the best things I could advise you to do.

The time I'd get antsy around a chiropractor is with neck manipulations. Those concern me because there is a real but very small risk you can create a dissection (disruption of a vascular wall) which can lead to strokes or spinal damage by compromising blood flow. The reason I say the neck is that the vertebral arteries are only located there and are at risk from those manipulations. What I can say is that you have to remember that certain things are as my friend says are "young man's game".

I can personally attest to having my back worked on by a DO (who were originally chiropractors but became full fledged physicians when there was a shortage back in WW2) and it helped me a lot. I have had it done from time to time for my thoracic spine.

Hook, I'm glad things have improved for you. If you want to help manage the swelling, sometimes a loose brace (like a sock) can be helpful. You can easily find those at pharmacy like Walgreen's or CVS. Keep in mind it won't cure the problem itself but it will mitigate the symptoms.

I thought MDs considered the chiro field to be mystical quack science.

my place is looking into the market for chiro books, and it's definitely getting more respect lately. since the ebp stuff and ama losing a lawsuit and hte profession moving forward with its education, it's a different ballgame now

It's definitely mainstream. I think it's the third largest "medical" profession behind dentistry and something else.

I go to one every now and then because it actually helps with my back pain. But I talked to my chiro about his particular philosophy (apparently there are two schools of thought regarding chiro) and got a bunch of "you can't trust science" and astrological nonsense, and I never brought it up again cause honestly I was really uncomfortable. But it works for my back so I still go when needed.

yeah, that's why i told friend just ignore their views on vaccinations

it's stuff to just say "what's your thoughts on chiro" bc there are so many differences everywhere.

There are chiropractic manipulations that have been helpful. There are these crazy things which help with sinus drainage and other weird things. Some are kooky. Some are genuinely helpful. Reflexology has been shown to be helpful, for example.

Basically, it is hard to dismiss out of hand an entire profession. The AMA is only one of many medical representatives.

Now, when they focus on chiropractic medicine and manipulations, I think they do well. But they have morphed into a holistic (with poor recognition) and para-medical profession. I know one guy who gets most of his revenue from his spa/massages which he recommends to his "patients".

I guess podiatry is the other one?

I read the wikipedia page on chiropractic. Pretty interesting.


link

Thx Jules-


Yeah I wasn't really considering surgery, it's not really pain, just more like an itch that needs to be scratched. Usually in the same spot, but I went to a chiro about 10 years ago, and it seemed to work for a while. I guess I'm paying for my youth now

Somewhat gory details next, so be warned.

Doc,

Currently I've got a pain in my face, next to my nose. I think it's from my sinuses, but it feels like an infection and it's spread to the point where it's pushing against my teeth (and it's kinda painful), with it also creating a sort of sac in the roof of my mouth, filled with mucus. I was told way before that it was an abscess and that removing my impacted wisdom teeth would correct the problem, but it hasn't. So far I've been popping pain pills to get through the day.

I haven't had this problem in years, but the last time I've had it, I've ended up putting salt packets next to my gums to draw the infection out. It would work, but the resulting mess of blood and mucus coming from my gums isn't the best feeling.

My q: what causes this? Is it sinus related? Can I take something other than pain pills to relieve the pain?

Gee, ANTIOBIOTICS?

"salt packets next to your gums to draw the infection out"? Really? Take 2 placebos and call the witch doctor in the morning.

I'm not impacted by the details.

You probably have a periapical abscess. That's an abscess near a tooth at its roots. I think you need a dentist more than anything. Otherwise, see an ENT if the dentist doesn't see a periapical lucency on an xray.

A warning to you. This may lead to a root canal.

CORRECTION: see an ENT doc if the dentist doesn't help.

The xray finding is what they would see if you did have periapical abscess.

Keep us posted and hopefully it resolves.

wow

fred, you're recent contributions to the level have been phenomenal.

One other thing. After reading that again, it could be a complication related to chronic sinusitis. Starting with an ENT wouldn't be wrong. If you see a dentist, it might lead you to going to see a dental specialist before an MD. FYI.

If either of them orders a sinus CT scan, that might be helpful if there is any ambiguity on their clinical exam.

If this gets more complicated and you want to get in touch, the admin folks have my email.

Take 2 placebos and call the witch doctor in the morning.

Did it work? Yes. So........

Anyway, the last few trips to the dentist have yielded positive results. I've seen tooth abscesses before (they're usually on the front of the gums), but this one is in the roof of my mouth, which led me to the sinus conclusion. It's been a long time since I've had one of these (and the last couple of times I had it, the doctor told me the abscess was so great that antibiotics would only be diluted, so that wouldn't work). So I had to let it drain on its own. I don't want to think about a RC, but because of the placement of the abscess, it feels like someone is hitting you in the face with a metal spoon 60-70 times a minute.

Thanks for the heads-up, Doc. I'll let you know how it turns out in the next couple of days.

i want to hear more about the pain pills you're taking.

Bass, u can have an abscess come out to the tongue (lingual) or cheek side (buccal).

Doc, I have a question. I broke my left humerus yesterday (snapped the fucker in half) and while the pain wasn't that bad I did notice that the World had gone extremely bright for about 5-6 minutes afterwards. So bright that I could only make out vague shapes. It cleared up, but I was curious as to what it was.

i bet it was shock

how did you break it

Went ass over tits rollerblading with my kids.

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