Hey guys,
Just curious if anyone out there has had neck surgery in any way? I've been off from work for two months (under workers comp) for what has been discovered as being my c7 disk being out of place and is placing pressure on some nerves in my neck. As a result I've been experiancing pain in the left side of my neck, left shoulder, arm and tingling in my hand. During this time, I've seen my GP, an upper body specialist, spinal surgeon and finally a neurosurgeon who have all agreed that I need the surgery. Now, so far I've been pencilled in for surgery in 2 weeks time, and all I know so far is that it's going to be a 2 hour operation in which they will be going in through the front of my throat, moving my esophagus to work on the disk (I'm honestly unsure if they will be removing the disk, fusing the disc or doing something else...I still need to speak to the surgeon). Has anyone experianced anything like this before and if so, how did it go for you? Any hassles after the surgery? Problems eating etc? I've been told that it will feel like someone has punched me in the throat and in the long term, I could expect a possible 10% lose of movement in my neck.

Also, I'm just throwing something out there (again curious if anyone has had anything like this happen to them), where would I stand legally? As it is Work Cover are still paying my wages, have and will be paying all of my medical expenses. But what I'm curious is would it be advisable to pursue legal action against my employer for pain and suffering? I'm pretty sure that the moment I file something like this I'd be out of the job, but what annoys me is that I and several other employees had mentioned to management about the bad working conditions and they neglected to do anything about it (although after I went on sick leave Work place health and safety conducted an audit on the premises and they then promtly improved conditions..new desks and chairs, brackets for monitors etc).

how did you manage such an injury... working behind a computer ?

I'll need neck surgery if i read that whole post.

Google up on Anterior cervical discectomy.... If you know pm me your neurosurgeon and i'll ask a few ppl i know.. As with all surgery, smaller incisions are better, little bit of poking leads to less hassle in the future.. First and formost you need to know how confident the surgeon is with the technique, what anesthetic drs usually works for them etc... what kinds of rehab you'll be needing to do in the future, how you are to plan your rehab with your workplace safety guy etc...

what the f***? I've fallen out of trees, off motorbikes and crashed a car through a fence and sill managed to not hurt my neck. You telling me you hurt your neck BEHIND A COMPUTER?

I'll need neck surgery if i read that whole post.

hahaha

The desk they had me sitting at was too small (I'm about 6'3) and couldn't get my legs under the desk, so I have to lower the chair (crappy bloody things with no real back support) so I could get under it, even then I still had trouble. What I do involves me twisting to the left, reaching into containers on the ground and checking products against images on the screens. If they are ok they go into another container on my right. It really is alot of bending, twisting and reaching. It wasn't until myself and 3 others came down with similar injuries and all contacted Work Cover that they finally changed procedures and improved the equipment we work with.

Which hospital you going to?

Have you had experiance with this sort of thing Boxhead? I googled anterior cervical discectomy and found alot of good info there, also some videos on the procedure (god I wish I hadn't). I'm sure there was someone from QGL a couple of years back who had something done to their neck. I'm getting it done at Greenslopes Private Hospital.

Surgery is always the solution with Compo.
You could get a 2nd opinion but you'd be waiting a while to see a Specialist id guess.

Be very careful what you say to your employer and any of the Drs involved with the Compo.

Every thing they do is about getting you off compo as fast as possible.
That doesnt neccesarily mean its the best medical option for you.
Heres some wise words:
The Compo Board is not your Friend.

Go and see a Lawyer right now for a legal opinion or have a chat with Legal Aid.

Workers comp sent me to a neurosurgeon for a 2nd opinion and he fully agreed with my spinal surgeon's diagnosis.

Yeah, i had neck surgery on your mum lol omg

Google up on Anterior cervical discectomy

it came up with "interior crocodile alligator" ?????

Yes, but see you being on workers comp the Dr makes a decision that benefits Workers Comp. They are the ones paying for your diagnosis/treatment.

Did the nuerosurgeon tell you that Compo patients traditionally have lower rates of success ?

you need to laywer up... and dont rush back to work if your not ready

i know a welder who was on compo and couldnt work, the pushed him into a s*** job before his hearing so they could pay less compo

Go see a chiropractor / osteopath at holland park take your xrays with you. I would do this before I let someone cut open my skin. He has fixed many of my problems over the years simalar to what you describe.

Iain Praeger

Address: 8 Barter Ave, Holland Park, QLD, 4121

Phone number: (07) 33977826

paging Phsyco!

OMG STAY AWAY FROM CHIROPRACTRY AND PSYCHIC HEALERS

Go see a chiropractor / osteopath

Hahaha.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA.

Chiro! That's hilarious. Someone remind why they are even allowed to practice their dodgy bulls*** anyway?

I'm adding it to the list of questions I'm sending to my local MP candidate.

The Compo Board is not your Friend.

Jesus H, is anyone not out to get you?

Google up on Anterior cervical discectomy



it came up with "interior crocodile alligator" ?????

The operation term is an Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion
(ACDF)

Try googling that.

The only way you could hurt your neck in an office is if you turn suddenly to catch a quick glimps of a hot co-worker before she walks past.

I get sore necks all the time :(

I knew a dude who broke his neck because a bird flew at him.

Ok i didn't know him, but i did see it on tv.

good luck with the surgery.

I had C5-C6 disc collapse and severed the nerve to my arm and shoulder. I know exactly what your going through in pain. I had it for 3 months before surgery. It was excruciating and I was paralysed down my left arm. The pain was from the severed nerve.

I had neurosurgery with Dr Bruce Hall, a rather younger doc. I got an titanium artificial disc. Don't go for fusion you'll be f***ed, go artificial disc. You will never feel better and have full use of your neck as though nothing had ever happened. It's like brand new. I've had mine since 2004 and it's been fantastic.

Post surgery:

1) Unsteady for a couple of weeks and pretty crook for the first week. Lost my voice for a few weeks and couldn't shout or get full vocals back for up to 8 months. Weird when you yell but nothing comes out.

2) Takes a while to get full function of arm and shoulder. For me because of severed nerve it took two years before I got back full use of my left arm. If you have only nerve compression I'd say it would be days if any depending on how bad it was.

3) You may need physiotherapy depending on severity again. I spent 6 months, on-off.

4) Never go to a Chiropractor for neck again. Go physiotherapist.

5) For me I got a depressed because my arm was useless for ages, while I waited for the nerve to grow back and I couldn't speak with any real volume for a long while.

Today,the disc is still going strong, but coincidently I am just now getting intensive physiotherapy for a a problem with the above and below discs. They are bulging and compressing the nerve to and I'm experiencing severe pain in my neck, down my left shoulder, left arm etc.

I'm trying the physio before considering surgery again. It's not as bad as last time but I've ben walking around in a neck brace all week.

BTW The pains unbearable and will drive you to wanting to kill yourself. I know. When you have the op it's gone immediately. It's wonderful.

while I waited for the nerve to grow back

Sorry if this is just semantics but I thought nerves didn't grow back.

all these specialists you have gone to, were they contacts of workers compo?? if so then they will be biased in their opinions. I would get a "3rd party" opinion.

Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. Chiro! That's hilarious. Someone remind why they are even allowed to practice their dodgy bulls*** anyway? I'm adding it to the list of questions I'm sending to my local MP candidate.

Chiros are like IT people most of them tell you crap and don't know what they are talking about and when they touch you computer it never works the same again because they thought it would be funny to do something to you pc. But occationaly you get a group of it people like the qgl admin that are awesom (maybe not boba gay porn boot loader)

Don't just go to any chiro spend a couple of dollars and see DR Preger at holland park. Don't get treatment if you are not comfotable just talk to him about your situation and I am sure he will be able to give you better advice anyone here. Not being able to talk and loosing use of arm is scary and I am sure if the you dude with the scaple in his hand can do much more damage if the cd jumps in his boom box and he flinches.

f*** me sideways .. remind me not to ask for medical advice here.

reading this thread scared the s*** outa me.

Like some fat bastard said AVOID fusion if/as long as possible you will be f***ed for ever after.

Sorry if this is just semantics but I thought nerves didn't grow back.

As long as the sheath for the nerve is still okay which in my case it was, otherwise it wouldn't of, so the specialist said.

Don't just go to any chiro

I agree with this advice

all these specialists you have gone to, were they contacts of workers compo?? if so then they will be biased in their opinions. I would get a "3rd party" opinion.

Well my own GP refered me to the Upper body specalist who in turn refered me to the Spinal Surgeon. The Neurosurgeon was the only one that Workers Comp refered me too.

If Tanaka wasn't scared about this before he prolly is now. And the video showing the operation was discusting. Not as discusting as a woman giving birth but close.

LOL

The Compo Board is not your Friend.

Jesus H, is anyone not out to get you?

He has a point though, when compo is paying out cash it's interests aren't aligned with those they're paying.

Im not bullshirting you here, go and see a Lawyer right now and discuss what your options are. The Lawyer will advise you whats best for you, The Compo Board will advise you whats best for them.

If the Surgery is not a success they will move quickly to get you in front of a Tribunal to rule on your injury and whether it qualifies you to continue recieving Compo. You Boss will start to call you too to discuss you returning to work to do "Light Duties" This is a Compo Board trick to make you fear for your job.

Surgery is always the solution with Compo.

lol i am guessing you don't put a lot of thought into these statements. you can get worker's compensation for a variety of work-related injury that no one in their right mind would suggest surgery for.

There isn't a lot of common sense in your thinking is there Demon?

how'd you arrive at that conclusion, random noob?

^ Probably something to do with the Illuminati.

Faceman, I've been in contact with a solicitor about my case and their recommendation is to wait until after the surgery before conducting any legal action. What I found out is that I have 3 years in which I can start any form of legal action against my employer/work cover, and what usually happens in cases where the person receives some sort of permamant injury or affliction (such as loss of movent in the neck etc) is that they are offered a Notice of Assessment from Work Cover which is usually a lump sum payout. Agreeing to this payout negates the chances though of taking further legal action against your employer and it's at this stage that legal advise is advised.
Also what I have learnt from Work Cover regarding my case is that it will be totally up to my surgeon's opinion (who was NOT reccommended by Work Cover) when I should be able to return to work, so I won't be rushing into returning until im as close to 100% as I can be. And upon my return I'll have an Ocupational Therapist assigned to me to help me out as to what duties I can and can't perform.

Sue your employer. He is insured by WorkCover. The common law claim will finalise your relationship with the employer assuming you cannot be rehabilitated.

The pay out will be far larger than any statutory payout you would get from WorkCover. Mind you it will take longer to get the money.

Are you permanently injured? Can you be rehabilitated?

the less you are rehabilitated before your payout the larger the payout amount, thats why they will try to get you back to work before your payout, even if its for a few hours a week, they will calculate your capacity to earn before the injury and deduct what your currently earning - then come up with a lump sum payment

after your payout you can take up what ever work you want

don't see a chiro unless you're a gullible tard.

don't ask qgl about your possible legal claims, talk to a lawyer.

heres a pic of mine

http://i30.tinypic.com/21jnlld.jpg
had c4/c5 fused ...was back riding bikes in 4 weeks ....back at work in 6 weeks(light dutys)
Yes the surgury FARKN hurts ...but it is worth the pain ...
I hurt mine at work lifting huge screens and was off work for 4 months before the op ...every day a little more of my arm/legs went numb/pins and needles knocked out on morphine 0_+
I went the fusion because once its done you dont have any other trouble with it and i still have full movment of my neck ...All they do is plate the bone together then remove the disk and put a cage of bone in and it heals together (can never break/move again)
What i was told is the you lose movement if the fusion is down further in the lower back..
Anyway good luck mate..if you can stick it out let it heal instead on the op but if its its past that point dont be scared of the op it is worth it :D

last edited by astro at 15:50:09 30/Jul/10

last edited by astro at 15:50:35 30/Jul/10

last edited by astro at 15:52:30 30/Jul/10

last edited by astro at 15:52:57 30/Jul/10

Agree with taggs, Chiros are a sham, anyone who calls them self a doctor after going to a TAFE like course isn't worth seeing.

Now, so far I've been pencilled in for surgery in 2 weeks time, and all I know so far is that it's going to be a 2 hour operation in which they will be going in through the front of my throat, moving my esophagus to work on the disk

I was going to have one disc fused and one replaced in my lower back. Freaked me out when they told me they'd be going in through my guts to do it. I ended up going hard with physio and exercise and I came good though.


Edit:

I went the fusion because once its done you dont have any other trouble with it and i still have full movment of my nec

It can put strain on the other discs so next time you do something lesser you could screw one of them.

last edited by Charlie at 16:48:31 30/Jul/10

There isn't a lot of common sense in your thinking is there Demon?

I assume he typo'd faceman's name there

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't WorkCover/worker's comp come from taxpayer dollars? There's a lot of people that are like, "f*** workcover they're stingy bastards", but I thought they were just trying to do the right thing for the Australian taxpayer. I've never had to deal with them but I've seen ACA and I know a lot of people try to rip WorkCover off right?!?!

Forget about the chiro, that's all bulls***. Go and get yourself a second and third opinion, do everything you can to avoid surgery unless you are over say, 80 years old, then it probably wont bother you for long.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't WorkCover/worker's comp come from taxpayer dollars? There's a lot of people that are like, "f*** workcover they're stingy bastards", but I thought they were just trying to do the right thing for the Australian taxpayer. I've never had to deal with them but I've seen ACA and I know a lot of people try to rip WorkCover off right?!?!

Its probably subsidised by the public but my workcover premium is telling me it comes from employers too :P

Our finances Our income is derived from premiums paid by employers and investment returns on our funds. We return excess funds (after expenses, claims costs, provisioning, and required surplus) back to employers and injured workers through premium rate reductions, improved benefits and better services. Our financial goals are to manage our funds and investments, to maintain full funding, and to ensure WorkCover is able to provide the best benefits for workers at the lowest premium cost to employers.

From workcover site

They just write it off

i had the same thing as you but with my bum and upper leg (herniated/buldging disc in lower back) ... didnt happen 'all of a sudden' like most peope think... was just a furious hot feeling in my back day... after day... after day when i was installing the woolworths distribution centers server racks in Perth... was a massive job and for about three months i felt the burning hot feeling in my back, untill one day i went to lay down and felt a sharp pain follwed by more pain around my bum and leg and knee. about $1500 later i had to wait for 6 months to see a specialist... the specialist after 6 months of waiting took about a 8 second look at the various scans i had done *about 5 - 2xray, 1 ct, 2 radiation things) and said - yep, your f***ed. nothing we can do because surgery is pretty risky on this kinda s***...

four years later im now at the point whre my lower back only hurts 10/10 on the pain meter for about 15mins after i goto bed then dies down to a dull meh, which is a plus.

Tramadol + low dose AntiDepressants ?

Whats really good for nerve pain is Epilim.
So is Pot.

Chiro! That's hilarious. Someone remind why they are even allowed to practice their dodgy bulls*** anyway?

chiro works for me, I'm 6'8 ..
I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

I only go after I do something stupid - like jump from a high platform and land awkwardly, I go for a few months, once a fortnight, when I feel better I stop going
if I put off going for ages the pain just gets worse and worse to the point where I go back to using painkillers every day

How do you know it would not get better on it's own or get better faster with a physiotherapist?

(ps. rhetorical, I don't care about your answer, it's a hint at life)

I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

Ha! I love it! And just how do chiropractors "put people's joints back" in place? Seriously, I have so many patients coming to me telling me that their chiropractor said that their back pain was because their "hips were out of line", or their neck was "out of position". Anyone with a basic knowledge of anatomy is like WTF?! Find me a f***ing chiropractor who can even correctly name the multiple joints that make up the vertebral column and I'll be amazed. The fact that moderately intelligent people pay money for this crap never, ever ceases to amaze me!

chiro works for me, I'm 6'8 ..
I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

I only go after I do something stupid - like jump from a high platform and land awkwardly, I go for a few months, once a fortnight, when I feel better I stop going
if I put off going for ages the pain just gets worse and worse to the point where I go back to using painkillers every day

Goto a physio, find out what you're doing wrong, how you should be moving and sitting etc etc and probably never have a problem again. Chrios just want you to keep coming back. Have you looked into some of the bats*** insane stuff the believe and teach? Stuff about body energies and aligning them etc. May as well go see a psycic and have them rub some crystals on ya.

it only happens when I do something that is obviously stupid (hindsight is 20-20 right)
one time I jumped from the roll bar of my ute to the ground and landed awkwardly, heard the noise and immediately knew what i'd done

my back is fine 99% of the time despite my height and generally sedentary lifestyle
I walk into my chiro, it costs me $30 because I have private health and for 5 minutes I lay on a bed, he does the same 4-5 movements each time, I heard the fluid pop/move about and I stand up feeling like a million bucks

I have been to one idiot who put me on some bed for a half hour that made my whole body do 'the worm'
I never went back there, it did SFA for me

I don't get why you'd hate on something that obviously does work (or they'd never get any repeat business yeah?) if you don't care

i heard the fluid pop/move about

What fluid?

last edited by nubbin at 23:07:18 30/Jul/10

What fluid?

Body energy fluid mannnnnnn, I had my shakras all messed up!

Edit:

I don't get why you'd hate on something that obviously does work (or they'd never get any repeat business yeah?) if you don't care

They rely on repeat business, they're a temp fix and want to get you back in there every week for the next 1-3 months each time. Treat the cause not the symptom, see a physio.

last edited by Charlie at 23:09:57 30/Jul/10

haha i like stagename, hes fresh.

I'm only guessing here but I'd say its synovial fluid, the stuff that surrounds your discs

the pop is coming from the space between your bones or what is commonly known as the joint. The corresponding picture will make it a lot more clear. When one bone ‘connects’ to another, you get a joint. But what you may not be aware of is the joint is not empty space. In fact, the joint is actually surrounded by connective tissue. Namely; ligaments, tendons and a membrane called a Synovial membrane may surround the joint, forming collectively a ‘joint capsule’. As mentioned before, the space between bones is not empty. It is actually filled with a fluid called; Synovial Fluid. Synovial fluid is very thick and acts to help lubricate movement between the bones. Just think of it like grease making the hinge of a door move without catching or squeeking.
When we take a closer look inside the synovial fluid, we will discover that there is gas suspended in the fluid. When you hear a “pop” during a Chiropractic adjustment, what is happening is that your joints are being stretched. This stretching of the joint momentarily makes the space in the joint bigger. Along with this, the stretching helps to decrease the pressure within the joint. If pressure drops enough, it forces the gases in the synovial fluid to leave the fluid producing a ‘pop’ as it does. (A simpler analogy would be taking a can of any soda. When you first open the can and pull the tab back, what do you hear? That’s right, you will probably hear a “hissing” sound due to you releasing the pressure inside the can by opening the top) A similar phenomenon is happening in the joint, but what you’ll hear is a pop.
Specifically it is known that when you stretch a joint that is stiff and relieve the pressure, you activate a part of your nervous system called the Golgi tendon organs. The stimulation will actually register in your brain as; relief, less pain, more flexibility, lightness etc. That’s exactly what many patients feel after a Chiropractic adjustment and why they get relief.

http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu221/domchan77/jointcapsule.gif

its not terribly difficult to grasp, pain relief in any form is welcome
this does more for me than prescription painkillers (endone, panadine forte etc)

heres a pic of mine

thats no moon

if teq recommends something that should be giant f*** off alarm bells for any rational and sane person to stay away.

I don't get why you'd hate on something that obviously does work (or they'd never get any repeat business yeah?) if you don't care

plenty of telephone psychics get repeat business, by your logic they must obviously work right?

also i wouldn't try to pass of pseudo medical ramblings and google search info off as knowledge to nubbin; she's a practising medical doctor. unlike your chiro! but here's hoping you do anyway - hilarity will ensue.

teq you should try one of these - they sound right up your alley.

I didn't know that there was synovial fluid around the vertabrae i thought it was mostly found around joints like knees, shoulders, wrists etc... thats really interesting stuff..

I knew about the idea of synovial 'cysts' forming and leading to potential slippage of discs due to a 'growth' and impinging of the spinal canal as a result but i always thought they were just as a build up of cells into a sac type affair that pushed stuff out of place not because the fluid is f***ed up or whatever...

CSF might be the fluid you're thinking of teq, and if thats popping and cracking then i'd be a bit worried hey, your brain might fall out.. Have a look at intervertebral discs and structure of the spinal cord hey.. (i'll qualify this by saying i thought that your neck pops because tendons and ligaments pass/stretch over boney bits making a popping noise)

I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

Ha! I love it! And just how do chiropractors "put people's joints back" in place? Seriously, I have so many patients coming to me telling me that their chiropractor said that their back pain was because their "hips were out of line", or their neck was "out of position". Anyone with a basic knowledge of anatomy is like WTF?! Find me a f***ing chiropractor who can even correctly name the multiple joints that make up the vertebral column and I'll be amazed. The fact that moderately intelligent people pay money for this crap never, ever ceases to amaze me!

My girlfriends mum goes to her Chiro once a week to get her back put straight. She ends up sore for the rest of the day and can hardly move.

I suggested a Physiotherapist or seeing a doctor. That got shoot down. I just rolled my eyes and never suggested it again. Figure its not my money thats getting wasted.

Hey TK, do you know what a paragraph is c***?

I wanted to read this thread.

I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

Because they are not medically trained doctors?

I can't understand why you dont believe putting someones joints back closer to their natural alignment wouldn't decrease pain

Because they are not medically trained doctors?

Indeed. I can make your car go faster by taking the air filter off!

hahaha f*** you are a dumb c*** teq.

Tramadol + low dose AntiDepressants ?

Serotonin Syndrome is a potential risk you face with that combination.

Granted, low dosages of Anti-Depressants such as Amitryptilline for neuropathic pain (descending neurological pathway) could be used in conjuction with Tramadol it's usually avoided .

Tramadol is a dirty dirty drug and I'm not sure why we still have it, it should be abolished.

last edited by Mephz at 20:01:31 31/Jul/10

excellent argument fpot
i'm certainly not going to stop going just because someone thinks its voodoo
I'd put more faith in chiro than acupuncture for pain relief

I'd put more faith in chiro than acupuncture for pain relief

That has to be a troll.

It wasn't an argument you moron. It was just a comment directed at you regarding the argument you just got owned in. You just keep turning up the dumb with every post don't you?

i'm certainly not going to stop going just because someone thinks its voodoo

you shouldn't stop because some random person thinks its voodoo, certainly!

you should stop because medical science thinks its voodoo

Hey guys, go easy on Teq. That paragraph of medical-sounding text he spammed us with was enough to send me into peals of laughter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golgi_tendon_organ <-- these are to do with detecting your muscle force, not happiness and relaxation.

Being realistic though, if it makes you feel better, then why not do it? Just don't let yourself be misled by long words.

I'd like to see the X-rays and CT of teq's claimed bad back that chiro 'fixes'.

Please do post!

Tramadol is a dirty dirty drug and I'm not sure why we still have it, it should be abolished.

Care to provide more info? Only asking as I too am on this daily for my hydrocephalus. And now I'm curious...

i wish having lap dances was promoted as medical science :(

I'd like to see the X-rays and CT of teq's claimed bad back that chiro 'fixes'. Please do post!

Teq dosn't have a "Bad Back" Because he has had treatment before it came to that point

you should stop because medical science thinks its voodoo

really? pretty sure my guy has a doctorate

step: it's sort of like the stilnox of synthetic opiods in my opinion.
it has a very nasty side effect profile which more people than not are effected by.

Tramadols are the #1 drug abuse problem in Gaza.

really? pretty sure my guy has a doctorate

well, first of all, I'm not necessarily saying he's a know-nothing voodoo that is doing nothing useful. it's possible he's doing something useful that gives you relief but I would argue that its either a complete coincidence, or one of the things he's doing is actually done based on medical science (quite possible).

In terms of Doctorates though, it's important to realise that having 'Dr' in front of someone's name is only as useful as the establishment that gave him said doctorate, and what the doctorate is in - I highly doubt they'd be a doctor of medicine, and would more likely have a doctorate from some chiro-specific school (note: last time I looked there were a few semi-reputable educational institiutions that offered chiro as a course, but none of the 'major' ones).

I actually thought in .au chiros couldn't call themselves doctors? Can't remember the details though; pretty sure its all covered in one of our previous chiro threads.

really? pretty sure my guy has a doctorate

pretty sure he doesn't.

if you still see the same person you referenced in this thread teq, then his site doesn't mention anything about him possessing a doctorate - or even any kind of higher research degree. all it says is this:

Since graduating from RMIT University in Melbourne in 1986...

none of the chiropractors at the practice you recommended hold a doctorate or a medical degree, despite using the title "Dr." - like the vast majority of all chiros out there.

but who bothers checking pesky little things like legitimate medical qualifications anyway, amirite?

This is the guy you want to see but I think he has a 7 year waiting list
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/03/22/1225843/750318-jayant-patel.jpg

really? pretty sure my guy has a doctorate

A Doctorate in what, and from where? Do you you realise that there are fields that are conferred the Doctor title who don't hold a doctorate? Also do you realise that Chiropractors are neither academic nor medical doctors? They have simply been conferred the title because of public demand, unlike Medical Doctors who at least have to do a f***ton of work to become a practising Medical Doctor (8-12 years compared to 3 years of jerking their chain).

Teq does raise an excellent point however: many of the people who use Chiropractors literally have no f***ing idea what they are talking about and simply make up, or continue, bulls*** told to them by people who's "profession" relies on that bulls***.

The funniest part of this thread is that teq is still gonna keep going to this guy and handing over money to him.

if i hurt my back again I don't see why I shouldn't

Yeah and that's why you are one of the dumbest c***s out there.

The Chiro might make you feel better but hes treating symptoms and not the cause. You could be one visit away from him worsening your injury.
You'd feel pretty dumb if that happened, right ?

If an actual injury even exists. Have you ever actually been properly diagnosed before?

Well, I'll be going in for surgery on the 12th and staying at the hospital for 3 days. Work cover are hoping I'll be ready for work 6 weeks after but I won't be rushing anything.

gl with the surgery tenaka!

yeah i'm adding the the lawls at teq for his chiro fetish. as soon as anyone says they are a doctor without studying medicine i pretty much get suspicious

i've got a pretty subpar back (i bulged the second lowest disc in my back playing cricket at 19(pretty sure i bulged it anyway, i think the fluid from inside the disc escaped out and caused inflammation? does that sound right to medical people? Can't remember off the top of my head, it was 6 years ago now)) and I did all the different scans and whatnot, got the medical opinions, then rested and physio'd it up and just have to make sure I keep up strengthening exercises etc.

I was pretty much told I'll have a weaker back for life but i've kept up my exercises and kept fit and haven't had any more issues with it, still playing cricket etc.

i'll be damned if i'll let someone 'maniupulate' my spine around with cracks and pops, thinking about that freaks me out.

teq - appreciate your honesty, i've known a few people that go to chiro regularly and they all reverberate the same 'i feel like a million bucks afterward' comment about getting their treatments. never understood it myself, physios at least will give you exercises to do outside of treatments to mitigate the cause of your pain.

last edited by gumbiddy at 15:22:59 03/Aug/10

last edited by gumbiddy at 15:23:26 03/Aug/10

yeah thats what i think too - my physio gave me ways of preventing and helping manage further problems with my back (and same with other problems), rather than just 'curing' (using the term very looseley) the pain whenever it reasserts itself

"AFAIK" ...In normal people Discs can bulge causing extreme pain. But they will heal in around 3-18 months. Some people have dessicated/diffused Discs that will sit perfectly fine in the back and some people will live their lives with no problems at all.

Others can have one bad lift and the "dead" disc will bulge but will never heal pushing into nerves travelling down causing mostly continuous pain depending on where it is. So you can get leg pain or arm pain that is because of Disc injuries and not necessarily have a sore back.

gumbiddy: I rarely post anything constructive because there are very rarely threads on here which are interesting discussions. Usually it is just laughing at people doing dumb stuff, like paying money to see a chiro and then defending it on the internet.

nah you're right, i just saw your post count and guessed that there's probably a s***load of context/history i've missed so i shouldn't have lept to conclusions

he's jealous of my good looks too
chiro is awesome and i always come out feeling a million bucks

they use xrays to diagnose problems and do actually give me exercises to strengthen my core, which work very well
haven't been to the chiro since early this year cause he's so awesome

kinda miss it actually, I used to hit up a massage either before or after and I'd head down during work, take my 2 hour break and come back all relaxed+

you should stop because medical science thinks its voodoo

really? pretty sure my guy has a doctorate

f***ing lol
teq, you realise indiana jones isn't a medical doctor, right?

I just went and gave this guy my money and he did some stuff! I feel so much better now for some reason. Could it be because I actually received some sort of beneficial treatment, or is it because my small little mind is trying to justify the money I just spent?

Oh, and you do realise that you need more than just xrays to get a proper diagnosis right? As in, someone qualified to interpret the results of an xray?

I sure do, I am also lead to believe that Dr Greenthumb doesn't actually have glaucoma!

I wish you people would stop calling people c***s. Because c***s are useful and you lot (who keep using the word) aren't.

fine, you're an ankle

Just wanted to chime in here, this thread has been extremely useful :P

Before I read it I had no idea what the difference was between Chiro and Physio. I'll walk away knowing never to go near a Chiro.

Sometimes at work when my back starts to ache after using the computer for extended periods of time I get up, go over to the work bench, lean forwards on the work bench then arch my back and my spine cracks lots!

Ache's solved!

I've decided to quit this miserable job and become a QUALIFIED and WELL RESPECTED Chiropractor.

Thanks QGL you've changed my life!

Good luck Tanaka, hope you have a speedy recovery.

I used to hit up a massage either before or after and I'd head down during work, take my 2 hour break and come back all relaxed+

With relief?

Actually, a colleague of mine strained his shoulder along time ago, way back when Jesus was a dinosaur, and has been seeing a chiro once a month for years and swears by it. I'm convinced he doesn't actually even remember what he's going there for, it's just become a habit. He does use work time to go there as he injured it during work so you would think that may have something to do with it if you were cynical- but I'm not.

My wife has two herniated discs in her lower back, which have caused her to have s pain quite regularly since it first happened in 2005.

Spinal surgery is an option, she's seen a few surgeons but is understandably hesitant about it. She has seen quite a few physios, osteos and chiros. The single biggest difference to her pain has been chiro's and osteos, followed by pilates and core strength exercises.

There are a lot of chiros that are complete s***, but find a proper one who does the x-rays and requests your MRI's and you will get benefits. It's perfectly logical that a lot of muscle pain is a result of your muscles trying to pull your joints back to the position they're supposed to be in - release the pressure in the joints and the muscles relax. For my wife it seems to helped the bulges retract, her regular pain is almost gone. This has been in conjunction with stretching and core strength exercises through clinical pilates.

She still will visit her physio - however it got to the point where they recommended she see an osteo or chiro, and continue with the pilates program.

If you want the best of both worlds go and see an osteopath - they do both muscle work like a physio with some skeletal adjustments. It's also a university course for all the doubters.

For the most part I think Chiros have a deservedly bad reputation, but there are a few out there that can help.

dunno about the osteopath/chiro stuff you've said, but will give a big ups to pilates, i did it initially in my recovery and I really should keep doing it, it is surprisingly hard on your body (when you're not used to it) and it works wonders on core/back strength. i'm actually going to go look at where I can do it near me now...also, plenty of fit women do pilates/yoga, so there is that bonus too!

There are a lot of chiros that are complete s***, but find a proper one who does the x-rays and requests your MRI's and you will get benefits

f***ing LOL at chiros ordering MRIs.

Also, f***ing LOL at osteopaths.

find a proper one

I think this could be a problem.

My psych lecturer said successful chirpracty was a placebo effect.