<p>Understand your point and I myself had a similar situation. I fell badly did a backwards somersault while snowboarding in 98. Hurt to rotate my neck, got headaches. Did not go away after six months. Saw an MD. He said take Ibuprofen. 600mg. A few months later developed involuntary spasms in my neck. Felt like my neck was trying to break itself. Occurred in my sleep, during the day, random and it hurt. Again would get headaches and blurred double vision on occasion. Saw another MD. Asked if I could see a Chiropractor and he refused! Thanks Kaiser HMO. Gave me Ibuprofen. A year later, went in again, and MD sent me to get MRI. Should have been done in the first damn place. Guess what? MRI said nothing wrong with me. Mysterious pain. hmmm. Finally a chiropractor shows up my work to do a demo and talk about benefits of Chiropractic. And I decided to visit him. Of course my damn health insurance did not cover it and my idiot MD would not refer me. So I paid out of pocket. After one treatment it was extremely better. And after the second treatment, cured. Never had a spasm again. </p>
<p>I asked why MD' s could not figure it out he said MD's look for the "owie" and not the big picture. Kind of funny statement but I am sure there was more to it than that. Anyway, I was so interested I kept going by my own choice, hell, massage, elec and adjustments do feel good and asked him questions about the profession etc. Continued to feel in tip top shape. He counseled me on working out, on diet, warned me about not taking ephedrine which was legal back then which I had started taking.</p>
<p>I stopped seeing him but later got in a minor car accident where my back cramped up like a charlie horse and I could hardly breath. Took Ibuprofen which helped a little but eventually effect did not last. Went back to chiropractor and he fixed me up with immediate results.</p>
<p>Amazed for the second time I looked into Chiro schools to see about becoming one. I was shocked to discover all the classes and work it would take to become one. I compared it to Medical, dental and Osteopathic school and it was all the same classes. Ridiculous, I just thought I could learn to crack backs. </p>
<p>After working a year to complete pre-reqs, (I already had a B.A. but still needed some pre-reqs) I began. And I have learned so much along the way, the conroversy, the mis-information, the constant misconceptions and lies spread, similar history between DO's and Chiro's but how they were forced to be absorbed by the American Medical Association and chiro's fought back and refused. ( A Chiropractor is just a DO that can't pass drugs in my opinion) Even though we can recommend over the counter drugs. </p>
<p>Chiro's were imprisoned for practicing in the early 1900's. The AMA was found guilty of conspiring to basically shut chiropractic down, recent history! Insurance companies pay DC's less for the same services as other professions. Why is that? hmmmm....</p>
<p>Chiropractic schools have only received one federal research grant and it went to Western States in Oregon. Do you think UCSD, harvard medical,etc have trouble getting federal grants to explore whatever they want? Is there a bias here? hmmmm....</p>
<p>But I have to be honest, some of it is Chiro's fault. I said in another post that there a some bad schools that promote old dogma and beliefs from the inception of chiropractic, (Osteopathic medicine promoted the same ideas years ago) some just want to make money, they don't want to act like MD's or be responsible for total patient care even though they learned the material! </p>
<p>There is one school in particular that had it's accredidation revoked by the counsel of chiropractic education and then reinstated by the state. And there were rumors that test questions given out to students before tests. But their president was forced to step down. </p>
<p>But you can't let those things ruin the reputation of all DC's or the proven results and benefits of Chiropractic. Just as MD's can have a God complex, DC's have a complex all their own, and that is what route choose to take. And that mostly comes from what school they choose to attend and their participation in informing the public of the truth.</p>
<p>And one final note:</p>
<p>How many deaths from Chiropractic has there been? 2 court cases I know and the docs were found innocent, patients had pre-existing condition and both cases were in Canada. How many people die from drugs or doctor or medical staff error? Tens of thousands per year, just accidental they screwed up deaths. The public needs to quit equating drugs with medical care. Drugs are not always the answer. Look how many drug commercials are on TV? HUGE BUSINESS, even if it kills people and gets recalled later. Don't you think it is odd how many kids have ADHD now? Do you remember so many hyperactive kids when you were growing up? Maybe one my whole life but now it seems like 1/5 of the population is on some kind of drug. I used to take care of foster and abused kids and they were sometimes on seven medications at a time!!</p>
<p>Anyway going back to chiropractic, to put it more simply, it's a great and relevant profession, but some of it really needs to get its **** together. And MD's need to stop being bought off by drug companies.</p>