Expert: J.R. Strecker, B.S., D.C. - 12/22/2008

Question
Hello,  I have had recurrent back pain for about 5 years.  I am 47 years old.  I've gone to doctors and orthopaedics, but no real help.  It seems like my back pain moves around. I usually cause my back to hurt if I stretch and turn the wrong way.  This time it started in my lower right back and was real sore about a one day then I woke up the next morning and the pain was in the middle of my back (one spot sore to touch) and I now have a pain behind my thigh and knee. It is just so frustrating because I cannot tell where I have actually hurt my back. I am thinking of going to a chiropractor because I just do not want to take muscle relaxers.  Is this type of pain something a chiropractor could resolve?

Answer
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Hello L.,

I’m sorry to hear about your back difficulties.  Your question is a very fair question.  In all honesty, yes, chiropractors can probably help your back pain, but it’s very difficult to say which chiropractor will.  Chiropractic is a hands-on job, so the way one chiropractor practices can be drastically different from another chiropractor.  Being a chiropractor myself, I have patients who like things that other patients despise, and vice versa.  I really try to tailor my treatments to fit the needs of the patient.  So in other words, a chiropractor may do something that helps most patients with conditions similar to yours, but you may respond very poorly.  That doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t benefit from chiropractic.  Rather, it is important for you to communicate with your chiropractor and let him/her know you had a poor response to treatment and determine if there are other things the chiropractor can do to help.  There are over a hundred types of chiropractic techniques, and some chiropractors learn a large number of techniques.  If after communicating your poor response with your chiropractor and you still do not get positive results, you should probably keep consulting with other chiropractors and tell them what did not work for you in the past.  If they insist on films, keep your films in case you decide to take them to another chiropractor in the future.  Though it can sometimes take some effort, there is usually a chiropractor out there that can help almost anyone.  Once you find the one who can help you, stick with that chiropractor because you’ll use him or her again in the future.  Remember, if you don't have any luck, keep searching.  There is someone out there, but you have to keep looking until you find someone who can help you with your back.

Best of luck with this!

Dr. J.R. Strecker, D.C.