X-Rays Necessary? with chiro 
niteblume
11 y
1,819
Hi All,
I hope someone can answer my question. I want to go to a chiropractor to see if he can help me with sciatica. My question is whether it is necessary for them to do an x-ray in order to know how to treat me. The one I hope to go to also does acupuncture. I would rather not get x-rays because I am more sensitive than most to electromagnetic fields. I have had sciatica for several years which I believe is connected more to piriformis muscle than it is to spinal issues. My concern now is with a balance problem that I am actually hoping is caused by sciatica because that sounds better than any alternative I can think of. After doing some searching, it sounds like my symptoms could possibly be related to sciatica. I feel it more on my left side and it seems that my left leg is weak when I try to push off with it. It causes me to bend over and feel off balance. I also have numb face on that side. After researching, I found numbness in face connected with sciatica.
Anyway, my question is whether most chiropractors insist on an x-ray and if I should give in and let them do one OR keep looking for someone who doesn't insist on them. I have avoided x-rays since I have been affected by sensitivity to EMF's.
I hope someone knows the answer to this because it is getting scary.
Thank you.
nb
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- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro Calibelle
11 y
1,685
This is a reply to # 2,065,157First of all, I'm sorry you are facing these issues and yes, it is scary.
My mother had MS before any of us were born, so we five girls have always had that in the back of our minds particularly when any health concerns came up.
How about seeing a neurologist to at least rule some things out?
I went to a Chiro who did not do X-rays or anything fancy at all. Although I liked him, I feel he really messed me up terribly - so much so that I found another Chiro and INSISTED upon X-rays.
If a Chiro wants X-rays, that is not a no-deal for me as I understand their liability and wanting to see for themselves just what condition their patients are in before they treat them. I'm sure you understand that too. But if you don't feel they are necessary, or that you are super-sensitive then don't, and that's when I think going to a Neuro might be the best place to start. (my thoughts only - I'm certainly not qualified to say.)
I had found an excellent Neuro here that I went to and he really helped rule out some fears.
I like the Chiro I have now (who's from IOWA, UNY!), however, he did a manuever with me that put me in EXTREME pain for almost a week and I had to tell him to UNDO whatever he did. He understands now that that manuever is an absolute no-no with me; and that other things are more effective. It was two weeks of hell.
I hope you get to some real answers soon. There are so many things that can cause these symptoms (have even seen gluten cause balance issues!).
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- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,538
MoreThis is a reply to # 2,065,169Thank you, Calibelle for your reply. I haven't really thought of MS, but I am trying to consider and/or rule out everything. I may decide to see a neurologist eventually. I am just wanting to see a chiropractor first. I don't really want any maneuvers or adjustments. I'm thinking acupuncture and also his opinion on whether much of my balance problem can be due to the sciatica. I am working toward gluten free, BTW.
Thank you.
nb
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,538
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro InCharge
11 y
1,436
This is a reply to # 2,065,157
A Chiro would be a fool to manipulate a persons spine without first knowing what he's dealing with. This litigious world makes it compulsory.
My Chiro gave me the following execise to build up leg muscles. Get up against a bare wall with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees like you are going to do a squat, but only as far as you're comfortable with. Then with the wall for stability straighten up. You can use your arms to help at first.
Do this several times a day, and you will eventually find it easier to do because you will have strengthened the leg muscles, and you will be able to go farther down as time goes by.
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,547
This is a reply to # 2,065,227Thank you In Charge,
I don't really think that is a muscle problem in my leg. It is hard to explain, but I know what weak muscles feel like. This is more like a nerve. However, I liked that exercise and can certainly make use of that.
thank you.
nb
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,547
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro CuriousHealthNut
11 y
1,554
This is a reply to # 2,065,157I would recommend reading the book called "The Mindbody Prescription" by Dr. John Sarno. You can decide if his protocol could help you or not, but he has a very intelligent approach backed up by research to all types of pain. He mostly started with patients who had back pain, sciatica, disc issues etc.. and then found that his treatments were successful with a much broader range of painful conditions.
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,555
This is a reply to # 2,065,551Thank you John,
I will check out that book. I did a quick check on Amazon and it had plenty of reviews to learn about it.
Thank you.
nb
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,555
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro unyquity
11 y
2,011
This is a reply to # 2,065,157Howdy NB!
On this forum I thought everyone knew that it is never essential (and certainly NEVER recommended) to expose oneself to health-destroying procedures & radiation in order to diagnose and heal ourselves.
I would never-ever subject myself to xrays to obtain chiropractic treatment (or any other treatement) unless the crisis was severely threatening...and I had no other options.
There ARE still chiros that know how to diagnose & treat without xrays - their diagnostic work is done by 'feel', reactions, discernment and experience.
If I felt I had a sciatic issue and couldn't locate a chiro quickly, I'd get an inversion table (something we should all have anyway, as they're fantastic for stretching, relaxation, taking pressure off the spine, and easing things back into alignment). That would be less expensive, too - and you'd have it forever :)
Blessings,
Uny- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,574
This is a reply to # 2,065,803Thank you Uny,
I DO know that I never want to be exposed to radiation. I was just wanting to know what to expect before I talk to a chiro...whether some of them would be willing to forego an x-ray. Also, I know that I have had sciatica for several years. One year in the beginning it was bothering me quite a bit. I couldn't stand very long at all. I'm not sure what I did to help it, but I think maybe I just learned how to sit in a way to not aggravate it. I have a footrest and a cushion behind my lower back when I sit on the couch and I always sit on the edge of my chair and on a cushion when in a hard chair. Of course, that footrest setup has given me bad posture.
So now I don't even know that it is the sciatica that is giving me the symptoms I named above. I wouldn't have thought so, but after doing some research I find that a numb face can even be connected to sciatica. It may just be wishful thinking on my part for it to be sciatica. I'm afraid of brain tumor because I know that Cell Phone s and cordless phones had affected me very badly before I realized how bad it was. I am now avoiding those two phones at all costs. I even try to stay away from my husband's Cell Phone inside a vehicle.
Anyway, I hope that the chiropractor who also does acupuncture will agree to take me w/o doing the x-rays. I will explain that I would like to consult with him.
I happen to have an inversion table at my house that I borrowed from my sister. I borrowed it to do what Dr. Christopher recommends for a prolapsed colon. What I have is a rectocele and I don't think it really would help with that. I wasn't able to go back very far b/c of it giving me a lot of pain in my ankles. I mainly borrowed it to find out if it is worth it to me to buy one. I think it might would be worth it sometime in the future but right now, I don't think it helps me enough to spend the time on it when there are so many different things I have to do right now.
I really appreciate your advice and would love to hear any other suggestions you might have.
Thank you.
nb
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro niteblume
11 y
1,574
- Re: X-Rays Necessary? with chiro Calibelle
11 y
1,685
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