Question
I have been seeing a chiropractor the last two months for hip, upper back, lower back and neck pain.  Immediately I became a fan of chiropractic.  With just one adjustment I felt so much better.  I was going 3 times per week and on a long term treatment plan.  However, the expense and travlling out of town for this particular chiorpractor was too much as we recently went thorugh some financial changes.  We discontinued going there, and have switched to someone more local via a referral from two people, and we do like him.  I was adjusted most recently as last Thursday at the old chirpractor, and was just adjusted the following Tuesday at the new one (who did mroe stretching before adjusting, the old one simply adjusted no stretching).  That night I had pain in my hip for the first time in months.  I woke today with bad pain still, and also a headache and burning in my shoulder/neck.  I went back today for another adjustment.  Afterward, he told me to ice it.  Its still sore.

I am frustrated, saddened and full of anxiety now that the pain I haven't had in months is back after switching.  Is this normal?  Should I stick it out, is it temporary?  

Thank you for your insights.
-K

Answer
Dear Karen,

Chiropractic care is wonderful! In this, there is no doubt... and one of the things that makes it wonderful is the fact that every doctor has a different touch and and feel, even though the "techniques" or methods taught are the same.  It is not like a medicine that can simply be weighed, measured, and reproduced.

The fact that it varies from one doctor to the other also is the reason why you are having a difficult time transitioning from one chiropractor to another.

It sounds to me like your second doctor is doing a lot more work for you, but one thing that I have learned in over 20 years of practice is that sometimes even the best of intentions and treatments results in a negative response for the patient! Not only is it frustrating for you, it is also frustrating for the doctor.  

Of course, I have not seen you or performed an examination. My question is, did the second doctor do a good intake examination with you to get a good idea of what he thought was going on with you and what he felt that he could fix, or did he simply go off of what you told him and what the other doctor had done for you? In a nutshell, here are some ideas:

1) Make sure that the new chiro knows that you are not responding well to the current treatment plan.
2) Tell your new chiropractor what parts of the new treatment you think are hurting you. You generally will have great insight into your own body.
3) Ask your chiropractor if there is another method that he could use to accomplish his goals.
4) Sometimes, if the chiropractor is unwilling to adapt to what works for you, it is time to find a new one... again.  But make sure that you give your new doctor and your body some time.  You might find that the new technique and treatment is even more beneficial once your body has been given enough time to respond to the treatment.

To me, if the adjustment techniques are similar, it sounds like maybe you are responding poorly to the stretching exercises. Are there some other ways to do the stretches that don't hurt you... accomplishing treatment goals without aggravating your painful condition?

Karen, I know that this can be frustrating, but if you like this new chiropractor, I would stick with him for a while and try to work out solutions to your treatment problems. If he is a good chiropractor, he will welcome feedback and want to help through being willing and able to alter treatment methods/techniques to obtain better outcomes.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://eastmesachiropractor.com/