A chiropractor had a free "test". He had a contraption set up that was claimed to measure 1/2 body weight.

Question

Then a comparsion was made left side vs right side. Any deviation of magnitude was consider a problem that he needed to help you resolve. Mine was 80 vs 95.

Is this good science? Or is this a scam?

Answer 1

I'd bet on scam.  We are not symmetrical beings.  For example, your liver is on your right side only.  Your stomach is on the left.  Liver weighs more, so give extra points to the right side for that.

I imagine that shifting your weight will affect those results.

If you don't have a problem, then you don't need to be "fixed".  

Answer 2

"Chiropractic" was invented by an out-of-work fishmonger called Daniel Palmer.  It is a complete (but hugely successful) scam.

Want proof it is a scam?

Present two chiropractors with EXACTLY the same set of symptoms, and chances are they will make two different diagnoses...

For most minor ailments, having a back-rub ALWAYS makes people feel better!

P.S. One side of your body contains different organs to the other...would it not be a little odd if there wasn't a slight deviation? If you could remain perfectly balanced, the weight distribution on each side would change as that meatball sandwich you ate for lunch moved through your alimentary canal, wouldn't it?

'

Answer 3

Pro's and Con's of Chiropractor's

Pro's

They can relieve stress on spinal nerves caused by things like muscle tension or a slight misalignment of the discs and can be helpful in musculo-skeletal aches and pains, through manipulation and massage, and relief on back pain from the misalignment temporarily.

They can cover's many different problems all over the body.

Could be last resort when no one else can help..

Most charge much less then a real doctor.

Con's

Not FDA approved

Doesn't have a medical degree.

Can not prescribe prescriptions.

Temporarily fix to a permanent problem.

Can end up costing you a lot more then a real doctor over the long run.

A lot of them promise they can change the natural shape or curvature of a spine, when its simply not true. Only an orthopedist can evaluate the situation and determine if a scoliosis is actually present, and if a brace would be of help. To change a spine takes surgery and braces.

Chiropractors work on your back to eliminate your "subluxations", which they can't prove exist, and in some studies where they show a back x-ray to multiple chiropractors, they all diagnose subluxations, but of course no two ever seem to diagnose them in the same place on the x-ray. Fixing subluxations is supposed to "help the body keep itself healthy". It's also preventative, once a month, to rub a rabbits foot for good luck.

My take.

Always check with your primary care physician before getting any medical help.  Try stretching first. There are several back exercise you can easily find on the net, which have really helped me. A Physical therapist or an orthopedist are both better alternatives. Be very cautious when going to the chiropractor and never let them take X-Ray's and never get preventative care. They are only good for relief of aches and pains for a short period of time and it's not guaranteed. You do not need to see him regularly, only when you have pain. Always be firm and never let them push you around and take more money from you. If you let them walk over you, it could end up costing you a pretty penny.

Answer 4

(edit) Our bodies are always about balance, the reason why some organs take up more of one quadrant is because smaller ones take up the other, the weight is always distributed evenly across the body, so there is no reason why one leg should carry more than 5 lbs. than the other (accounting for the spine not being completely straight a 5 lbs. difference is seen as acceptable to a chiropractor) (edit finished.)

I thought it may be a scam at first, but scientifically it makes sense. Any deviation from center in your spine would cause one leg to carry more weight. My spine looked like it was 3/4  an inch left of center, and my left leg carried ten more pounds than my right. I went for a free evaluation a week later, they found three spots that had too much muscle and nerve activity (exactly where my pain just happened to be, but i didn't tell them that). I met with the doctor (they had to go to a school of chiropractor and become doctors in it) and he said that i have some tension and recommended that I get some x-rays. So that day I got three x-rays, one of my neck, one of my back, and one of my entire spine.

I am so glad I got those x-rays, I know for a fact they were mine because I made a not of everything I had on that could show through the x-ray. As it turns out, my spine is curved at three points, where it should be straight up and down. One is at my lower back, this is looking at the front of the body by the way, one was at just below my shoulders, and the last was at the base of my neck. I also found out my pelvic bone twisted and rotated to compensate.

The reason why I went was because 8 years ago I was hit by a car and was in the hospital for three days. I never went to get my back checked until last week. As it turns out, the car probably caused my lower back to curve and my body tried to correct it by trying to curve another part of my spine to compensate. Most likely it overcompensating and curved my neck to readjust, leaving me with three curves. My body also twisted and rotated my pelvic bone to also compensate. At my lower back I have two or three bones that are about to pinch the nerves and at my neck I have two points that are about to pinch as well.

The doc said that was the bad news, but said he also had really good news. It turns out, since I am young (20), my body can heal much better than if I waited, so he said that if I get adjustments three times a week for a month, I would be back to as close to normal as possible. (the reason being as close to normal is because I did have some disc degeneration in my spine.

It isn't a whole burden on my wallet because I found out my insurance has an excellent chiropractor program and so it only costs me a co-pay which is ten dollars.

To say in the least, since going there only twice so far (started thursday) I feel a whole lot better. My lower back doesn't hurt as much and my headaches are not as frequent as they were (every morning). To be honest, I can't wait to go back on tuesday. Oh and I suggest that you ice your back after an adjustment, which should be 20 min. long. It takes the soreness away and you feel so much better. I fell asleep each time I iced my back.

Hope this helps.

(p.s. I want to be a doctor, so I tend to be a bit skeptical about alternative healing methods)