I see a chiropractor every two weeks to keep this old body from falling apart. After each session I’m a little sore but eventually feel better than when I arrived. She always asks about areas that I have trouble with such as hips and my neck. This time I replied that neck was pretty good but hips and back could use some work. She worked on those areas and always works on my neck too. After leaving the session my neck and head really started to bother me. For the past week I’ve had pain throughout my head, ears and jaw. I’m trying not to jump the gun and assume GCA but I’m scared. I’m taking 4mg of Prednisone and give myself Actemra injections. I have no blurred vision or sign of enlarged veins near my eye. I do also have Occipital Neuralgia. Most of my pain is on the top and sides of my head. Jaw hurts but no claudication- chewing gum test. Sorry to go on so long. I trust you all so much, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Chiropractor culprit : I see a chiropractor every... - PMRGCAuk
Chiropractor culprit
I assume you are in the UK - you need to get in touch with your Consultant and get those symptoms checked.
I don't know much about chiropractors but I do know that if I had to have a session when dealing with PMR and/or GCA. I would be very wary. Have you tried anything else, like Bowen or Acupuncture?
I’m in the USA. I haven’t tried anything else. Thanks for replying.
I called my nurse practitioner and she ordered a Sed and CRP for today. Fingers crossed!
What did she do to your neck? I only went to a chiropractor once - the thought of paying out what she asked interminably plus the supplements she was flogging sent me back to an osteopath who managed to achieve better results after a couple of sessions or my Bowen therapist who said from the outset that if she hadn't done some good in 3 sessions she probably wouldn't be able to. I did have to return - but at 6-monthly intervals!
She does a lot of manual manipulation and she uses a gun like stimulator. She holds it on an area of your neck and it zaps an area. She calls it an activator. Medicare pays most of her bill. I only pay $11.00 per session. She really helps my back.
It's possible that she has done something to irritate a nerve - even working on your back can lead to referred pain into the neck and head.
Does she only use it on your neck? I undserstand from this
spine-health.com/treatment/...
that it would be used lower on the back first. Most of this site's comment is pretty good - and reading between the lines I get the impression they aren't terribly enthusiastic about it.
Great post. She occasionally uses the activator on my spine but mostly on my neck. I’ve been seeing her for two years and she has helped my back pain immensely. First time for such pain in head and neck. Thanks for the info. I go for my blood test in three hours. Hoping all is well.
I’m in the U.K. but my physiotherapist diagnosed PMR, and sent me to my doctor without treating me at all, although she did say she might be able to help me: I haven’t been back. Good luck.
Thank you.
It was actually a chiropractor who diagnosed my PMR. I went to see him to see if he could help with my stiffness and pain after having little luck with doctors. He started taking a history, stopped after a few minutes, said he thought I had PMR, wrote a letter to my GP and sent me on my way, charging me only half the regular fee despite having squeezed me in with an urgent appointment during his lunch hour. I’m forever grateful to him.
That's a good news story 
. I went to a physiotherapist for my early PMR (undiagnosed) symptoms and ended up in such pain that when I went back for my follow-up appointment and they set me in front of some arm exercising machine I cried! At the end of that session the physiotherapist said she couldn't do any more for me and suggested massage, which was a huge waste of time and money. It must have been many months later before I was diagnosed by a new doctor. I started going to a wonderful physiotherapist when I was tapering my prednisone dose and old non-PMR pains were re-emerging. She has helped me deal with all these things and I believe helped me get to 3 mg pred by the end of one year. So not all chiropractors are bad and not all physiotherapists are good, but on balance I'd say physiotherapy is the superior treatment.
Absolutely agree and I’d generally choose a physio but this chiropractor certainly impressed me. The odd thing is that I’d never been to see him before and I’ve never been back since but just giving me some sort of potential diagnosis and a way forward was massively helpful. I only went to see him because I wasn’t getting any answers from the medics and a friend recommended him to me. I go to a remedial massage therapist regularly now and I find her really helpful but she’s very experienced, I've gone to her for years and she has done her research on PMR too. I wouldn’t risk one I wasn’t totally happy with. Strangely I had a telephone physio appointment during lockdown which my GP had requested before Covid appeared - about a shoulder issue. I thought it would be a complete waste of time but actually it was very helpful.
I go to remedial massage therapist. He has kept me mobile since pre pmr and has good understanding of it.
The chiropractor has probably done all they can for you. I grew up in a physician's household and was aware of my father occasionally complaining about patients of his who had gone to a chiropractor to deal with their chronic back pain and come away far worse off. I'd stay with a physiotherapist myself. They are more focused on getting you back on your feet (figuratively and literally) and sending you on your way with the ability to provide self care through exercises, etc.
My first year with GCA I decided to go to an acupuncturist. My GCA was still in full tilt but controlled with prednisone. The acupuncture treatment must have set something off because I ended up with a relapse the next day. My guess is anything that causes extra inflammation also increases autoimmunity.
I was going to a chiropractor before lockdown and before my pmr diagnosis. Once things eased up she contacted me but when I told her about the pmr and taking steroids she said she was not permitted to treat patients on steroids. It’s saving me money anyway!
The issue with neck chiro is this: If the neck is manipulated certain ways the vertebral arteries, which run through small openings in the neck vertebrae, can be “shredded” or traumatized. If there is any arteriosclerosis plaque in these arteries it can be dislodged and cause a stroke. I once had a patient who could never swallow again after chiro and needed a stomach feeding tube.
My understanding, in Canada -not sure- if chiros are allowed to treat children after a child paralysis case resulted
from chiro treatment.
Thank you for that sobering reply. I always looked at chiropractic as an alternative to pain meds. Maybe I should rethink that. Saw my PC this week and having a CT scan tomorrow.
Depends what they are to do - but I am very twitchy about them having a go at my neck! You can have a stroke after a back wash at the hairdresser if they bend your neck the wrong way!
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