Went to a Chiropractor.

[Ferocious]

Got a foot problem (aches and pain). Had seen a general MD and also a podiatrist in the recent past. Neither took any x-rays. No luck.

Long story, but I ended up in a chiropractor's office. He said I got a crooked spine which is twisting my pelvis which is pulling up one leg which results in more weight on the one foot....hence the pain and discomfort. He took x-rays from top to bottom as well. I saw him for six treatments of spinal adjustments and all I got was a sore back.

I finally went to another podiatrist. He quickly identifed a broken bone in my foot...and I could see it myself on the xray. I am now on the path to recovery.

Question: Should I pay the Chiropractor for the six post x-ray treatments since I only agreed to them based on his incorrect diagnosis, or should I only pay for the initial visit including the x-rays. The six treatment difference is about $400.

 

[sswingle]

So he took xrays and somehow missed the broken bone? Dont pay.

 

[sciencewhiz]

It depends on how much you like dealing with collection agencies.

 

[ElFenix]

i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

 

[moshquerade]

yet another chiroquackter. :roll:

how are these quacks actually allowed to be licensed?

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

Yeah, I'd probably pay then take him to small claims. Unless you can get something in writing from him saying that he'll waive the charges. You don't want a collection agency on your ass.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

yeap. i woldnt want to deal with colletion agency's. they are as bad as a chiropractor!

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

No. Don't pay him. Take him to court for malpractice. Sue him for.....oh let's say 1.5 Million. Go for lost wages, lost work hours, suffering (physical & mental), medical bills, gas and oil for the car, and anything else you and a good lawyer can think of. If you don't get the 1.5 Mil, least you can do is get him to compromise on half of the bill or drop the bill. Maybe you'll have enough left over to pay for the lawyer. Good luck!!

 

[kranky]

Why not talk to the chiro and tell him what the podiatrist found, explain that you feel that since he missed the foot problem that his treatments were not of value, and you feel it's fair for you to pay for the initial treatment + x-rays only.

You might find that he agrees, and that will be the end of it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: kranky
Why not talk to the chiro and tell him what the podiatrist found, explain that you feel that since he missed the foot problem that his treatments were not of value, and you feel it's fair for you to pay for the initial treatment + x-rays only.

You might find that he agrees, and that will be the end of it.

QFT. Also, each state has a board of chiropractic standards, and you may want to contact them (or at least threaten to). This certainly sounds like malpractice, albeit malpractice that did you relatively little personal harm.

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: kranky
Why not talk to the chiro and tell him what the podiatrist found, explain that you feel that since he missed the foot problem that his treatments were not of value, and you feel it's fair for you to pay for the initial treatment + x-rays only.

You might find that he agrees, and that will be the end of it.

i think that's the best way. he took 6 x-rays and missed your leg?

explain to him that he didn't find it and all you got was a big bill and a sore back. pay only for the initial visit plus the x-rays.

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Sounds like malpractice to me. You got off light with it though. Have a talk with him, and explain to him what the other doc found. Tell him you're not going to pay for anything, period. If he has an issue with it, mention that you think it sounds like malpractice, and that any lawyer would agree, and that he might want to get in touch with his insurance company. (This was after just prosing the question to my father, who is Dun dun DUN, a lawyer)

 

[BoomerD]

Why would you go to a chiropractor for a foot problem? That's like going to a proctologist for a headache...(hmm, maybe your head is inserted up your *** too tightly?)

While I agree that he probably SHOULD have x-rayed the foot, (since that WAS your major complaint) I gotta wonder how this actually played out in his exam...I know that many chiropractors believe that all our complaints stem from mis-alignment of the spine, MOST also realize that there are other causes for pain...I've been a regular chiro patient for many years, and my chiros have always had a better understanding of human anatomy than to ignore a definite complaint like "my foot hurts"...

 

[bennylong]

no way

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

you say that like there are actually chiropractors who aren't quacks.

 

[thepd7]

Threaten with malpractice suit FTW.

 

[Rastus]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

Unfortunately, paying him is an admission that you accept the charges. The case will be dismissed out of hand. If you don't pay him, then he will impact your credit rating, and you can sue him then, but all you would get would be him removing the stain off your credit report.

It's not worth it. Pay the bill and move on.

I had a friend who had a serious back problem, and a chiropractor almost killed him. His lawyer told him it wasn't worth persueing.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Rastus

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

Unfortunately, paying him is an admission that you accept the charges. The case will be dismissed out of hand. If you don't pay him, then he will impact your credit rating, and you can sue him then, but all you would get would be him removing the stain off your credit report.

It's not worth it. Pay the bill and move on.

I had a friend who had a serious back problem, and a chiropractor almost killed him. His lawyer told him it wasn't worth persueing.

You can write on the check that you are paying under protest or something like that, put it in the little memo spot. Seen that on peoples court, that way you aren't accepting the charges.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Why would you go to a chiropractor for a foot problem? That's like going to a proctologist for a headache...(hmm, maybe your head is inserted up your *** too tightly?)

Now THAT is funny....

 

[XZeroII]

Confront him and show him the real cause of the problem. If he is reputable, then he will not charge you.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

some chiropracters believe adjusting your back will fix broken bones.

 

[eits]

the chiropractor you saw was crap... it bothers the hell out of me to hear about these bottom-of-the-barrel chiropractors because they only screw it up for the good ones out there.

your spine doesn't cause your pelvis to twist and subsequently cause pain in your foot. either the pelvis is twisted, which would cause back and foot misalignment and pain OR your foot is messed up, which causes your pelvis to twist and cause your back to be messed up.

it sounds to me that the foot problem is the cause of the misaligned pelvis which would cause the misaligned back.

if you didn't tell the chiropractor that the treatment plan was only making your back sore, you don't really have any grounds not to pay. if you did, he should have changed his treatment plan after a few adjustments... it shouldn't take more than three or four adjustments for patients to feel better if the doctor's on the proper treatment plan. if he thought that you WERE improving and that the pain would subside after a few more adjustments, he'd have to have some kind of basis for making that claim... he'd have to have done orthopedic tests and found improvements to lead him to that conclusion. he can't just say, "yeah, the pain will go away after a few more adjustments. just bare with me," after six adjustments based purely on his hunch.

also, you could sue for malpractice and for missing the fracture and not addressing it.

what he SHOULD have done was send you back to the podiatrist after finding the fracture with a letter explaining his findings, but co-manage with adjusting your pelvis and back to keep you aligned and help you maintain a proper gait while your foot heals.

in my opinion, you should get a lawyer and teach him a lesson. a) he shouldn't have missed the fracture, b) he shouldn't have told you that your twisted spine was causing your pelvis to twist and, therefore, causing your foot to be improperly positioned.

also, based on your account of the films he took of your foot, it doesn't sound like a proper x-ray series for a foot.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wouldn't.


quack.


actually, pay him and then sue him for negligence in small claims.

you say that like there are actually chiropractors who aren't quacks.

there are.

and you guys seem to forget that the podiatrist and md didn't take x-rays and let him go on his merry way, which is negligent and worthy of getting sued, too.

my point is that there are a lot of doctors out there that aren't good... it's not just chiropractors. this thread proves it.

 

[nissan720]

Let your insurance company have a go at him for a while!!!!

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: OrganizedChaos
some chiropracters believe adjusting your back will fix broken bones.

well, not exactly. some of them believe that adjusting your back will help your body heal a broken bone faster than not getting adjusted. personally, i don't buy it... most chiropractors don't. however, there are some older generation chiropractors out there who buy into it... and continue ruining the reputation of the profession for the good ones out there