The error regarding Nurse Practitioners is so obviously xenophobic that I can’t be much help, on the issue of Chiropractors, I this to say:

I am nearly 74 and since I was quite young I have had no respect for Chiropractors.

Most of thirty years ago I developed pains in my arms and sometimes tingling numbness in my fingers.

The doctor diagnosed “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” since that was the Malady de die. I was given a script for Naproxen Sodium [side question--I am not supposed to eat salt, but all of ny many drugs seem to be xxxxx Sodium. Why is that?] which I later decided had unpleasant psychological effects and sent to see a Physical Therapist who did some electrical mumbo jumbo along the nerves of my forearms and who taught me some posture hygiene and I was able to manage the pain for a long time.

A few years ago, the GP got tired of my whining about the increasing pain in a shoulder and sent to a PT (the earlier one had long sice retired) who did some ultrasonic and LASER mumbo jumbo along with some massage and traction stuff and genuinely did some good. And apparently burned out my insurance support.

Last year the other shoulder developed pains that wore the worst ever–incapacitating. (I was later able to tell a check-in-whatever-she-is at the GP shop that on her one-to-ten-pain-scale foolishness I knew where twelve is.)

Members of my family (athletes, most of them) insisted that I really ought to see a Chiropractor (my wife was seeing one that Kansas City daughter’s DC had recommended here and had good results from longstanding back pains) and so I did.

In the course of several weeks (during which I was told to expect things to get worse before getting better) the pain and tingly fingers went away and now 6 or so months later I am (with respect to arms, etc., pain free.

The Chiropractors in that office still have posters, comments, and TV pronouncements that I believe to be borderline fraudulent, I have to say that they were able to do more for me than translate “arm nerve hurts” to Latin.

Last year the pains

With distressing frequency I see on that screen what looks to me to be a pop-up Google search window.

The only shops where this is not true is Physical Therapy (No computer’s in sight except the Reception-Appointment desks where you might hear imprecations about being able to view a patient’s appointment records, but not modify them. ??!), Dermatology (which might not be on the system), the Wound Center I have not been there in a while–may be changed),the Nurse Practitioner from Cardiology who walks over from Cardiology to Physical Therapy or to the Wound Center to attend my Swollen feet and legs, and the ENT Doctor. Audiology would not make an advance appointment six….make that eight or nine months ago because they didn’t trust the changeover–and I have just now made an appointment so we will see.

So, as we used to say, “with time to spare, go by air”, it is now “If it is not urgent, see the doctor. If it is, try Google unless you are losing fluids, then see the Urgent Care office at the supermarket”. Doesn’t rhyme but that is the best I can do.

I actually agree with the point that we are certain to see many problems erupting “unexpectedly” as patients are pawned off on not-quite-doctors. The government’s approach is just absurd and getting more so all the time.

Actually, policies are created by lobbyists, who generally write much of the legislation and the spread the dollars around to get it enacted. Physicians have a very powerful lobby in the AMA. For some reason, though, the AMA signed on to Obamacare.