Snap. Crack. Pop. Once used to market a popular breakfast cereal, these sounds are now luring people to a doctor, thanks to a wave of chiropractic videos sweeping social media.
The most popular videos follow a familiar template: A patient comes in with a debilitating illness, a chiropractor moves the patient's limbs and joints in terrifying ways that make them crack and pop, and within minutes the patient is relieved of years of pain.
For viewers, these videos can be both embarrassing and satisfying ASMR content, and for chiropractors, they're valuable marketing to help build their business.
But not everyone in the chiropractic industry is thrilled with the video, with some doctors saying it's misleading and could lead patients to believe that simply popping their spine will produce miracle cures, or encourage them to try the treatment themselves.
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Alex Tubio is a sensation in the world of medical content creation. He owns chiropractic clinics in Houston and Orange County, California, where he sees about 100 patients a week.
Tubio says he owes his business entirely to social media, which he began using to promote his work in 2019. He has more than 1 million followers on TikTok and more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube, and his calendar is booked through August.
Tubio said the videos resonate because viewers can identify with his patients and their symptoms, which can include headaches, migraines, back pain and jaw problems.
“I've heard so many times patients come in and say, 'I was looking at this guy and he looked just like me. He wasn't skinny. He was out of shape and he needed some relief. He was just like me,'” Tubio said.
He acknowledges that criticism exists that videos like his oversimplify treatment and may lead some viewers to believe that chiropractors can provide a magic pill for a variety of problems.
“My biggest thing is when patients come in, I educate them and let them know that their body is a self-healing organism,” Tubio says, “but it takes time for the body to accept change.” In fact, it may take multiple treatments before patients see improvement, Tubio says.
“At a time when people are desperate for relief and desperate for anything, even a little bit of relief goes a long way,” Tubio said.
Research on the effectiveness of chiropractic care is inconclusive, and some experts question its effectiveness. A 2015 study found that chiropractic care improves upper body symptoms such as neck and shoulder pain, but more research is needed on its use to treat asthma and other conditions. Another review published in 2016 found that chiropractic care appears to be as effective as physical therapy for lower back pain.
Nathan Hunt, 34, a talent manager and jeweller from London, said social media was what led him to his first visit to a chiropractor earlier this year.
“Honestly, I was curious,” he said, “because I'd seen so many people going in there over the last few months.”
Hunt posted a video of the procedure on his Instagram page, in which he can be seen reacting violently to the treatment, giggling and laughing out loud as the chiropractor works on his neck and back — a video worthy of going viral.
Hunt's animated reaction was “more of a shock because they didn't tell me when they were going to make the move,” he said. “So I wasn't really prepared, but it was more of a relief.”
His video has inspired others: “Since then, a lot of people have contacted me and said they want to go, and now they've started booking appointments with the chiropractor,” he said.
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Industry leaders have mixed feelings about the trend of filming treatments. Richard Brown, executive director of the World Federation of Chiropractic, a nonprofit that serves as an international voice for the chiropractic industry, said his organization is concerned about the videos on social media.
“WFC does not condone the posting of videos of patients receiving spinal manipulation or any other treatment,” he said, emphasizing that it is often unclear whether the person providing the manipulation is a qualified, licensed chiropractor and whether the subject is a genuine patient.
Mr Brown said the video also raised potential concerns about patient confidentiality and the risk of “laypeople or unqualified people” trying to recreate the procedure.
Similar concerns were expressed by Ben Breen, a London chiropractor who sees about 50 patients a week, mostly for back, neck and shoulder pain, and who does not keep patient records.
He called the trend “clearly wonderful, but also a nightmare.” He said the videos are free marketing and often look and sound good, but they can tell a false narrative of a “miracle cure,” especially to long-suffering patients who may have exhausted all other options.
“This is just painting a narrative that you can just come in and click somebody from head to toe and they're pretty much back at the top of their game,” Breen said. “Unfortunately, that doesn't work.”
Breen noted that chiropractors on social media can be selective about the videos they post, choosing those that are best for business.
Some longtime chiropractic patients are confused by what they see on social media and say their experiences differ. Lily Harder, 43, of Bloomington, Minnesota, has been going to a chiropractor on and off for more than 20 years, after being hit by a drunk driver. She has about 50 appointments in 2023 alone.
“I've never seen a chiropractor whip me like this before,” she said, adding that her chiropractor takes a gentler approach.
She worries that these trending videos marginalize the medical industry and people seeking pain relief.
“We know that people already have perceptions about chiropractic care,” Harder said, “some people don't believe it works, some people think it's a scam. I feel bad for people who need help, who are living with pain, who want to try chiropractic care but watch these videos and think that's what chiropractic care is really like, because it's not.”
