Break. Crack. Crotos. Those sounds, which once sold a popular breakfast cereal, are now luring people to see the doctor thanks to a wave of chiropractic videos sweeping social media.
The most popular videos follow a familiar pattern: A patient comes in with a debilitating condition. A chiropractor manipulates the patient’s limbs and joints in gruesome ways, causing a series of breaks and sprains. And the patient is relieved of years of pain — all within minutes.
For viewers, the clips can be both creepy and satisfying ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) content. For chiropractors, they are valuable marketing, helping to build the business.
But not everyone in the chiropractic industry is excited about the videos. Some doctors say they are misleading, possibly leading patients to believe that miracle spinal treatments are available — or even to try the procedures themselves.
Easy and free advertising for chiropractors
Alex Tubio has become a sensation in the world of medical content creation. He owns chiropractic clinics in Houston and Orange County, California, and sees about 100 patients a week.
Mr Tubio says he owes all his business to social media, which he started using in 2019 to promote his work. He has over a million followers on TikTok, over a million subscribers on YouTube, and his dating calendar is booked through August.
The videos resonate, Mr. Tubio said, because viewers can relate to his patients and their symptoms, such as headaches, migraines, back pain and jaw problems.
“I’ve heard it so many times, where patients come in and say, ‘I saw this guy and he looked just like me. He wasn’t skinny. He was out of shape and needed some relief, that was just me,” Mr Tubio said.
He’s aware of the criticism that videos like his oversimplify treatment, possibly leading some viewers to believe that chiropractors can offer a magic bullet for a multitude of problems.
“My biggest thing is when someone comes in, we try to educate them and tell them that your body is a self-healing organism,” Mr. Tubio said. “But it takes time for your body to change.” In fact, he said, patients sometimes need several rounds of treatment before their conditions improve.
“When you’re so desperate for relief and you’re so desperate for anything, even a little relief goes a long way,” Mr. Tubio said.
Research is far from conclusive on the effectiveness of chiropractic care, and some experts question its validity. A paper published in 2015 found that while chiropractic care improved some upper body conditions such as neck and shoulder pain, more research was needed on its use to treat asthma and other ailments. Another review, published in 2016, found that chiropractic care for low back pain appears to be as effective as physical therapy.
Nathan Hunte, 34, a talent manager and jeweler in London, made his first visit to a chiropractor earlier this year because of social media.
“To be honest with you, it was more curiosity,” he said. “Because I’ve also seen a lot of people go in over the last couple of months.”
Mr Hunte posted a video of his appointment on his Instagram page. As a chiropractor treats his neck and back, he reacts wildly to the adjustments, bursting into giggles and giggles—the kind of video that can go viral.
Mr Hunte’s animated reactions were “more of a shock because, he didn’t tell me when he was 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, so many people have mentioned to me and said they want to go, and now they’ve started booking the chiropractor,” she said.
The dangers of a viral crack in the neck
Industry leaders have mixed feelings about the trend of filming adaptations. Richard Brown, the general secretary of the World Chiropractic Federation, a nonprofit organization that acts as the international voice of the chiropractic profession, said the group had concerns about the social media videos.
“The WFC does not approve of the publication of videos of patients undergoing spinal surgery or any other form of care,” he said, noting that it was often unclear whether the person making the adjustments was a qualified and licensed chiropractor and whether the subjects were bona fide patients.
The clips also raised potential concerns about patient privacy and the risk of “lay or unskilled people” trying to repeat the procedures, Mr Brown said.
Ben Breen, a chiropractor in London, expressed similar concern. He treats about 50 patients a week, mostly for back, neck and shoulder pain. Mr. Breen does not record his patients.
He said the trend was “obviously brilliant, but also a nightmare at the same time”. While the videos are free marketing and often look and sound satisfying, he said, they sometimes give a false narrative of “miracle cures,” especially for long-suffering patients who may have exhausted all other options.
“It just illustrates that narrative: We can just go in, click somebody from head to toe and they’ll be pretty much on top of their game,” Mr. Breen said. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.”
Chiropractors on social media can choose which videos to post, Mr. Breen noted, choosing clips skewed to support the business.
Even some longtime chiropractic patients are confused by what they see on social media and say their experiences vary. Lily Harder, 43, of Bloomington, Minn., saw a chiropractor on and off for more than 20 years after she was hit by a drunk driver. In 2023 alone he had about 50 dates.
“I’ve never had a chiropractor whip me like I’ve seen,” she said, adding that her chiropractor takes a gentler approach.
He worries that these trendy videos may trivialize the profession and those seeking pain relief.
“I already know there’s one way people view chiropractic care anyway,” Ms. Harder said. “Some people just don’t think it works, or think it’s a scam or whatever. It just makes me feel bad for the people out there who could use the help, who are living with pain, who would give them a chance until they see these videos and think it’s like that, because it’s not.”
