It may be quackery, but it's *good* quackery

All my life I've believed that chiropractic is total nonsense. This impression is based in part on the way the chiropractic profession publicizes itself. My first-hand experience with the art/science has been limited to going to booths at health fairs. At such booths the chiropractor on duty examines you with various Willy Wonka gadgets, then declares you to be terribly "out of alignment." This pronouncement is delivered in a tone that implies, "How are you still alive with such radical problems?"

Well, I'm here today to tell you that it's only partial nonsense. I've been having some back problems this year. A good friend, who I really trust as a rational and intelligent person (as well as a serious athlete), repeatedly suggested that I visit her chiropractor. I ignored this advice for a long time, enduring both episodes of pain and a surreal visit to an MD physiatrist. Finally I decided to visit the chiropractor.

Well, has chiropractic cured me? Dunno - my back problems are intermittent; they pop up only 2-3 times per year. The fact that I haven't had an episode in the past two month means very little. Does the traditional chiropractic adjustment help? I don't think so. The chiropractor body slams me in various ways and makes different things pop, but I don't feel much of a difference afterward.

Here's what has helped: the DC spends most of her time with me on soft tissue massage. This is painful, but really seems to open up my movement. I walk out of the office each time with greater hip mobility than I remembered even being possible. She also is good at noticing structural imbalances; yes, the very same thing I considered quackery upon instant diagnosis at the mall turns out to be valuable when done with care. Fourteen years of running have overdeveloped and over-tightened some parts of my body relative to others. I've certainly got more flexibility in some directions than others. All of this she's pointed out and she's given me exercises to help.

So, is chiropractic medicine? Not quite. What about chiropractic manipulation? No value that I can see. But as a supercharged masseuse and physical therapist - great stuff.