While I personally have never been to a chiro, my mom has been a lot.

She was in a BAD car accident in the mid 80s that messed her up. Got better, but another accident made it worse. Regular docs had her in braces and pain pills. Shed be passed out on the couch, barely able to move, etc. So she started going to a chiro. While shes not brand new, she doesnt need any pain meds or braces anymore. Shes definately a believer.

Thanks guys-

The skeptic in me always gets the better of me. My chiro is also an avid runner. Although my md gave me one diagnosis, the chiro told me all my problems are in my neck which in turn affects my back - makes sense. Anyway, I'll give it some more time and see what happens.

Thanks again - Ant

I have been to them but no longer go. I have a herniated disk (L5-S1), and I could be going 3x a week, but I fixed myself. Thing is, the vertebra and other bones get out of position because a MUSCLE is pulling them that way (which can lead to a herniation--increase the space between 2 vertebrae and the disc can pop out). And then one tight muscle leads to another, and another and another, and pretty soon you can barely walk because you are now in pain.

I did research and found a book that helped me overcome sciatica and that combined with a good stretching program, keeps me in great condition. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies. Basically you hunt down and then work on trigger points (isolated tight spots within muscles), and you'd start with the one causing the acute pain, and then you keep looking, since there are probably other muscles involved.

With the low back, sitting a lot is really bad and causes all sorts of trouble--hamstrings, glutes, and then low back gets involved. So to fix everything can take awhile, but you can certainly relieve the acute stuff in a few weeks if you are diligent. I did this and have not been back to a chiropractor, have increased my ROM everywhere in my body, and feel wonderful.

You can't go wrong with a $20 book. It just might be the thing that makes the difference.

The not so million dollar question. As a physical therapist I get the question all the time. My answer has always been the same ... there are good chiropractors and bad ones, just like in any other profession (trust me there are some plenty of bad PTs out there). What I often tell people is that they need to be educated consumers of the medical field. Most soft tissue injuries heal in 4-8 weeks if the right things are done and the stresses taken off the tissue. If someone tells you that you need to sign on for 3x/week for a year, I would be suspicious. Also, ask a lot of why questions, such as "Why is my back out of alignment". If you constantly need manipulation, it would tell me that someone has never taught you to what to do to maintain "alignment". Whoever you chose to see should be able to give you a biomechanical cause and effect relationship to your pain that you understand. If not, I would caution you to check elsewhere. Treat the cause of the problem = permanent cure, treat the symptoms and often the effect is only temporary. Best of luck and feel free to write if you have any questions.