Some random thoughts & info that may or may not help you RobBase:
There are essentially two kinds of chiropractors based on differing schools of thought/philosophies-
the "straight" ones, and the "mixers".
The straight chiropractors call the maneuver they perform on joints 'adjustments'.
Mixers call it 'manipulation'.
Straights are extreme about the holistic approach to health, and see adjustments not as 'pain-relief',
but part of wellness...
In a nutshell: the brain controls everything, sends its signals through the spinal cord and nervous system,
stress/trauma/toxins can negatively affect the complex spine in some way, the spinal nerves exit the spine through exit holes
adjacent to the spinal joints & associated musculature and soft tissue, adjustments help restore normal
movement and reduce 'stress', therefore allowing spinal nerve transmission to be un-hindered,
thus allowing your body's innate ability to have optimal wellness & health in many or all aspects,
not only to muscles/joints but to organs as well.
'Mixers' see things more 20th Century.
They are trained in a very sports-rehabilitation/physical therapy minded way.
They perform specific manipulation to restricted painful joints to restore range of motion and to decrease pain.
This can be for acute or chronic instances.
This isn't limited to the spine.
Manipulation and rehabilitation can be performed on any synovial joint in the body.
The training of mixers is quite intense, and is is quite focused on diagnosis as per modern medical standards (ie Merck Manual et al).
The mixer is indeed a doctor, because the low back pain you present with may be due to
kidney stones, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ostopenic compression fracture, or metastatic tumors in the lumbar spine.
He/she must arrive at a proper diagnosis. This sometimes requires advanced imaging (CT/MRI),
and maybe even a referral to another type of practitioner or for blood work.
Or- your back pain could be because you twisted it wrong while shoveling snow.
Once a proper diagnosis is determined, a proper treatment plan usually consisting of
manipulation, modalities (E-stim, heat, cryo, ultrasound, etc), stretching, deep tissue work, and exercises-
all with the goal of pain reduction, restoring normal ADL (activities of daily living), and prevention of re-injury.
The doctor of chiropractic is trained to diagnose, determine action, and develop a treatment plan.
Progress and recovery of musculoskeletal pain disorders is based on objective, quantitative measurement
in addition to a patient's subjective assessment.
If therapy isn't working, a different course shall be taken.
Perhaps a different conservative approach.
Or, maybe referral to more aggressive/invasive therapy (medical pain management).
'Mixers' are often found together with other health practitioners in Pain Management Clinics.
In these, you'll find together under one roof: an MD, a DC, PT, acupuncturist, nutritionist, pyschologist, etc...
(Yes, psychologist, because chronic pain has a very real psych component to it...).
Joint manipulation is the art/skill of stretching a joint just past its current range into what's called the para-physiologic area.
The famous 'pop' that's heard is a cavitation that occurs due to the pressure change within the joint capsule from being stretched,
when dissolved gases come out of solution. Think of like when uncorking a champagne bottle.
It is NOT bones contacting and crunching into one another.
That 'pop' is a happenstance by-product of manipulation.
Successful manipulation doesn't need to make an audible noise.
This movement is performed on joints that have some sort of restriction, which may or may not be objectively measured.
The goal is help restore normal movement & range of motion.
Joints are a complex of many soft tissues. One or many can be in need of service.
Manipulation has been recorded as being practiced for centuries.
Before "big business", there were medicine men, herbal remedy and bone-setters.
Chiropractic got its name as we know it in North America at the turn of the 20th Century.
In the 80's, the AMA was brought to court and found to be engaging in unlawful methods to to "contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession".
Many questionable & illegal practices were performed, whose goal was to drag chiropractic through the mud.
And it worked. many folks still use childish terminology like 'quackopractors' etc
And for some, justifiably so if they only saw 'one' and had a shit experience,
or maybe didn't have their expectations met.
Ultimately, there are good DCs and bad ones, just like everything else.
My suggestion: if you want to try it out-
take your time, do your research to find a good one,, just like anything else.
The art of manipulation takes great knowledge, skill and practice.
Just as a black belt in xyz martial art knows his stuff, so does a good chiropractor.
Adjustments/manipulation may or may not help certain joint issues.
As a conservative therapy that has low risk vs many other therapies, it's a worthwhile pursuit.
This is why insurance companies pay for chiropractic care.
And this is why knowledgeable open-minded MDs work alongside chiropractors.
The final word is:
your health is your own great responsibility.
There ain't a lot of magic tricks to make everything 'better'.
Ok, yes- oxycodone does indeed work wonders lol.
The road to recovery and wellness is sometimes long and hard.
Good luck man.
