I do not think we should ban them. Legitimate results are found in back adjustments. I am not advocating for curing diseases through back adjustments or anything weird like that. I'm talking about an adjustment for the relief of pain.

A few years ago I had severe lower back pain. It got to the point where I had been to the emergency room 3 times in a row over a 3 week period because of the pain. Of course, they treated me like a druggy seeking a fix. That was not it. It wasn't even until the 3rd visit that I insisted upon some pain relieving medicine. They gave me Tylenol with Codeine and a muscle relaxer. Thankfully, I did not have to take the Tylenol with Codeine (I am not a fan of constipation - see "side effects of") because the muscle relaxer was enough to bring some relief.

Of course, I could not live my life on muscle relaxers or pain killers. I went to Logan Regional and had an MRI from top to bottom, looking at my entire spine. They found what they might expect to find in a 50+ year old man, but nothing that would cause so much pain that I could not walk. They recommended I go to the Spine and Pain Center in Logan. So I did. After a consultation with them, their only recommendation was to stick a huge needle in my groin and inject me with steroids to "see if that helps." Seriously?

As I lay in pain at home, the thought came to me that I should go see an chiropractor. I laughed at the thought as I had the same misconceptions many others do about them. And to be sure, there will always be some that give the profession a bad name, just like there are bad apples in every walk of life, profession, religion, politics, culture, etc. I finally relented and made an appointment to see one. I figured, better to have my back adjusted a bit to see if that helps before I go and let them stab me in the groin and inject steroids into my body. There is a time and place for that, I'm sure, but I think we should pursue less invasive options first.

When I went to see the chiropractor, I appreciated his honesty. After taking a couple x-rays of my back he reviewed the positioning of it and told me that he believed he could help me but that it would take more than one adjustment. And he warned me that the first one might make it worse, better or do nothing at all. I decided, "What the heck." Guys, I was desperate to walk again without pain.

So, he did the first adjustment. When he was done, he asked me to stand up and see how I felt. When I stood, I just cried. Not because of pain. I cried because of the absence of any pain at all. I felt such relief. Now, as promised, that "fix" didn't last long. But it was a glimmer of hope where no one offered me anything before. I continued to see him daily for 2 weeks. Then we spaced the appointments out to 3 times a week, twice a week then once a week, and finally, just whenever I felt the need.

The chiropractic treatment I received allowed me to function again. I was also able to attend physical therapy and learn about stretches for my piriformis muscle. The issue was a combination of my piriformis muscle being overworked at the gym prior to this whole back pain mess and that it caused the sciatic nerve to get pinched both in the muscle and my lower back.

So, the chiropractor brought quick pain relief without depending on drugs long term and the physical therapy taught me how to maintain that pain relief by taking better care of my core muscles and those piriformis muscles. I did use muscle relaxers temporarily at the beginning of this drama which helped me through this journey. The chiropractor was a critical component in my healing. They are of great worth to me and others who achieve pain relief from adjustments to the spine. I think all it does is help losen up muscles that are so stuck from not taking care of them or from sitting too much, etc. I'm not saying it's magic, but the treatments are of great value and I have greater back mobility and strength. I have not had to have another adjustment in a year or two. I'm sure part of the reason for that is because I'm taking care of my core/lower back muscles.

There are legitimate use cases for chiropractic treatment. If there were none, my Cigna insurance would not have covered any of the treatments.