Last week I went to a chiropractor for the first time. I expected her to start crackin’ away, but all she did was take x-rays. Today I went back and had my first “adjustment,” which means she cracked me good and proper. I’m starting an 8-week regimen designed to correct some of the problems with my spine.

There’s something about the whole deal that is a little weird though. At the office I watched a video that shows how the spine can get out of whack, and that it interrupts the “life force” of the body. I expressed to the chiropractor how that’s a little weird, and she agreed that it sounds creepy (so that was reassuring). For the last couple hours I’ve been reading a lot about chiropractors and what some believe. Apparently some think you can cure diseases by straightening the spine, and odd beliefs that fit more with the acupuncture arena than the medical arena.

Many of the complaints and skeptical ideas I read concern curing diseases, but I have read that chiropractic practices are well accepted now for treating back pain (which is why I went). I don’t have severe back pain, but if it can be managed without risky surgeries or drugs, then a little back cracking seems fairly mild.

And she did crack my back today, and it was crazy cracking. It went on for like 2 seconds straight, it was crazy. And ooooh did it feel good. I don’t know if that’s a scientifically valid way to research the effectiveness of the chiropractic profession, but it works for me.

Overall it’s one of those things where the more you read the more confused you get.