I've tried chiropractic adjustments twice, and as a trained massage therapist, I was taught to think not think highly about the profession. The "problem", I was taught, is that you significantly move the bones -- but if you do not engage in exercise to strengthen the muscles and hold them in their new place, they'll just revert!
My first two experiences with a chiro involved such minimal touching or manipulation whatsoever (it almost felt more like some weird form of trigger point therapy) -- I was left feeling gypped, pissed off, and vindicated.
My experiences with Solofsky gave me an entirely new perspective on the POTENTIAL of the field. He engaged in a whole world of implementation (all based on the CRUCIAL FOUNDATION OF X-RAYS, TO DETERMINE WHERE YOUR BODY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, and most important of all, where malalignments over TIME will lead to such debilitating, life-changing conditions as bone fusions, and bulging and herniating discs -- so you can "head them off at the pass.")
Solofsky goes to great lengths to not just keep on top of the LATEST advances in his field, but even is being sought as the lead speaker at chiropractic conventions and as the lead author in the latest books for fellow practitioners.
My conclusion?
Chiropractic work WITHOUT muscle training (in a routine ideally established by a competent PT, which you can continue to carry on at home, without continuing to pay for PT visits once you have mastered the routines and have the DISCIPLINE to do them on your own) -- they should both should be a part of any person's self-care and "preventative care" as far as physiological health.
But the KEY is finding the RIGHT chiropractor.
X) If your chiropractor does NOT do X-rays in your initial visits -- don't go back.
X) If your chiropractor does not use mechanized (electronic) implements to soften muscles and work on the tight areas that are pulling you out of alignment -- don't go back.
X) Don't waste your money on chiro if you are NOT committed to concurrent weight training. To do otherwise is to take the lazy way out, and you will (over time) hemorrhage vast amounts of money. If you can afford it, well, I guess it's your money. But NOTHING compensates for maintaining your muscle mass. (Chiro also does NOTHING to maintain your cardiac health.)
*** The BEST use of chiro (in my opinion) is to do a full workup, establish your baseline, and identify what disease processes will continue if you don't intervene -- and then through exercise, PT, and occasional adjustments, continue to maintain your best possible posture and strength. Every few years, you should re-do the X-rays to see how you are doing.
*** If in acute pain, or have been through a dramatic event (car crash; fall down the stairs,) the chiro will do wonders to get you quickly aligned.
Consider this massage therapist converted -- provided you find the RIGHT chiro! read more
