I have a chronic lumbar disc problem that causes painful back episodes every now and then. Typically the greatest pain and stiffness last 3-4 days. I bet if I saw a chiropractor each time, I’d be over the worst of it in 72-96 hours.
I don’t know if this Times link will work, but here’s the key passage:
*"It began with a mystery in 2000 when, in the middle of his rookie season, Jones had trouble breathing. He saw team doctors, outside specialists and visited the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors performed a biopsy on his stomach and stuck cameras down his throat. The diagnoses included walking pneumonia, asthma and anxiety.
After Jones spent about $20,000, a chiropractor realigned his ribs, and his breathing returned to normal. More important, Jones began to examine the team doctors more closely, and he started to assemble a team of health specialists.* (the aforementioned chiro/osteopath/masseuse assemblage).
I have to say that I once saw an actual instance of a chiropractor having “realigned” a patient’s ribs - fracturing several in an adjustment that went awry, resulting in a trip to the emergency room. He did seem to be breathing OK, in between moans.
As mentioned in other threads, some evidence shows chiros are about as effective treating musculoskeletal complaints as other practitioners, including massage and physical therapists. Trouble arises when chiros take on internal medical complaints, pass themselves off as nutrition experts and otherwise practice outside their limited realm of expertise (having a practice model based on “subluxations” which have never been demonstrated to exist is a big part of the problem).