My New Chiropractor

At the chiropractor's office:
self-administered laser treatment

I first heard about chiropractors in college, where my pre-med roommate would talk about the profession of chiropractic with a great deal of scorn (BTW, he went on to become a well-respected physician). Indeed, back in the 1970's chiropractic did seem like quackery with its focus on spinal adjustments and manipulations, but since then its prestige has risen along with the acceptance of acupuncture, holistic medicine, and other alternatives to conventional Western medicine.

It wasn't on the bucket list, but today I went to the chiropractor for the first time. He confirmed the diagnosis on the injured leg--nothing fractured, no injury to the hip, knee, or ankle--but said that there was probably a muscle tear in the quadriceps. For the next three weeks, I should not exert it very much, massage frequently to break up scar tissue, and regularly apply a low-level laser to speed healing. I could drop in the office and use the machine myself without charge.

I thanked him and said that I felt better already. He responded to my unspoken thought: yes, the placebo effect can be powerful--and there's nothing wrong with that---but you probably are on the mend.

Chiropractors study psychology, too.