Phrases you don’t want to hear from the chiropractor:

“Holy crap, that’s like popcorn!” (My right wrist makes exciting popping noises when manipulated.)

That amusement aside, I was pretty impressed–he was very straightforward, not particularly flaky, and did not offer me immortality if I came in daily for a year. Other than wanting to see me in a day or two to see if the current adjustment took, or if he needs to send me to a massage therapist, they were very relaxed about scheduling being up to my time, budget, and inclination, nor did they spout any particular crackpotness at me, or offer to cure all my ills (in fact, they specifically stated that they couldn’t cure anything much, they could just make some bone adjustments. When we ran through the medical history and I explained that I got migraines occasionally if I drank too much coffee and strained my eyes, he said “Well, then don’t do those things,” rather than offering to cure it.) And they also arranged to hook up with my actual doctor and send along all the X-rays and consult them on any of the treatments.

No voodoo in evidence. All in all, I was pretty impressed.

Also, X-rays of my spine are scary lookin’.

My back got popped like baritone bubble wrap, and they sent me home with instructions to use a hot towel and ice when it got sore. (The chiropractor also suggested swearing repeatedly and cursing his name, since it may evidentally be very sore.)

So overall, a pretty positive experience. We’ll see if it actually WORKS, of course, but I didn’t get “raging quack” vibes up front, which is really as much as I’d hoped for off the bat.