Chiropractic work seems to be in-between traditional Western medical practice and alternative and Eastern-influenced alternative therapies. Let me post some thoughts as to the latter
Many of the aches and pains we experience are not due to structural defects in our skeleton and muscles, but rather in the way we use ourselves. What does that mean? We all have habits of action and thought, and these habits are not always beneficial to the integrity of our system.
An example: it is not uncommon for a person who has suffered an injury to make a complete recovery, objectively speaking. That is, their broken bones or muscle tissue heals. But they continue to walk with a limp, or hold a limb relatively immobile.
In these cases, further improvement, whether it be objectively measured range of motion, or subjectively reported instance of chronic pain, will not come from an intervention that merely addresses the physical structure.
Bones don't move themselves. Adjusting the skeleton, then, most likely will not lead to lasting change. Muscles, also, don't activate themselves. So perhaps after massage, the muscular tonus of an individual will return to a (habitual) heightened state of contraction, with the pain and limited mobility that goes with it.
What is needed, and what a variety of bodywork and somatic practices attempt to address, is a change in the entire neuromuscular responsea way to learn to act that leads to less effort, less pain, and an ability to turn intention into action without cross-motivation.
Before I get off on the deep end
since you've looked into Yoga (an excellent choice, by the way) perhaps you're open to looking into other options. I'd recommend taking a look at the Feldenkrais Method, as well as the Alexander Technique. Both are forms of movement "re-education". They attempt to help a student/client "outsmart" years of habit and find easier ways to do things, such as bending down to tie your shoes, sitting at a keyboard, or cultivating a kind of "flexibility" in how you approach your career, family, and unavowed dreams.
The key, though, and what separates these methods from traditional therapy, is that the change occurs not through lectures, explanation, weight training, stretching, or sweat, but by guiding a client through a discovery process wherein learningnew, healthy responses to stimulihappens organically.
So before I babble any more incomprehnsible jargon, here are some resources:
www.feldenkrais.com has a list of practitioners in the U.S.
www.alexandertechnique.com has a list of their practitioners, as well. In addition to these two methods, you may want to look at Rolfing. There are others. Google "somatic education". Just make sure you have a good rapport with whomever you go to.
Finally, in hopes of clarifying what I'm getting at, let me use an example. How do babies learn to crawl and walk? Well, they don't do it through language. And they really don't do it by imitating. They try, they fail, they fall, they improve, and eventually they learn to balance and orient and locomote and get to wherever their curioisity takes them. And the ability to learn and do all this is inherent in the human nervous system.
This kind of learning never needs to stop. It's not just for babies. With stress, obligations, and a lifetime's history of injury, trauma, expectations, and habits, adults can benefit to an extraordinary degree by tuning into their sensations, becoming curious about their movement, and "leaning what they're doing, so they can do what they want".
Good luck in your search.
