[crack]

i went to a chiropractor today, kind of on accident. i was bitching and complaining about my back hurting, and about that part of my back that won't crack no matter how i contort, and M said, "call this guy, stop complaining." i called, and they had an appointment this afternoon. throwing caution to the wind i went. it was amazing. i left there with a glow, and when i got back to work everyone asked, "how was it?" i told them i felt just as good as if i'd just gotten home from a really great date because that's exactly how it felt. that doctor cracked my back in placed i didn't think could crack anymore, he took a ton of x-rays, i got to actually see all the parts of my back that are fucked up, and i got a nice rub-down and spent some time on a table that made me wish it was a man i could date. i know i need a few more sessions before i feel 100%, but my back hasn't felt this good in months, maybe years. i think i just needed a good stretch and for someone to help me crack the parts that don't want to crack. a part of me is still fairly suspicious of chiropractors, they seem a little like witch doctors, at the same time i can totally appreciate a profession that spends so much time focusing on making the back feel good.

a few things i learned about my back that have always been suggested but never confirmed:

1. i do indeed have a slight case of scoliosis.
2. one leg is shorter than the other, which makes my hips sort of askew. this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does stiffen up my lower back.
3. the last time i was sure i broke my ass falling down in a huge beer spill at a show, i broke part of my back. there are some vertebrae in my lumbar section that are all mangled and chipped from when i broke them. geez.
4. my head doesn't sit straight on my spine. it's crooked like everything else on me! the chiropractor kept tilting my head and saying, "that's straight," and i kept saying, "no, that's tilted to the right."
   
5. none of these things on their own is particularly serious or awful, but all together they make for an annoying series of back issues. there isn't anything this guy is doing to do to radically change my life, but i feel better after a nice little adjustment, some heating pads, and a rub-down.
   

i might very well be a chiropractic convert, though.