You got me wrong about promoting surgery. In fact most good doctors will avoid surgery, unless it is either the only option or the patient refuses to perform the necessary therapy to help fix the problem. As I mentioned most people feel great after seeing a chiropractor, because they have shifted what was out of place, back to where it should be. The problem is, that they do not fix the problem that caused the bone to slip and repetitive shoving, cause permenant and unrepairable damage. They are basically medically sanctioned massage therapists, except a massage therapist won't move your skeletal system. Your skeletal system is supported by your muscles, so if you don't have the muscle to support your skeletal system... it falls apart. My only recommendation is, see a specialist first and do the muscle therapy they will recommend, before you see a chiropractor for a "quick fix". Going through therapy for a back injury is long and painful, but worth the time, since you only have one spine and spinal surgery rarely solves the problem permenantly. If you don't have any back problems now, ascribe to an exercise regimine that keeps your lower and upper back muscles fit.