Cost: $130 to $150 for initial visit; $50 to $70 for follow-up visits
Covered by insurance: Often
Bottom Line: Limited help for sore backs
An aching back is among the most common complaints in the U.S. One in four adults will have back pain in a given year and, desperate for relief that doesn't involve a scalpel, they're flocking to chiropractors by the millions.Since 1970 the number of chiropractors has more than quadrupled to over 60,000.
Federal studies have found chiropractic - that is, spinal manipulation - about as effective as conventional medicine, which is to say, modestly effective.
Risks are considered low: Some complain of headaches or soreness after treatment. In very rare cases, patients have suffered a stroke after treatment of the neck; researchers speculate that vigorous adjustment may have torn arteries.
