"Is some bone cracking a miracle cure or a placebo panacea?"

This is a false dichotomy.  It really depends on the chiropractor.  What claims are they making?  Do they believe in the debunked concept of "subluxations"?

Check out ten ways chiropractors sell themselves to parents at... http://www.chirobase.org/02Research/parents.html">www.chirobase.org/.../parents.html

And for general reliable science-based info on the chiropractic method go here... http://www.chirobase.org/

Bad link in previous comment.  Here it is again.

www.chirobase.org/.../parents.html

Considering that people have died as a result of chiropractic treatments certainly wouldn't label it benign.

wouldn't let a chiro-nut touch me... so they certainly will not be touching

my kids... my good friend is all about them... she is worse now than ever...

i believe if she continues it will disable her to a point she will no longer be

able to get around and her 5 year old will be the one who suffers.

I'm definately for chiropractors, due to personal experience. I was in a number of traumas as a child (hit by a car, thrown off a horse cart.. etc) and it left me with a lot of lower back pain, I was only 8 or so, and my back would hurt so bad I'd be in agony at school sitting in a desk. Visits to the chiro helped a lot, sure it was not a one visit cure, but over time I had to go less and less, and now I have only made 2 visits in the last 3 years or so. Both of which while I was pregnant.

I think that it's very important to make sure you visit a well trained chiro, not any random dude claiming he knows what he's doing. Research into the guy you're gonna let mess with your bones, but a professional imo is well worth a visit.