Published on 10:23 PM, November 04, 2022

New fixation: Watching chiropractic adjustments

Design: Syeda Afrin Tarannum

The YouTube algorithm is known to act very left-field and recommends the strangest of videos. Keeping aside the bizarre Chinese TikTok videos, YouTube can go to mysterious and flustering places. From pimple-popping to scary animated children's nursery rhymes, the site has a realm of questionable content. However, sometimes the site will go rogue and blindside you with its most random yet wholesome content.

Recently, I stumbled upon the most unexpected YouTube collaboration I've ever seen. Most collaborations on the site remain within their sphere of the community. For example, artists collaborate with other artists, food creators collaborate with themselves, and so on. The video I stumbled upon was one of Jack Harlow himself getting his back fixed by a chiropractor. The strangeness of the video compelled me to watch it, and I was hooked instantly. Before I knew it, YouTube dragged me into a rabbit hole of chiropractic adjustments.

Within a few days, my feed was an amalgamation of chiropractic adjustments, whether long-form stories or YouTube shorts. While it doesn't give you the odd satisfaction of seeing gunk pulled out of pores and trashed houses deep-cleaned, it is nice seeing these people being contorted into better health. Some patients have joints that sound like empty Doritos bags crumbled up. The snaps and cracks you can hear while they are treated are very satisfying. Seeing the chiropractor "fold" these people into uncomfortable positions is also fun.

Oddly enough, chiropractic content is no longer limited to just humans. Horses, dogs, and many other animals are now getting physical adjustments from practitioners. A video of a dog getting a neck adjustment went viral due to the pup's bewildered reaction to the adjustment. Many comments described the pup as "seeing his life flash before his eyes." However, as entertaining as animal adjustment videos are, there is a question of how ethical they are. Even though most of these videos are made by trained and licensed professionals, the animals didn't consent to them, making the whole deal feel a tad-bit exploitative.

Furthermore, some of these videos are highly informative, unlike seeing 100 layers of nail polish being applied. Chiropractors are licensed professionals and usually lace their content with helpful advice and information. For example, ever since descending on these videos, I've tried to consciously maintain a good posture, as a back-fixing video taught me how beneficial it is for back health.

In conclusion, I enjoy watching people get chiropractic adjustments. Is it a sign I need to get my back fixed? Most likely, yes. Is it weird? Definitely. However, is it the strangest thing to watch? I'd say watching chiropractic adjustments is fine in a world where people are unironically watching Family Guy compilations, TikTok reuploads, and Andrew Tate's videos.

Turns out Taaseen Mohammed Islam can write semi-decently at the expense of being able to do basic math. Send him pointers at taaseen.2001@gmail.com