When it comes to the crunch, chiropracty could be the answer to all your pain problems. Dr Don Nakaya of chiropractic centre Bioenergy Asia explains that rather than treating diseases, chiropracty "brings better communication between different parts of the body".

When the spine's vertebrae slip from their normal position, whether from a car crash, poor posture, or some other reason, the increased pressure on the spinal nerves that results interferes with the nervous communication between body and brain. A chiropractor manipulates the joints to realign the bones, which takes pressure off nerves and eases symptoms of pain and numbness.

Nakaya wasn't always a chiropractor. A keen kick-boxer in his native Japan, he arrived in Thailand in the '80s, keen to further his education at muay thai camps around the country. But after suffering an injury to his lower back that couldn't be cured by conventional medicine, he decided to look into chiropracty. His interest led him to a course at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles and after graduating he returned to set up his own practice in Thailand.

To date, he's one of only 18 chiropractors who have met the standards demanded by the Ministry of Health and earned a medical licence. This means that you're still most likely to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon if you visit the doctor with bad back or neck pain.

But surgery, says Nakaya, should only be considered as a last resort.

By Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

Daily Xpress