Question
I recently visited a chiropractor for recurring neck pain, thinking if my neck was out of alignment, the treatment would restore the correct position of the bones.  They took x-rays and my neck did look wrong to me-- it looked very straight instead of curved the way I am used to seeing a human neck.  This is what it says on my spinal analysis card (written "in code"): cervical kyphosis. (cervical) 4 flexion, 5 flexion, L lat. flexion. Also, in the lumbar region, 2 L rotation, 3 L rotation.

The chiropractor did not seem able to explain how the therapy worked, and even looked nervous as he tried to answer my questions with phrases out of his pamphlets. All he could tell me is that manipulating the joints increased flexibility and helped alignment.  I only want to know if the therapy will really help to restore the curve of my neck and if this is actually important to my health. I am 32 years old.  

Answer
It's good to see you questioning this, the chiropractor is wrong.  Manipulation does not restore joint alignment.  Further, the spinal analysis card codes (known as biomechanical listings) are actually taken from neutral xray pictures which notate the position of vertebra.  Although a vertebra may appear out of alignment research shows that this does not correspond to a decrease in motion of the area, except for the vertebra at the apex of a curve (middle).  Moreover there is no evidence that these misalignments are abnormal in any way, most people have them.

His claim that 搈anipulating the joints increases flexibility and helps alignment?is false.  Manipulation has been shown to only provide a temporary increase in active range of motion, it does not last.

>I only want to know if the therapy will really help to restore the curve of my neck and if this is actually important to my health. I am 32 years old.

I've written a critique on the most popular way chiropractors rehabilitate posture at http://www.chirobase.org/06DD/cbp.html .  My general guideline is to ask your chiropractor how many degrees your curve is.  If it is less than a 20 degree lordosis (backward curve), straight or reversed (kyphosis) then visit a physiatrist and physical therapist who specializes in spinal rehabilitation, show them the article on posture correction and ask them if they can evaluate you for muscle shortening, pronated feet and the other causes of bad posture listed in the article.  If you still have bad posture after doing that it might be due to genuine ligament shortening and require specific cervical traction listed in the article.  At that time you could ask the PT to prescribe it or visit one of the DCs who specialize in it.  Just don't visit the DC first, they tend to overutilize and miss things.