From the original post: Have you tried/considered massage therapy? (It may also be a bit "flaky, with candles & incense...") ... but I'll pass this info along, from my wife who is a Licensed Massage Therapist.

A chiropractor's primary scope of practice is bone and joint alignment. He may realign your spinal column, but your muscles will tend to return to where they were before. The muscles will be tense, and that tension will pull your bones/joints back out of alignment.

My wife recommends a therapeutic massage within a day after a skeletal adjustment. She has a client now who does just that... comes to see her the day after his spinal adjustments (he has 5 fused vertebrae), and he seems to be making good progress - he's regained feeling in his legs.

It was your mention of "supporting muscle around the spine" that reminded me of all the times I've heard her explain the difference between chiropractors & massage therapists. Chiropractors work on bones and joints, massage therapists work on soft tissue. They are complimentary treatments that work well in combination. Give it some thought and research.