In my quest to get back in shape after I had my second son, I tried to get back to exercising with a little too much vigor and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, my hips were all out of whack, so I spent two weeks in pretty much constant, throbbing, aching pain.

A chiropractor is what you need, a friend told me, and she knew just the ones: Dr. Allie and Dr. Jeff at Cafe of Life.

I'm new to the concept of chiropractors. I think of chiropractors and I think of bad backs -- a specific doc for a specific problem.

As it turns out, chiropractors are not just about bad backs at all. In fact, like my acupuncturist, they are more about health -- promoting balance, getting all the body's systems working together in harmony. First order of business: get my hips back in alignment. One treatment pretty much took care of that.

Second order of business: clear my body of all the old habits, like holding stress in my shoulders, improving posture, detoxing. Then we rebuild in a healthy way.

If it sounds esoteric, it is. Well, it isn't. It's more about treating the body as a whole than treating the symptoms, trusting that your body can heal itself when all the systems are working at optimum performance. I've heard that Tiger Woods says he wouldn't be the golfer he is if it weren't for his chiropractor.

Dr. Allie and Dr. Jeff opened their chiropractic practice just a few months ago next to Core Power Yoga. The office is clean, sunny, modern, and kid-friendly. The first meeting took an hour because they spent a lot of time listening to me -- quite a change from any doctor visit I go on, where I have to bring a list of talking points to make sure I get my full 4.5 minutes of their time. But after that first meeting, I can breeze in and out in just 10-15 minutes. They're great at putting babies to sleep, too.

Most health insurance covers chiropractic care, and if yours doesn't, they'll work out a plan to fit your budget.

Look for them at the Stapleton Farmer's Market on Sundays. Say hello and get a free massage!