Surfing = Chriopractor

Chiropractors are the kooks of the medical world.

that's been my personal experience but i'm definitely in the very small minority of my friends who mostly have had great results from the various spells and incantations bestowed upon them.

I've found chiropractors to be extremely helpful. I ripped cartilage in my lower back and was temporarily paralyzed for a couple minutes from my waste down. Small but pounding shore break and I hit it just the wrong way. My buddies pulled me out and I laid on the beach for 5 minutes seriously questioning shit. Then went to a bunch of sessions with a chiropractor and he loosened up the pinched nerve. If you're pulling muscles then it's probably your fault for not stretching enough.

I had two pinched nerves on the left and right side of my neck where my neck and traps meet. I went to a doctor who was both a chiropractor and a physical therapist. He told my that chiropractic treatments for my neck were only a short term solution and that I really need to improve my posture via a daily stretching routine. If your chiropractors isn't providing you with weekly stretching/excercise plan for long term relief you might want to start shopping around for a new chiroptactor or talk to your physician about referring you to a physical therapist.

I have two herniated discs (L4 L5) from a ladder fall. The worst pain of my life from sciatic nerve. My left foot was going dead from it also. It's been 3 years now from the fall. If your back is out of place that's one thing but if you have damage to your spine a chiropractor will only aggravate it. I have had 5 cortisone shots in my spine so far.
I got back into surfing right after my 5 shot. Surfing has helped me keep my core strong and the arching of my back when I paddle and or pressing up just before the pop up is great for my back.
Like Yah-Guy said you need to Strech and Excercise and watch your Posture.
For some reason I feel it in my back sometimes when I go back side (goofy foot). I think it's because when backside (hitting the lip or cutbacks) my back is bent in a way that is not good for my rage of motion to avoid any pain. So I need a place with Lefts mostly.
But hey, with those long rights at most point breaks it's hard to stay off of them HAHA!

Actually surfing has helped my shoulder injury. It strengthens my back and all the muscles around my shoulder so that it's held up better. That's just my experience.
Stretching is important too but I hear mixed things about stretching right before getting in the water...