Dooblesnott

Not Op, but I can answer this for you. They're definitely a real thing. Not as bad as it used to be, now that more attention is being brought to report human trafficking. But definitely still common in a lot of areas. Park at the Pilot in Birmingham and try to get some sleep without getting woke up by a crackhead beggar or lot lizard pounding on your truck door. Then again, 30 minutes after you told them to get lost because they're too methed up in the head to remember or care which driver yelled at them for being woke up at 2 am. We try to avoid those areas, but sometimes you just don't have a choice.

I was one of those who would have been loudly screaming "bullshit!". In my eyes, those chiro-quack-ters were a few steps below snake oil salesmen. My opinion changed. Sorry about the wall of text, but here's what happened.
I married a sweet lady with moderate to severe scoliosis. Over the years I watched her health & abilities decline. This woman used to sling lumber in a sawmill, and had no problem arm wrestling me to the ground. I watched as she went from walking normally to depending on a cane. Then she started needing a wheelchair to get through walmart. She was determined not to use it, but soon, almost every time I had to leave her at the back of the store, go fetch her a chair and finish shopping with the wheelchair. I finally bought her a nice electric one of her own. She was becoming more and more dependent on it, due to the back pain. Her doctors would take one look at her spinal x-ray and offer her any pain pill she wanted. Just blew their minds when she'd refuse. I got her to get some just in case. There were days when she really needed them, but it's easier to bathe a cat than get her to take a pain pill, even with her face ashen from pain. A few times I insisted. Wish I had bathed the cat instead..
She should have had a back brace when she was young, but grew up dirt poor in the early 60s. In her early 30s a chiropractor looked at her x-ray and said he wouldn't touch her. The doctors I took her to in her early 40s said even surgery wouldn't help much at her age.
One day she said someone gave her a "coupon" for free exam and x-rays at a chiropractor in a nearby town, and had highly recommended him. Even for a trucker, I got pretty graphic in the language I used to describe chiropractors to her. As most discussions go, however, it ended with me saying "do whatever makes you happy, sweetie". But I was damn sure going with her. Think along the lines of Richard Dawkins meeting the Pope. I straight up told him my opinion of his profession. He responded with a gentle, knowing smile, and proceded to go over her x-rays with us, in minute, painstaking detail. That gave me a little pause, as most doctors I've seen in the last 20 years just rush into the room, barely look up from the chart, mumble something about a presciption then bolt from the room before you can ask any questions. Cornered one once and demanded answers; he told me he was the one with the medical degree he earned from years of schooling and he would know best how to care for her. I just wanted answers. That pissed me off and I fear I wasn't using my indoor voice after that. Still did nothing to improve her care. Blew me away when this kind, soft spoken man was willing to go into detail with us about what he could and couldn't fix. No, he could not straighten her spine. Yes, he could alleviate some of the spots where the vertebrae were pinching nerves, causing her all kinds of pain, headaches, dizzieness, and even reduce a little of the pressure her spine was causing around her heart and lung. No, he couldn't say if she was going to end up wheelchair bound or not. Still I held onto some of my skepticism, because it's served me well in life.
After many weeks of daily treatments, however, she was having less pain. Getting around on her cane again. After a few months, the wheelchair sat, used only on really long outings. Fast forward 10 years. She'd have a hard time finding her cane. The wheelchair? Yep.. Gets used daily. As her computer chair. It's comfy and a great place to store it she says. I apologized to good ol Dr Phil, and dread the day he someday retires. She still has pain, and knows no moderation. When she feels good, she goes all out. Things like pushing a riding mower up onto a trailer to haul to the shop. Then she pays for it by not being able to do squat for a few days. Ol Dr Phil just sighs, tells her to get on the table, while gently admonoshing her not to do that again, pace yourself he says. I just smile, thinking "aint gonna happen".
I'm gone a lot, trucking. I keep her set up for both worlds. Days when she's able... Truck, light trailer, polaris ranger & a zero turn mower. The next few days it's satellite, Netflix, a screamin' gaming rig with 42" tv on her desk, a dozen max level WoW toons.... And wait til the next "good day". To note, Dr Phil is awesome with her. However, he does have fillins sometimes. Two separate occasions, she let them adjust her. One was very rough, and the other just plain HURT her. So yes, there are good and bad. Don't, please DON'T throw the baby out with the bathwater. If it needs a Dr, use one! If it needs a chiropractor, ask around til you get recommended a good one! This chiropractor helped my wife, convinced me, and EVEN HER DOCTOR, who previously stopped just short of calling them witch doctors. So thanks OP, for the ama, and being one willing to take the time to actually TALK about it, explaining and showing tremendous patience.

TL;DR: I was skeptical of chiro-quack-tors, until one changed my wife's life

Are there many vendors selling their wood shop crafts, and does there seem to be any market for those? My wife and I have thought about putting our hobby shop to use and selling items at the flea markets after I retire from trucking. Just curious if it's worth dreaming about.

Also, by any chance is there any truck parking there or nearby just to browse and shop? I go through KC often and even have extra time every once in a blue moon.