I saw one of those quacks once at the FW VA clinic. Dude never asked me what my issue was, where my pain was, and to what extent I was experiencing it. Just told me to stand up straight while he straightened his arms and put his extended hands on my shoulders. He'd push down on one side and then the other and close one eye as if he were looking through a monocular scope to get a precise measurement. Did that from the front and then the back. Then he poked me in various places around the neck and ribs; I thought he was trying to tickle me. Occasionally he'd ask if I had any pain or discomfort in a particular area as he did this. Then he had me lay down on his table and popped my neck and then a couple spots in my back (upper and middle) and told me I should be perfectly back to normal by the next day, but if I still had issues to call back in a few days and set another appointment.
I told him my pain was in my lower back and, if he'd care to look at my file in the VA computer system he'd be able to see the various structural issues captured in the MRI taken directly beneath him. Then he adjusted my lower back and said to make a follow up appointment for the next week without actually looking at my scans or the radiology report from them. I went back to my civilian chiro after that even though I have to pay when I go to him. The guy at the VA was an absolute clown and I always pay to get medical care better and faster than what I get through the VA when it's not adequate the first time.
I don't see chiropractic care as anything more than a means to keeping my body aligned and getting out of extreme pain when flare-ups happen. I'm not expecting it to cure me permanently. I don't think that exists without surgery and I'm loathe to consider that option until it is absolutely necessary. I coincidentally just had an appointment last Friday at the VA with the physical medicine and rehab clinic regarding my back issues. It's only taken two years to get that appointment and I'd already paid for the same thing with my civilian chiro (whose wife is a PT and operates out of the same clinic he does). As you described I was on a 6-8 week program designed to teach me various stretches and resistance band movements that would help strengthen my core and promote flexibility. My issue is I don't have the discipline to complete those exercises and stretches daily so I tend to have more flare-ups than I might otherwise.
I'll likely start another 2 month training cycle with the VA PT and focus more on a program that I'll actually do. I'm probably going to end up going the yoga route. I really like CrossFit, but don't have the time for it and need something lower impact on my body. I would always go down to lower weights to ensure I maintained proper form through the end of the WOD so as to mitigate reinjury. It's great for developing and sustaining core strength, even at lower weights than prescribed, and it's perfect for a slug like me who responds well to coaching, yet can't seem to coach himself.
Even still, with the number of structural issues in my low back I likely still would have issues on occasion if I took perfect care of my back. As a result, I'll probably continue to go to the chiro every other week just to keep myself from getting too off kilter and to minimize the severity of flare-ups when/if they do happen. I've gotten them once or twice a quarter pretty consistently for about 5 years. I'll go from feeling good enough to play an entire season of outdoor soccer to unable to stand up from the toilet and unable to walk with a normal posture. No single movement or activity seems to trigger a flare-up either. Roughly half happen after some type of physical activity (sports or work on/around the house or setting up/tearing down a tailgate) while the other half happen in a time span where I haven't done any physical activity at all.