Dr. Rick Archambault spills water into a cupped hand and places the other on top. He’s simulating joint cavitation, the formation and collapse of vapor bubbles in the synovial fluid that lubricates human joints. This phenomenon causes the “cracking” sound typically heard during spinal adjustments.
“If I were to put a little water in my hand so there’s just a little bit of liquid on the surfaces of two joints that are put together and pull it apart, that’s what you’re hearing,” he said. “There’s no damage to the joint. It’s a gas in between that just releases when you take it through motion and [the joints] go right back.”
Archambault, 74, who once advocated for the inclusion of chiropractic in company health insurance packages as president of the Greater Boston Chiropractic Society, said he has seen chiropractic become more accepted in society over time.
47 Years of Advocacy
“I’ve seen to the point where chiropractors weren’t even licensed in Massachusetts, to where now they are everywhere,” he said. “There are some medical people who don’t want to accept the fact that [chiropractors] help people without drugs, but the whole shift now is a much more natural means.”
After 47 years of practicing as a chiropractor in Arlington, Archambault retired April 20. He described his final day seeing patients at his practice, Archambault Chiropractic and Wellness Center, as a bittersweet goodbye where patients expressed their gratitude.
“It was difficult because they are truly like a family to me. It’s never been a job just to make money. It was always a caring thing,” Archambault said. “There were a lot of tears for a lot of people.”
Born and raised in Rochester, New Hampshire, Archambault was the only son among five children. He recalled how his father, the owner of a small furniture company, pushed him to pursue higher education and a prosperous career from an early age.
“He was of the mindset at that time that it was very important for the male in the family to be the provider,” Archambault said. “If we were going to put money into an education, it should be put into the son.”
Archambault’s father encouraged him to pursue dentistry after a visit to his dentist. He planned to do that and aimed to enroll in dental school after college.
In 1974, Archambault graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in zoology. However, he deviated from his original plans.
“For the first time, it hit me that I don’t want to look at people’s mouths all my life. That’s not what my passion is,” he said.
After graduating, Archambault ventured to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, with three of his fraternity brothers. While apprenticing as a meat cutter, Archambault’s coworker urged him to talk to his chiropractor about his career.
After taking a physical therapy course at college, Archambault said he once considered chiropractic to be pseudoscience.
“One of the [textbook] chapters was why chiropractors are quacks,” he said. “I thought I would drive into this dilapidated two-family with no street parking. I would walk in and I might see somebody sitting in a chair, like Ichabod Crane.”
Physician Treat Thyself
However, Archambault’s stance changed when he visited the chiropractor’s practice.
“He was wearing a clinic jacket and a tie. He looked like a real professional, and I was taken aback,” Archambault said. “He spent about 15 minutes speaking to me about chiropractic and how wonderful it was to be able to treat and heal people with your hands.”
Four weeks later, Archambault drove his blue 1970 Plymouth Duster through a snowstorm to Davenport, Iowa – the home of Palmer College of Chiropractic.
After graduating magna cum laude in 1979, Archambault and his wife, Maureen, moved to Arlington. He worked for Dr. Thomas Cordima before opening his own practice in 1981. In need of a larger space, his business moved to its current location in 1989.
Archambault said that he uses a “whole person approach” to treat his patients.
“I realize that jaw pain can be caused by structural deviation, but also it’s caused by an emotional stressor. So rather than just treating the jaw, I’ll talk to the person,” he said. “I try to think in terms of other exogenous factors that may be playing into why they may be feeling distressed.”
At his practice, Archambault built a loyal community. In his final week open, Archambault adjusted a patient’s 18 month-old infant after he requested that Archambault treat every generation of his family.
Another time, Archambault recalled an instance with a 101-year-old patient who was experiencing urinary problems. Despite Archambault’s advice that she see a medical doctor, she insisted on seeing him for an adjustment.
“She disappears and I hear this exclamation [from the bathroom], ‘I peed! I peed!’ She came over and gave me the biggest hug,”he said. “Those were experiences that had a huge impact on my life and gave me a lot of confidence in what I do.”
Ted Mara first befriended Archambault while playing on the same adult basketball team 44 years ago. He credits Archambault with helping his joint health.
“He fixes everything for me,” Mara said. “I’m a big believer in chiropractic, which I never heard of before until I started playing basketball with this guy.”
Ted’s wife, Sue, admires Archamabault’s dedication to making the best decisions for his patients.
“He puts you right at ease. The thing I love about him is if he doesn’t think he can handle something, he’ll refer you out,” she said. “Not a lot of doctors like to do that.”
In retirement, Archambault said that he’s looking forward to spending time with his wife, kids Michael, Michelle, and Eric, and grandchildren at his home in Wayland. He also hopes to recover from a back injury so he can return to golfing.
Archambault plans on maintaining his relationships with his patients.
“I was told once that you receive through the same hole that you give. I tried to practice that and to give a lot of my heart and soul to my patients,” Archambault said. “I was not simply a practitioner and so I learned that if you treat people with respect and kindness and warmth that you have them as patients forever.”
This story, published on April 30, 2026, is part of a partnership between Your Arlington and the Boston University Department of Journalism.