Chiropractic Adjustment

Chiropractic Adjustment
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest the patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison

What is happening during an adjustment?
As a sports-oriented Chiropractor, we approach all joints of the body as either having the proper amount of motion, lacking motion or having too much motion. Our Chiropractors find the joints that lack motion and deliver a specific force to create that proper amount of motion.

Why do I need to be adjusted?
Being adjusted allows for the proper motion in a joint. Let’s use a typical work office for our example. There are 3 employees in a department. Employee Lazy barely works at all and does 10% of the workload despite having 33% of the responsibilities. Employee Just Enough does his 33% share but will not do any more or any less, it’s not his job. Employee Works too Hard does her 33% share but picks up the 23% that Employee Lazy does not do because she wants the job of the department to get done. As the work piles up, who do you think suffers the most? That’s right, Employee Works too Hard. Joints are the same way. When 3 joints of the spine are in line and one does not account for it’s share of the motion, another joint nearby needs to make up by going beyond what it is intended to move. The joint’s can get “stuck” and only an outside force can restore that proper motion.

Can’t I just adjust myself?
Sure you CAN adjust yourself but SHOULD you adjust yourself is the real question. The answer is no. In our example above, if you just continue to add work to the office who picks up the extra slack. Ms. Works too Hard. This is what happens when you try to adjust yourself. The joint that has too much motion will “pop” and the “stuck” joint will remain stuck. It requires a very specific direction to find which direction the joint is stuck and create motion in that direction. A skill that our Chiropractors learned in their 4 year Doctoral program. 

Why would you adjust a joint other than my spine?
Extremity joints are just like joints in the spine. They require a proper amount of motion to function correctly. Without this motion, the muscles will not contract in a smooth manner, there may be overcompensation by other joints, and the joint surface can suffer damage.

What is the “popping” sound that occurs?
There has been a wealth of scientific research and even more philosophical conjecture as to what the popping sound is that happens when the joint is manipulated. The best answer being circulated by most Chiropractors, Physical Therapists and Orthopedists is that there is a pressure discharge within the joint making the sound. This is a little like pulling two pieces of stuck glass apart and the pressure release creates a noise similar to being heard in the adjustment.

Will I be sore after my first adjustment?
You may or may not be sore after your first adjustment. There is no way of telling if you will or won’t be also. All of our bodies respond differently to this treatment and if you have concern you should contact your Doctor. In most cases, if there is soreness it is only temporary and only involved in the initial adjustment.

Is chiropractic treatment safe?
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects.

The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension.

Neck manipulation is a remarkably safe procedure. While some reports have associated upper high-velocity neck manipulation with a certain kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection, there is not yet a clear understanding of the connection. The occurrence appears to be very rare—1 in 5.85 million manipulations— based on the clinical reports and scientific studies to date. If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain -- prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) -- as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.