Chiropractic adjustments are often recommended for relief from back pain, neck pain, or headaches. However, if you’ve never been to a chiropractor before, you may not know what to expect. This blog post explains what to expect during a chiropractic adjustment as well as the benefits of getting adjusted.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
Chiropractors are doctors who focus on manipulating the musculoskeletal system to relieve any muscle, bone, or joint pain. Low back pain, neck pain, and headaches are the most common reasons for seeking a chiropractor. A chiropractic adjustment is a procedure where a trained and licensed chiropractor uses their hands or special instruments to exert a quick, controlled force on a joint to move it back into alignment. The adjustment realigns your joints and muscles to relieve pain. During a chiropractor adjustment, you may hear a popping sound like the sound of cracking knuckles. This is not a negative sound, it just means that the adjustment is releasing gases in your joints like oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide.
The most common adjustment technique chiropractors use is spinal manipulation where a chiropractor applies a rapid thrust to your spine with their hands to realign the misaligned bone or joint. This technique is often accompanied by a pop. Spinal mobilization is another common technique where chiropractors use gentle thrusts and stretching to realign the spine. Some chiropractors also use an activator, a small handheld spring-loaded device that delivers a small impulse to the spine or neck. An activator adjusts the tone of the nervous system, which is why your chiropractor may use it instead of or in addition to their hands. In addition to an adjustment, many chiropractors also use electric stimulation, ultrasound, ice, heat, or stretching exercises as part of their overall treatment plan.
Chiropractors use patient history, physical examination, and X-rays to determine the areas in a patient’s body that need alignment. These combined factors help the chiropractor determine which areas need treatment, and they will tailor their adjustments accordingly.
What does chiropractic treatment entail?
Chiropractic adjustments move your bones and joints back into alignment, but your bones will become misaligned during daily life, so regular chiropractic adjustments are recommended to keep you in alignment and out of pain. Your chiropractor will recommend how often to come in for an adjustment, which is usually one to two times a month for regular maintenance.
There is no right time of day to see the chiropractor. Some people like to schedule adjustments before work to help prevent headaches. Others prefer to schedule their adjustments after they’ve been sitting all day at work to loosen their muscles. Schedule your adjustments at a time that works in your schedule.
Chiropractic adjustments by trained and licensed chiropractors are safe and effective. They have been proven to ease back pain, neck pain, and headaches, as well as improve your overall range of movement. A Time Magazine article affirmed the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments: “We’d see a lot fewer unnecessary tests and hospitalizations and opioid prescriptions if people visited chiropractors for their back and neck pain.”
Benefits and Side Effects
There are many benefits of chiropractic care, but the most common include minimizing or eliminating migraines or neck-related headaches, improving your posture, reducing pain, improving range of motion, reducing symptoms of chronic conditions, and treating whiplash.
People react to chiropractic adjustments in different ways. Some feel immediate relief from the alignment, others feel sore while their body adjusts to the realignment, and others feel nothing. When a chiropractor manipulates your joints and muscles back into alignment, you may feel immediate relief from the absence of pain. A chiropractic adjustment usually feels good and energizing because the realignment of your spinal cord and joints has relieved pressure on the spine. A chiropractic adjustment should never be painful.
Chiropractic treatment is a safe and effective way of relieving pain. As with any medical treatment, there are potential side effects. Some people feel slight discomfort after an adjustment because the joint has been forced back into place. Your body had become used to compensating for the misaligned joint, so the discomfort is the body readjusting to the correct alignment. It is similar to muscle soreness after a workout, the body adjusting to the new, better normal. You can also experience muscular stiffness, joint swelling, tingling sensations, or a headache. Typically, these are mild and resolve themselves within a day, but always tell your chiropractor so they can take it into account at your next adjustment.
We hope this blog post helps you make an informed decision on whether a chiropractic adjustment is the right course of treatment for you. Please feel free to contact Thrive Chiropractic with any questions.
