Are you one of the 80 percent of people who experiences back pain? What about the 70 percent of people who experience neck pain that interferes with your daily life? Knee pain? Shoulder pain? All of the above?
Many people who experience these types of pain find relief from chiropractic treatments. In fact, two-thirds of people say chiropractic treatment methods are effective for dealing with these types of pain.
One of the most common and effective chiropractic modalities is chiropractic adjustment. This simple technique can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility.
Let’s look at this a bit closer so you can understand exactly what the procedure is, what it’s like, and how it’s used as a treatment method.
What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment, also called a chiropractic manipulation or spinal manipulation, is a common chiropractic treatment. A chiropractic adjustment refers to when your chiropractor applies manual pressure to your vertebral column to help restore motion to segments that are moving, positioned, or functioning abnormally.
Here’s how it usually works:
First, you’ll have a consultation appointment to discuss your condition, pain, injury, and any medical conditions you have. The initial exam consists of a full neurological, orthopedic, and chiropractic exam to rule out any contraindications of chiropractic care.
When and if your chiropractor decides that a chiropractic adjustment is right for you, they’ll have you sit or lay in a position that gives them access to the painful, stiff, or problem area. They’ll then perform a chiropractic adjustment to reduce tension in the joint and restore normal range of motion.
Adjustments may and very often can also work to relieve pain & stiffness. This is when you’ll often hear “pops” or “cracks” in your back, neck, and other joints.
This is just gas releasing from the joint space and is not an indication of a good adjustment, more often is a byproduct of the adjustment. These pops are actually the release of various gases in the joints like nitrogen, oxygen, and CO2.
The process isn’t invasive, rarely causes any pain or discomfort, and can improve your range of motion after just a single treatment.
Some patients can feel sore or tired after treatment, but many find relief and relaxation after treatment. With the use of ice or heat after a visit, most of the soreness dissipates fairly quickly.
Want to learn more about conditions that could lead to this pain?
Learn more about the common conditions we treat here.
Chiropractic Adjustment Benefits
Now that you know what a chiropractic adjustment is, let’s look at some of the benefits.
The first benefit that many find the most intriguing is pain relief. Chiropractic manipulation can relieve pain from joint issues, stiff muscles, movement problems, injury, and more.
It can also relieve headaches (often caused by muscle tension or stress), lower & upper back pain, neck pain, and more.
Other benefits include:
- Improved mobility
- Reduced muscle stiffness & tightness
- Improved joint health & function
- Improve circulation & injury recovery
- Reduce pregnancy-related symptoms
- Reduced inflammation
Of course, everyone experiences treatments and modalities a bit differently. You may experience just a few or all of these benefits, but rest assured that it’s a safe and effective method for treating pain, stiffness, and functional issues without medications or invasive procedures.
Uses & Applications
Chiropractic adjustments benefit a wide number of audiences and issues.
While the neck and back are the most commonly manipulated areas, chiropractors can use this technique on many parts of the body including the hands, feet, jaw, knees, ankles, wrists, and more.
Thus, this technique can be used as part of a treatment plan for a large number of problems. Most revolve around pain, stiffness, and mobility problems with the back, neck, shoulders, and more.
Sports injuries, chronic diseases, bad posture, headaches, and more can be helped by chiropractic adjustment.
Bottom Line
What is a chiropractic adjustment? Now you know that it’s a simple, non-intrusive, non-painful chiropractic technique that can be used to treat a number of issues, problems, and diseases.
It’s great for pain management, improving mobility, and healing after injury. If you’d like to learn more about it, Dr. Scott Rosner from the Weymouth Chiropractic and Wellness Center is here to help.
Contact him to ask any more questions or to set up your first appointment. You can also learn more about Dr. Scott’s treatment options and methods on his website here.