There are many misconceptions about chiropractic adjustments, what it’s intended to do and how it is done. Some people think that a chiropractic adjustment is meant to ‘crack your back’ and put your vertebra back where they should be, but that is not all that a chiropractic adjustment is meant to do.
There are benefits to chiropractic adjustment beyond what you might expect:
- Proprioceptive stimulation triggers endorphins to be released. The endorphins released from this chiropractic adjustment causes near instant and temporary pain relief similar to that of pain medication.
- Chiropractic Adjustment provides improved nutrient supply. The cartilage and other structures inside of a joint have no blood supply. A chiropractic adjustment involving joint motion moves synovial fluid around thus providing fresh nutrients to all parts of the joint, as well as removing waste.
- Chiropractic Adjustment can reduce pressure on the nerves. It has been shown that inflammation, a bulging disc, or fragment floating around can interfere with proper nerve conduction because nerves are really sensitive. The stuck joint can be pressing on a nerve because it is physically stuck, inflammed, or could just be moving in a way that rubs the nerve. Ultimately, a chiropractic adjustment can cause a relief of this pressure.
- Proprioceptive retraining allows for improved function. Chiropractic adjustment takes a joint through its full range of motion. This new input is then stored and replayed in the brain, similar to muscle retraining that physical therapists will do. This retraining sort of chiropractic adjustment provides a functional correction that may provide pain relief.
There are so many things that chiropractic adjustments can help relieve and various chiropractic adjustments can be done for you that will be tailored to your specific pain or need. If you can imagine, there is even more to know about chiropractic adjustments and WorldChiropracticAlliance.org has some great information that will help you to get more familiar with the process of chiropractic adjustments.
The Chiropractic Adjustment
The key to chiropractic care is the spinal adjustment. This is the way doctors of chiropractic correct subluxations.
The Goal of the Adjustment
The goal of the chiropractic adjustment is to correct the spinal subluxations detected during the examination. To do that, the doctor applies pressure to the bone and “unlocks” it from its improper position. The bone will then be free to align itself correctly.
Many people think that the chiropractor forces a vertebra back into its “proper” place. But only the individual’s own Innate Intelligence knows for sure what the proper place for each bone is. The role of the chiropractor is to free up the vertebrae. Then, the body can do its job and put them back in the correct position.
Unfortunately, the muscles connected to subluxated vertebrae get used to their positions and have a tendency to pull the bone back out of place. It may take several adjustments before the adjustment “holds,” and the bone settles into its proper alignment.
Adjusting Techniques
If you ask 100 patients to describe their adjustments, you may get 100 different answers! That’s because there are many adjusting techniques for the chiropractor to choose from.
Some doctors have their patients sit up for certain adjustments. Others tell them to lie down. Some use elaborate tables with moveable head or foot rests while others use stationary tables. A chiropractor may use a certain technique on one visit and a totally different one the next.
Chiropractic colleges teach their students many adjusting techniques. They realize each doctor and patient is different. In fact, each subluxation is different and may require a separate approach. Even the size, weight, and muscle structure of the doctor and patient must be taken into consideration when choosing a technique.
Chiropractors select the technique which will most effectively correct subluxations with a minimum of force. The “art” of adjusting requires skill and training rather than brute strength. That’s why even slightly built doctors can perform excellent adjustments on all patients regardless of their size.
Will it Hurt?
Because most adjusting techniques emphasize using minimal force and gentle pressure, few patients feel any discomfort during the adjustment. Many, however, will hear popping sounds. But there’s no need for concern. There’s nothing breaking. The noises you hear are just tiny pockets of gas releasing with a pop, which is completely normal.
With or without noises, your adjustment should be completely pain free. Some patients, particularly if they are tense, involuntarily stiffen and resist the adjustment. At these times, they may feel slight discomfort until they learn to relax.
Once you get used to the noises — if there are any — you may associate them with “good” adjustments. However, be aware that in time, these noises may lessen or disappear completely. When this happens, it doesn’t mean the adjustment has stopped “working.” It only means that normal flexibility is returning to the affected vertebrae.
There are so many options when it comes to chiropractic adjustment; there are simpler routine chiropractic adjustments and more specific chiropractic adjustments, and which one is right for you all depends on your needs.
Many people also see correlations with chiropractic adjustment and various different health benefits. Some of these chiropractic adjustment benefits are reduced blood pressure, improved immune response and even decreased colic in babies. The mechinism by which these benefits are found is still relatively unknown, but there has been research and even case studies done to see if there is a true correlation between chiropractic adjustment and these benefits.
A chiropractic adjustment might be just the thing you need to relieve pain, among other things. Chiropractic adjustments are painless and are tailored to your specific needs so that you get the best benefits from your chiropractic adjustment possible.
