Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustment is a procedure that a trained specialists, such as a chiropractic will perform to manipulate the spine back to its natural and correct alignment to improve your body’s ability to function at its highest potential. The procedure is typically a manual procedure that involves a chiropractor using their hands or small instruments to apply a controlled but, sudden force to the spinal joint. Some of the more common problems people experience that leads them to seek out chiropractic adjustment is typically to treat low back pain, neck pain, or headaches.
Starting with palpation, your chiropractor will motion out the spine, starting with the neck area while they rely on the patient to report any pain or tenderness they may be feeling in certain areas. At which point your chiropractor will feel the area of the tightness where the joints are not moving. The adjustment is made with a firm but gentle thrust in a high velocity and low amplitude. The thrust is made through the direction to which the restriction in the joint was identified, the neck is held in position and with gentle applied force is “popped” back into place, allowing the patient to feel immediate relief as if the neck has been “freed” up. Your chiropractor will continue this method down the spine in the mid-thoracic, mid-back, and lumbar areas and again will motion out to feel for any other areas experiencing restrictions. Where the joints appear stuck and restricted to movement, your chiropractor will again use a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to go in with gentle force and realign the joints.
After the procedure the patient should experience increased movements in the neck, mid-thoracic area, the mid-back, and then the lumbar spine. Your chiropractic will recheck your movements and for any other restrictions before you leave.
Chiropractic adjustment is very safe when it is being performed by a trained and licensed to administer chiropractic care. People who may have a severe case of osteoporosis, excessive motion in the spine, or increased risk of stroke should not seek chiropractic adjustment.
Your chiropractor may recommend other treatment approaches in combination with chiropractic adjustment, such as:
- Deep tissue massage
- Stretching
- Electrotherapy
- Ultrasound therapy
- Exercise prescription
Some common areas of complaints that can be treated with chiropractic adjustments are:
- Headaches and migraines which are typically caused by neck pain.
- Whiplash
- Pinched nerve
- Sciatica (nerve pain)
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Back sprains and strains
Chiropractic adjustment is one of the leading treatment options for chronic or acute neck and back pain because it promotes a natural, more sure way of healing. Chiropractic care offers outstanding benefits, a holistic and non-invasive approach. This treatment plan is ideal for patients who seek a drug-free treatment plan. Chiropractic care aims to assess the entire body as a whole, helping patients’ mobility and cognitive thinking.