What is a chiropractic adjustment? To put it simply, it is a procedure that involves a chiropractor using their hands or a chiropractic instrument to exert a controlled force on your spine, neck, or other joints in your body. People often visit their chiropractor to get some relief from pain or to alleviate symptoms of a certain injury. When a chiropractic adjustment is done to the back, it is called spinal manipulation, and this has helped to reduce the symptoms of pain and improve the quality of life and mobility in countless patients.
Why do People Go for Chiropractic Adjustment?
Some of the most common reasons for going for a chiropractic adjustment is lower back pain, knee and shoulder pain, arthritis, and hip pain. Chiropractic adjustment can help to greatly reduce the amount of pain that many people around the world suffer from. However, it is not necessary to wait for pain in order to work with a chiropractor. This is especially so when it comes to spinal manipulation. One of the main objectives of a chiropractor is to ensure that the spine is in the best possible condition and posture it can be. As such, you can go for a chiropractic adjustment to be your best self even if you feel fine.
Risks Involved
If you like to crack your own joints or back at home, you are not alone. However, there are risks to doing these adjustments by yourself if you have no training and knowledge about your own anatomy. It is only safe when you let your licensed chiropractor or professional pain management expert do the adjustment. If you do self-adjust, you might suffer from the complications of your own adjustment. Although these complications are rare, you might risk pinching a nerve if you crack your own back too aggressively, which would most likely cause a lot more pain in your body.
Letting someone who is untrained adjust your neck is also never a good idea. If too much force is used and the movement is too sudden, you might face the risks of blood vessels getting damaged, possibly leading to blood clots and even strokes in the worst cases.
However, you should get a chiropractic adjustment if you suffer from the following conditions:
- Numbness or tingling in your extremities
- Bone abnormalities in your spine or neck
- Spinal cancer
- Chronic osteoporosis
- Higher risk of getting a stroke.
What to Expect
When you visit a chiropractor for the first time, they will ask you questions about your medical past and typically ask you to do an X-ray. This is to see the alignment of your bones and pinpoint which areas they can adjust. During your session, the chiropractor will come into close contact with you and use their hands to manipulate your joints and muscles. You should not be alarmed if you hear any cracking sounds from your body. This is perfectly normal and even feels good for most people. For a few days after your chiropractic adjustment, chances are that you might feel some side-effects such as minor headaches and pain in the areas which were adjusted.
