Whether you have experienced an injury and you are considering going to see a chiropractor or perhaps you know someone who receives chiropractic treatment, you may be wondering how does a chiropractic adjustment work. Chiropractic treatments provide numerous benefits and are actually quite effective at relieving the pain associated with many injuries and issues.
When a chiropractor provides a patient with a chiropractic adjustment, he or she applies force to certain joints. This force is very quick and short in nature. The purpose of such an adjustment is to increase the patient’s range of motion, correct a misalignment, or relieve the pressure that may be causing pain to the nerves.
Various methods may be used by chiropractors to perform adjustments. In some cases, an activator or drop table may be used, but in other instances, it’s possible to perform an adjustment manually. No matter which method is used, the ultimate goal of an adjustment is to relieve pain in the patient while providing the body with the opportunity to heal completely naturally.
If you have found yourself wondering how misalignments occur, it is important to understand that the central nervous system and the spine both work in conjunction with one another. The spinal cord and the brain form the central nervous system. Connecting the spine to the brain is the spinal cord. From the spinal cord, the nervous system extends throughout the entire body. In the event you experience any type of misalignment or rotation in the joints, the nerves are also affected.
Common symptoms associated with a pinched nerve might include:
• Weakness
• Tingling
• Numbness
• Pain
You might not feel the pain of a pinched nerve in the spine, but you could very well experience that pain in other areas of the body. It’s not uncommon for pain to radiate throughout the body and to experience that pain in an area completely separate from the actual injury. For this reason, one of the goals of chiropractic adjustments is to treat the entire body and provide comprehensive healing rather than focusing on each system separately.
Causes of Misalignments
Between your joints are discs. These discs are designed to be spongy and flexible in order to provide flexibility and range of motion for your joints. While this is advantageous, the spongy flexible nature of these discs also makes it possible for your joints to become misaligned. Such misalignments may be the result of injuries, muscle contractions, poor posture, or repetitive motions. In some cases, misalignments may also be the result of a genetic deformity. Whatever the cause of misalignment, a chiropractic adjustment can often help to relieve the pain associated with it.
When you see a chiropractor for treatment of a misalignment, the chiropractor will carefully move the joint back to the proper position. Although chiropractic adjustments seem fairly simple and straightforward, it should be understood that each person is different, each injury is different, and therefore adjustments are different. Chiropractic adjustments are completely customized based on the needs of the patient. During your initial exam, it’s important to be completely upfront about the pain you are experiencing as well as any injuries that may have contributed to your pain. Doing so will help to provide the best course of treatment.
For instance, depending on your needs, it may be necessary to apply more or less pressure during an adjustment. This may vary not only from one patient to another but also from one appointment to another. It is not uncommon for joints to move back to the improper position following an adjustment. This is particularly true if you have lived with the misalignment for a long time. For this reason, it may be necessary for you to receive recurrent adjustments in order to help your body learn how to maintain the proper alignment.
Many people do not realize how common it is to experience a misalignment or how harmful such misalignments can be to your overall health. In fact, many people may have a misalignment and not even realize they have it. If you have experienced symptoms such as tingling, numbness, or pain, you may have simply grown accustomed to it. There is no reason to continue living with these symptoms.
Our goal is to help resolve the source of your pain and restore your complete joint health rather than simply covering up your symptoms with pain medication. We offer a variety of different treatments, including adjustments, to provide you with additional relief. Give us a call today at 205-637-1363 to learn more about chiropractic adjustments or to schedule an appointment. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
