Chiropractic adjustments are more than just a professional back crack or two. Instead, these specified procedures are a type of manual therapy designed to realign joints and alleviate a range of pain and discomfort that patients often experience in the neck and lower back. Read on to learn more about how chiropractic adjustments work and to determine how chiropractic care could improve your life.
What to Expect at a Chiropractic Adjustment
It can be intimidating to visit any new medical professional for the first time, but you can expect your initial visit to the chiropractor to be straightforward and simple. The chiropractor will obtain an extensive health history and perform a preliminary physical exam to determine the optimal method of treatment for your pain.
After this first visit, the chiropractic adjustments will begin and continue at the discretion of the patient and chiropractor. In a chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor uses his or her hands to apply a sudden but controlled force to a targeted joint in order to momentarily push that joint outside of its usual range of motion, which may result in a popping or cracking sound. This motion realigns and readjusts the joint so that it returns to its natural position and ideally relieves the joint pain.
You may feel immediate relief from chronic pain after each visit, though it is also possible to experience mild side effects such as headache, fatigue, and/or soreness in the targeted joint for a few days after the adjustment. These side effects should recede in the days following treatment, but if your pain gets significantly worse or you feel numbness or weakness, contact your doctor immediately for an evaluation.
Who is Licensed to Perform Adjustments?
Chiropractors go through extensive training and certification in addition to obtaining a state-specific license where they practice before they are able to treat patients. Additionally, chiropractors complete four years of study in specific graduate programs where they master the structure of the spine and how spinal manipulation affects the entire body’s function. With thousands of hours dedicated to study and guided practice, licensed chiropractors have the training and experience to discuss your chronic pain and develop a plan of treatment, which typically includes occasional adjustments.
How Often to Get an Adjustment
The frequency of chiropractic adjustments is unique to each patient. Individuals with more severe or widespread pain may need more frequent treatments, once a week for example, than an individual with minor, isolated pain, who may only need to visit once per month. Make sure to discuss your treatment plan with your chiropractor for the most effective results.
Call to Action
The chiropractors, physicians, and medical staff at All American Healthcare work tirelessly to help our patients live unburdened by pain through the use of holistic and chiropractic pain management, physical medicine, and individualized physical rehabilitation. Our staff is happy to walk you through your first adjustment, and our chiropractic treatments are covered in most insurance plans. Come visit us today and start living pain-free!
