What is involved in a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is a therapeutic procedure in which a licensed chiropractor employs their hands or specialized tools to manipulate joints in your body. Also known as spinal or joint manipulation, this treatment serves to alleviate pain, correct body alignment, and enhance physical functionality. Chiropractic adjustments provide a complementary approach to traditional medical care.
Who is a chiropractor?
A chiropractor addresses various conditions affecting the nervous and musculoskeletal systems, functioning as a healthcare professional specializing in muscle, bone, and joint pain or dysfunction. Common reasons for seeking chiropractic adjustments include lower back pain, neck pain, muscle discomfort, and headaches. Additionally, chiropractors can address musculoskeletal pain in various areas of your body, spanning from the head and jaws to shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, pelvis, knees, and ankles.
What tasks does a chiropractor perform?
Chiropractors manage a range of discomforts, including aches, pains, creaks, and strains within the musculoskeletal system. In cases involving musculoskeletal issues, chiropractors offer alternative treatment methods that do not involve prescription medication. Their treatment repertoire may encompass adjustments to realign joints, soft-tissue therapy to relax muscles, exercises and stretches to restore joint stability and mobility, joint bracing or taping for support during healing, and referrals to integrative medicine experts for advice on diet and nutrition.
What conditions do chiropractic adjustments address?
Individuals seek chiropractic adjustments for various reasons, but the common thread is the treatment of musculoskeletal issues. Conditions prompting individuals to consider chiropractic care include arthritis, frequent headaches, recovery after accidents or whiplash, joint pain and dysfunction, lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and stiff muscles or muscle aches. Chiropractors not only ensure proper joint mobility but also focus on the functioning of surrounding muscles.
Why are chiropractic adjustments performed?
Chiropractic adjustments focus on alleviating symptoms affecting the musculoskeletal system, whether addressing aches, pains, muscle stiffness, or chronic conditions. Some individuals opt for chiropractic adjustments as an alternative form of treatment that does not involve prescription medication. During a chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor tailors the treatment to meet the unique needs of the individual.
The procedure involves lying face down on a chiropractic table that allows specific body segments to lift slightly higher than the rest, facilitating the application of pressure to a targeted area. The chiropractor then utilizes hands or small instruments to apply a quick, controlled force to a joint or gently stretch joints beyond their normal range of motion. This helps align vertebrae, correct slight off-center positions, and release trapped gases within joints.
What are the benefits of a chiropractic adjustment?
Several benefits are associated with chiropractic adjustments, including the reduction of migraines and neck-related headaches, improvement of posture, reduction of pain, and enhancement of the range of motion in the spine and other joints. Additionally, chiropractic adjustments can alleviate symptoms of chronic conditions like osteoarthritis and address minor neck or spine injuries, particularly those resulting from whiplash.