The Adjustment
The key to chiropractic care is the spinal adjustment. This is the way doctors of chiropractic correct subluxations. The goal of the chiropractic adjustment is to correct the spinal subluxations detected during the examination. To do that, the doctor applies pressure to the bone and “unlocks” it from its improper position. The bone will then be free to align itself correctly.Many people think that the chiropractor forces a vertebra back into its “proper” place. But only the individual's own Innate Intelligence knows for sure what the proper place for each bone is. The role of the chiropractor is to free up the vertebrae. Then, the body can do its job and put them back in the correct position. Unfortunately, the muscles connected to subluxated vertebrae get used to their positions and have a tendency to pull the bone back out of place. It may take several adjustments before the adjustment “holds,” and the bone settles into its proper alignment.
Adjusting Techniques
If you ask 100 patients to describe their adjustments, you may get 100 different answers! That's because there are many adjusting techniques for the chiropractor to choose from.Some doctors have their patients sit up for certain adjustments. Others tell them to lie down. Some use elaborate tables with moveable head or foot rests while others use stationary tables. A chiropractor may use a certain technique on one visit and a totally different one the next. Chiropractic colleges teach their students many adjusting techniques. They realize each doctor and patient is different. In fact, each subluxation is different and may require a separate approach. Even the size, weight, and muscle structure of the doctor and patient must be taken into consideration when choosing a technique. Chiropractors select the technique which will most effectively correct subluxations with a minimum of force. The “art” of adjusting requires skill and training rather than brute strength. That's why even slightly built doctors can perform excellent adjustments on all patients regardless of their size.
Will it Hurt?
Generally, a chiropractic adjustment does not hurt when carried out by a qualified practitioner. If you have acute muscle spasm in the area being treated, you may experience some temporary discomfort or if you have had a condition for a long time, you may feel soreness the next day as your body starts to heal. To better understand why you may feel soreness after your initial treatment, just picture yourself running a mile on your first day out. You will typically feel sore because your neuro-skeletal-muscular system is being stimulated for the first time! Or if you have never received a massage and you have your first one, typically the next day you will feel a mild bout of soreness. Your chiropractor will advise you if this is likely to happen and will tell you how to minimize any discomfort or soreness.
How many treatments will I need?
That depends on the nature and severity of your injury. Some conditions can resolve in one or two treatments. Others may require weeks or months of treatment and rehabilitation. A general guideline for an acute episode of low back pain of mild to moderate severity with no complicating factors is 6 to 12 treatments over 2 to 4 weeks. There are instances where maintenance or follow up care is recommended however is not always indicated. For Active Release Techniques and Graston Technique it is typically seen that we have treatment protocols for two times per week for 2-6 weeks depending on the extent of the injury and it's complicating factors however we normally do not extend over 12 treatment visits with either Active Release Techniques or Graston Technique.