Manual Adjustment Chiropractic Care

Adjustments go by many names: chiropractic manipulation, manual manipulation and spinal manipulation are three common ones. And, actually, all of these are accurate to chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is designed to manipulate, or adjust, spinal joints that are out of alignment or not moving properly. Most chiropractors call these subluxations or, the subluxation complex. They may be causing pain, discomfort or limited range of motion. A vertebra that is not in the right place can affect the bones adjacent to it, as well as muscles in the back, which can cause widespread, agonizing pain.

Pain In Lower Back or Neck

Pain in the lower back or neck is the most common reason patients visit us. Back pain is the fifth most common reason for doctors’ visits in the United States. It is responsible for thousands of missed days of work each year across the country, and a $50-billion industry is dedicated to alleviating its symptoms. With about half of all American workers claiming some type of back pain at some time, it’s time we start looking for non-pharmaceutical ways to eliminate back pain. At Family Chiropractic Plus, we know the secret to healing your chronic or acute back pain…manual adjustments done by our professional, highly trained doctors!

The Symptoms

Your spinal column is, at once, delicate yet extremely strong.  Adjustments should only be done by knowledgeable chiropractors who are educated in the fine art of spinal manipulation. Dr. Martin and Dr. Kaysie will take great care to give you the most thorough adjustments possible so that your back or neck pain begins to lessen quickly! Tingling or numbness in arms, hands, legs or feet is another reason people visit us. Headaches, especially migraines, are another. All of these symptoms can signal that there is something wrong with the nervous system or that you are experiencing stress that is manifesting physically. No matter what the cause of your discomfort, a series of manual adjustments can have you feeling better in no time!
Our team will take great care of you from beginning to end.

Before Your Adjustment

Before your first adjustment, we’ll get a full health history from you.
Next, we will do an exam of the area that is bothering you. We may also examine other areas of your body that might also be affected. For example, if you have hip pain, we may look to your lower back for the source of the pain.
Finally, x-rays may also be taken in order to help us diagnose certain conditions. These x-rays will only focus on your spine unless you are having pain in an extremity, such as your ankle or wrist.

What To Expect

For some patients we will apply one or more physiotherapy modalities to your back to relax the muscles. Being tense during an adjustment will make you very sore, and it will decrease the effectiveness of your adjustment. These techniques may include heat, massage, stretching electrical stimulation or any combination of these. Part of the decision is based on the patient’s preference, and part of it on the doctor’s opinion of what is best for each patient.

During Your Adjustment

During each appointment, the chiropractor will have you lie on a special padded, movable table. This table has pieces that move up or down. The purpose of the table is to further loosen the joints and muscles so that your adjustment goes well. He or she will usually have you lie face down in order to do your adjustment, but occasionally you may need to turn on your side or back for certain maneuvers. The adjustment itself consists of Dr. Martin or Dr. Kaysie applying controlled, quick pressure to joints, pushing them just beyond their resticted range of motion. “Popping” is normal during an adjustment. No, it isn’t your bones! You’re hearing the release of gas pressure that has built up in your joints, which has been causing your discomfort.

Adjustments Tailored To Your Needs

A handful of our patients cannot tolerate normal adjustment techniques. They find the pressure and sudden movements painful and scary, so they tense up. For these patients, we employ different techniques for their adjustments, including the table we described above and a tool called an activator, which applies low-pressure adjustments to specific points on the neck and back.

After Your Adjustment

Most of our patients look forward to their regular appointments because of the relief they feel. Although we recommend chiropractic as a series of treatments, it is common that you will probably notice a difference after just one treatment. Expect minor side effects if it has been a long time since your last adjustment or if your symptoms were severe before the adjustment. People who have extreme pain have most likely been suffering from a condition that has built up over a long period of time. Disrupting the way the body has been functioning for weeks, months or even years will definitely shake things up!

Benefits Of Manual Adjustments

Chiropractic is not just for the treatment of pain. It is also used as a form of preventative against injury and headaches. It is many patients’ way of avoiding costly back surgery that will keep them immobile for a period of time.
At Family Chiropractic Plus, we may also recommend manual adjustments for colic in babies and ear infections and sinus conditions in people of all ages. We will always recommend that your children at least be examined.

Schedule Your Adjustment

There are 24 separate vertebrae in your spine that twist, lift and bend with you every moment of the day, and even when you sleep. Regular spinal adjustments can keep your back healthy and injury-free by maintaining your full range of motion and keeping inflammation out of these important joints. You will experience many positive side effects after your adjustment, including better nerve communication throughout your body, better posture and improved physical performance in sports or in your everyday activities.
Call Family Chiropractic Plus today to schedule a manual adjustment!
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT
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