ADJUSTMENTS 
 

How does it work?
Spinal joints that are “locked up”, fixated or not moving properly can affect your health by “choking” or irritating nearby nerve tissue.  Chiropractic adjustments increase motions in these areas, which helps restore the integrity of the nervous system and promotes the healing process.
 
Chiropractic adjustments are specific, targeted and focused.  These adjustments are delivered in a variety of ways.  Sometimes, they are administered by a quick, accurate thrust of the doctor’s hands or a repeatable force to a fixated spinal joint, which is applied by an instrument.  Other times, a slow, constant pressure is used.  Several areas of the spine may be adjusted, or just one.  Some chiropractic doctors use special tables with moving sections to facilitate the adjustment process.
 
The key to chiropractic is to use the precise amount of energy, at the right spot, in the proper direction and at the right time to get spinal joints moving again.  Chiropractic is truly an art.  Your doctor of chiropractic has become a master at one or more adjusting techniques.
 
Each adjustment builds on the ones before. Adjustments help reduce nervous system interferences and “reconnect” the vital communication link between your brain and your body. Adjusting approaches are modified to suit the basic needs of each patient.
 
Just about everyone can benefit from chiropractic.  This includes newborns, infants, children, seniors, and even failed back surgery patients.  Your chiropractic care is tailored to your size, age and unique health problem.
 
Chiropractic adjustments are intended to reduce irritation in the nervous system. 
 
What do adjustments feel like?
After a brief trust, many patients report a sense of well-being or a feeling of calmness while others feel improved mobility.  Inflammation or muscle spasms may delay these positive effects.  Chiropractors excel at making adjustments comfortable and effective.
 
Are adjustments safe?
Yes.  A New Zealand government study concluded that taking over-the-counter pain relievers was around 100 times riskier then chiropractic adjustments.
 
Will adjustments make my spine loose?
No.  Only the spinal joints that are “locked up” will receive adjustments.  This allows weakened muscles and ligaments to stabilize and heal.
 
What makes the sound?
Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint.  Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift.  The sound is comparable to when one opens a soda can or removes a suction cup and is not a guide to the quality or value of the adjustment.
 
Can I adjust myself?
No.  Some patients can make their joints “pop” but that is not an adjustment!  Not even a doctor of chiropractic is able to adjust him or herself.  They will visit and consult colleagues for their chiropractic care.