Specific Chiropractic Adjustments

Specific Chiropractic Adjustments provide pain relief, improved mobility and a reduction in inflammation, nerve pressure and joint stress!

Motion is lotion. Movement is one of the greatest tools for healing that exists, however, with injured tissue, it can only tolerate the right amount of movement.  Too much and we get strain, irritation, and exacerbation of symptoms, and too little and we get increased immobility, rigidity, further dysfunction and pain.

An adjustment is an incredibly powerful tool because it allows chiropractors to get a therapeutic amount of movement into areas of tissue damage that are often too painful or too difficult to focus on actively by the patient themselves.  Despite its often loud and sometimes powerful feel, an adjustment only uses a very small amount of motion, typically less than a millimeter or two at the joint surface.   This is why chiropractic adjustments are classified as a grade 5 mobilization “high velocity low amplitude.  

The key here is that the adjustment is given specifically to the damaged/subluxated joint.  An adjustment to an already moveable joint isn’t bad, and may even feel good, but it won’t help solve the problem even if it is just one or two vertebra below or above the damaged joint.  

A specific adjustment to the subluxated joint given by skilled hands is quick enough in speed and shallow enough in depth as to not disturb the spastic/injured tissue that hurts to move actively, but large enough to stimulate the pain reducing mechanoreceptors that desperately need movement.  

This mechanoreceptor stimulation in turn gives proprioceptive input to the brain reducing stress and allowing the muscle spasms to calm down.  Adjustments are also associated with endorphin release from positive stimulation to the nervous system which interns help people to feel better.  

When these adjustments are done repetitively over a few weeks (typically 2-4 x week) it creates a new pattern of movement that stimulates a good positive feedback loop and the result is amazing!  Instead of being locked in this cycle of injury causing pain which causes stiffness which then causes more injury and more pain, the brain begins to learn what’s going on via increased movement from specific chiropractic adjustments.  That increased motion at the restricted joint improves range of motion which reduces spasm and allows you to feel better.  

Then because you feel better you do what all people who feel better do and that is move more.  Moving more without pain helps to pump and nourish the joints which lowers inflammation and stimulates more proprioception which reduces more stress and helps the patient to want to move even more and feel even better!   

Instead of not moving because it hurts and then getting tighter and weaker, which then makes you feel worse, the cycle is reversed and you are on your way to less pain and a vastly improved life! HOW COOL IS THAT!! 

The first step is determining if you have joints that are damaged and not moving properly.  In chiropractic we call these damaged joints “subluxated”, which means a dysfunctional joint with altered alignment.  The doctor will use a combination of your health and trauma history coupled with a detailed examination using posture analysis, range of motion, hands on palpation, ortho & neurological testing as well as x-rays to determine the number and severity of subluxations and postural distortions.

Once the doctor knows exactly what is injured and how many subluxations he will confirm with you whether or not he can help as well as about how long and how often you will need to come in order to correct your spine.  

Then the doctor will walk you through getting your first adjustment where the healing really begins!