Eliminating Myths about this Widely Used Treatment
Too much mystery and misunderstanding surrounds the nature of chiropractic adjustments. Bot
h chiropractors and the rest of those in American medicine alike have stated claims about what a chiropractic adjustment is and what it does, some of which are correct and some of which are misleading. To be clear, in this blog I want to answer the question “what is a chiropractic adjustment” rather than “what is chiropractic”. All I will say here about chiropractic as a profession is that it aims to address physical health concerns by drug-free means and that a chiropractic adjustment is one of the primary forms of treatment used by chiropractors.
How it is Done
Often referred to as “manipulation”, a chiropractic adjustment involves the application of a quick force to the joints of the spine, arms, or legs to increase movement at that joint. This typically involves a patient lying on a cushioned chiropractic table. In the case of a spinal adjustment, doctor then places their hands on an area of the patient’s spine and applies a quick thrust using their arms and body. This quick manual thrust causes the two sides of a joint to separate a tiny amount, possibly around a millimeter, for a split second. This separation is actually normal movement of the joint. The force is nothing close enough to dislocate or injure the joint. What this quick force does do is create proper movement at that joint. It allows joints that have been stuck, or restricted, to move through their proper full range of motion. This allows a person to move their body with greater ease, bringing increased blood flow to any area adjusted. Adjustments are also done using small hand-held instruments called Activators or by using a “drop-piece” of a chiropractic table, which pops up a couple of inches with the use of a lever and then drops down when the doctor applies a manual force to the joints of a patient laying on a table.
The Sound
When we move the two sides of a joint apart quickly there is a tiny bubble of gas that is released. This bubble is completely harmless and non-consequential, but it does create a “crack” noise when released. This is the famous noise that usually happens concurrently with an adjustment. It is analogous to pulling a suction cup off a wall and hearing a “pop”. The sound is completely harmless and does not indicate therapeutic value by itself, and in fact sometimes an effective chiropractic adjustment does not create any noise at all. So remember, we DO NOT hear a person’s “bones” crack or grind together with a chiropractic adjustment. That would frankly be frightening! Although the sound itself is meaningless, I find it more constructive (and more accurate) to think of it as a release of tension.
Effect on the Nervous System and the Spinal Column
The quick movement of a joint with a chiropractic adjustment additionally causes surrounding spinal muscles to move, sending a message to the nervous system that improved movement should occur at that joint. This means a chiropractic adjustment does not only provide for changes directly where it is applied, but it also addresses function by way of signaling the nervous system. Chiropractors used to claim that the effect of an adjustment was due to a bone being moved off of a pinched nerve, analogous to un-kinking a garden hose. However, we have known now for decades that this is not how things work. Any effect on the nervous system that we know of now has to do with mechanical and sensory feedback and frankly needs more research.
An additional unmistakable effect of an adjustment is the movement of different bones. I tell patients that in some cases with chiropractic adjustments, my goal is simply to provide proper movement of a joint, but that in other cases I want to physically reposition a joint. One main example is the sacroiliac joint, where the spine meets the pelvis. These joints readily shift in all of us and when out of position they can cause all sorts of problems on one’s back or lower limb. An adjustment can physically reposition these joints, as well as joints of the spine and extremities. (This is not to be confused with the old, incorrect notion that the reason pain is reduced with an adjustment is because the doctor physically moves a bone off of a “pinched” nerve. In certain instances it may work in a similar way to this, but not in the way people have typically viewed a “pinched” nerve). Certain methods of chiropractic focus solely on repositioning some specific segments of the spine and claim to create optimal spinal curves through chiropractic adjustments. I personally disagree with the practice and marketing methods of many of these chiropractors, such as CBP doctors who tend to recommend all patients get a huge series of adjustments (such as 36, or 72, or more), but the science itself may have some validity.
The Safety of an Adjustment
The chiropractic adjustment has been criticized by some in the medical industry as being dangerous, but statistically it is an extremely safe medical procedure. It has been accused of causing stroke in patients by affecting the vertebral artery in the neck in rare instances (estimates range from 1 in 400,000 to 1 in 10 million cervical adjustments), however causation of this has never been proven. What has been shown in studies is that a person is just as likely to have a stroke in a medical doctor’s office as a chiropractor’s office. This tells us that it is not a chiropractic adjustment of the neck that causes a stroke, but simply that a person reporting to the office of a DC or MD with certain extreme symptoms might be on the verge of having an unfortunate episode such as a stroke. Instead of going into an in-depth look at this now, I will conclude for the moment by saying that a chiropractic adjustment is objectively an extremely low risk and extremely safe procedure despite some of the negative press it has received. As with everything though, I look forward to further research being done in the future.
We can sum-up with these points about chiropractic adjustments:
- Adjustments improve movement and function
- Adjustments are healthy for your joints, muscles, and nervous system
- The “crack” sound we hear is a harmless, meaningless sound
- Adjustments are very safe
Patients return to my office because they feel better and function more efficiently after treatments, which generally include chiropractic adjustments. Patients tell me that receiving an adjustment feels good, and that has always been my personal experience, too! Combined with soft tissue therapies such as Active Release Technique or Graston Technique, I aim to provide a comprehensive solution and achieve faster, longer lasting results. For further questions about adjustments, check out my FAQ page.
To schedule or find out more about how chiropractic adjustments or other treatment methods could benefit you contact Barlas Chiropractic at 206-954-7479 or message us through our website contact page.
I would love to help you feel and function your absolute best!
Yours in health,
Seattle Chiropractic
(206) 954-7479