How Do Chiropractic Adjustments Work?
If you have ever received a chiropractic adjustment—or watched one—you may have wondered, “How do chiropractic adjustments work?” Is the chiropractor simply moving a joint? What causes the popping sound? And how can an adjustment affect the way your body feels and functions?
Chiropractic adjustments work through a combination of mechanical and neurological effects. An adjustment changes how a joint moves, affects the surrounding muscles and tissues, and changes the sensory information being sent to and processed by the nervous system.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is a controlled force applied to a joint with the goal of improving its movement and function.
Joints are designed to move. When a joint is stiff, restricted, or not moving normally, it can affect how you move and how surrounding areas compensate. This can contribute to discomfort, stiffness, reduced range of motion, and changes in overall movement patterns.
The purpose of an adjustment is not simply to move as many joints as possible. The goal is to identify areas where improving joint motion may help improve function.
That is also why more adjustments do not necessarily mean better care. At Quality Care Chiropractic, we evaluate the individual and determine which areas should—or should not—be adjusted based on what we find.
What happens mechanically during an adjustment?
When an adjustment is applied to a joint, the controlled force moves the joint through a specific range of motion.
This can improve joint mobility and influence the muscles and other soft tissues surrounding the area. As movement improves, mechanical stress may be distributed differently, range of motion may improve, and the body may be able to move more efficiently.
These mechanical changes are one reason people may notice that an area feels less stiff or moves differently after an adjustment.
But mechanics are only part of the story.
How does an adjustment affect the nervous system?
Your joints, muscles, tendons, skin, and other tissues contain sensory receptors that constantly provide information to your nervous system.
Information about movement, position, pressure, tension, and other sensations travels through peripheral nerves toward the spinal cord and brain. Your central nervous system processes that information and uses it as part of controlling movement and coordinating your body’s responses.
A chiropractic adjustment creates a significant burst of sensory input from the area being adjusted. As a result, an adjustment affects both peripheral nerve activity and the way sensory information is processed within the central nervous system.
This does not mean that every adjustment causes the same neurological response or that an adjustment can be expected to correct every health problem. Human physiology is far more complicated than that.
It does mean that an adjustment is more than simply moving bones. Changing joint movement and sensory input can influence how the nervous system receives and processes information from the body.
What causes the “pop”?
The popping or cracking sound sometimes associated with an adjustment is called joint cavitation.
The surfaces of many joints are surrounded by a capsule containing synovial fluid. When the joint surfaces rapidly separate during certain movements, pressure within the joint changes and a gas cavity can form, producing the familiar popping sound.
The sound itself is not the goal of the adjustment.
An effective adjustment does not have to make a noise, and a louder pop does not mean that the adjustment worked better. Some adjusting techniques produce little or no sound at all.
That is one reason we offer different adjusting approaches, including gentler and lower-force options when appropriate.
Why do people respond differently to adjustments?
No two people are exactly alike, and neither are their responses to chiropractic care.
A person’s symptoms and response can be influenced by many factors, including joint mobility, muscle tension, previous injuries, activity level, posture, sleep, stress, overall health, and how long a problem has been present.
Some people notice a change immediately after an adjustment. Others experience gradual changes over several visits. Occasionally, someone may experience temporary soreness as the body responds to treatment.
This is why we do not assume that the same adjustment or treatment plan is appropriate for everyone.
We evaluate, adjust, and reassess
At Quality Care Chiropractic, an adjustment is part of a larger clinical process.
First, we listen to what you are experiencing and what you hope to accomplish. Second, we evaluate your movement, function, and other relevant findings. Third, we explain what we find and what we recommend. Then, we provide care based on your individual needs.
When appropriate, we also reassess important findings after treatment. This helps us determine how your body responded rather than assuming that an adjustment accomplished what we intended.
An adjustment is more than a “pop”
The familiar popping sound tends to get most of the attention, but it is not what makes a chiropractic adjustment important.
An adjustment isn’t simply about making something “pop.” The goal is to improve joint and body function, influence peripheral and central nervous-system activity, and help your body move and respond better.
If pain, stiffness, limited movement, headaches, difficulty sleeping, or other symptoms are affecting your quality of life, an examination can help determine what may be contributing and whether chiropractic care is appropriate for you.
Ready to find out if chiropractic care is right for you? Contact Quality Care Chiropractic or schedule an exam.
Individual responses to chiropractic care vary. Chiropractic care is not appropriate for every condition, and no particular result can be guaranteed.
