What is an adjustment/manipulation?
What a chiropractic manipulation entails is setting the joint up in a proper position and delivering an impulse (usually pushing somewhere like the lower back or neck) in order to restore proper movement and alignment to that joint. This helps decrease pain, muscle spasms, increase ranges of motion and a general feeling of wellness. What's that "popping" sound? The sound is a release of gas in the joint. It's not the "bones" moving. So is it out? Nothing can be "out". What happens to the joint is it stops functioning properly. If a joint was "out" it would be dislocated and hopefully you would go to the hospital. What is usually going on is a combination of muscle spasms along with improper movement of the joint that is in question. We aim our therapies at improving movement and decrease spasm. I've been told I've slipped a disc, what does that mean? Everyone has a different way of describing things. A disc can never slip out of place. What usually they are describing is a disc herniation. Sometimes with a disc herniation it can cause pain and other times it causes no signs or symptoms at all. If you have been told you have a "slipped disc" it is likely a disc herniation and we can help with that. Is it true that once I see a chiropractor I will always have to see a chiropractor? No. However many patients return because they have a better body awareness now after seeing a chiropractor. So the next time something feels stiff, tight, just not quite right, they will return to see us before pain comes on as a prevention therapy, not pain care. I wasn't doing anything but tying up my shoes, how did this happen? This is a tough question to answer because everyone is different. Usually what ended up happening is that was the last straw you could handle with improper movement and your body let you know quite quickly that it doesn't like improper movement. Other times it could have been a slip the day before, an older injury flare up or impaired movement somewhere else that allowed that part of your body to get overloaded and now cause pain, sometimes very severe pain. So why do I need to come back, you treated my once I should be ok now right? We wish this was the case. Most of the time multiple treatments are required in order to restore proper movement and function and decrease inflammation and local muscle spasms. If you are looking for a one stop shop to get out of pain instantly, sometimes our therapies can help decrease pain right away but chances are it returns and you will need to return for follow up care. Why am I more sore after a treatment? Sometimes after care you feel the same or a bit worse than before. We would like to say this is never the case but it does happen and that is because we have changed something your body didn't like to begin with and now we asked it to do something else again. The result is usually pain. Sometimes more pain after a treatment results from the tissues being overworked, not what the therapy was trying to do. However, if this happens let your therapist know in order to change what they do in order to get you out of pain and discomfort without more irritation. Not everyone is the same and sometimes the same pressure on you would not be enough or might be too much for someone else. If you feel very sore after the treatment you have to let us know in order to prevent that from happening in the future. We are not intentionally causing harm, we would like to get you out of pain as quick as possible with the least amount of irritation possible. Will it go away? We would love to say absolutely! However every situation is different and ever person is different in their presentation. Most of the time pain and discomfort will subside. There are alway cases in which only minimal improvement happens and we have to consult with another health care provider for further testing, imaging or a different form of therapy. It is also hard to recover 100% if the environment you got injured in doesn't change, it's hard to get healthy in an environment that got you sick/injured to begin with. What can I do to prevent this from happening again? Regular maintenance check-ups can help. We commonly hear that patients will only return when in pain. We look at things like this... you get your teeth and eyes checked regularly, you have your car serviced and maintained... why not your spine and extremities, you use them all the time, stop neglecting them! Exercise helps. Dr. Darrach's movement therapy is a great way to check for movement imbalances and helps to restore proper functional movement. I didn't know you treated that, what else can you treat? Lots, just ask! Also check out our conditions page for commonly treated conditions. |