Chiropractic Adjustment

Millions of people visit the doctor each year for some type of back or neck pain relief. As more treatment options become available, doctors and patients are also learning about the benefits of drug-free and all-natural approaches to pain relief. Chiropractic care offers a holistic approach to treating pain, injuries, and health conditions without all the pesky side effects from medications or invasive procedures. You may want to consider seeing a chiropractor if you want to skip the medications and try a natural and safe approach to managing your pain and other symptoms. Chiropractors use a technique called chiropractic adjustments to manipulate the joints in your body, which helps restore healthy alignment and reduce your pain and discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments are a therapeutic treatment option that a licensed chiropractor can perform to help you experience lasting pain relief and improve healthy functioning in your body.

What Chiropractors Do

Chiropractors treat a wide range of health conditions and injuries, from lower back pain to chronic migraines to car accident injuries. A chiropractor works with the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system to help reduce pain, correct alignment, and improve your physical functioning. While many people associate chiropractors with back and neck pain, they can also treat many conditions that affect different parts of the body. No matter where you are experiencing pain and discomfort, a chiropractor is here to help. When a health condition affects your musculoskeletal system, it can cause you pain and impact your mobility. A chiropractor can address the source of your discomfort and improve your mobility with gentle, safe techniques. Chiropractors use hands-on approaches, including chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massage, exercises and stretches, joint bracing, taping, and patient education. A chiropractor will take a holistic approach to address your pain and promote your overall health and wellbeing.

Understanding Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments can be done using a hands-on approach or with special instruments designed to manipulate the joints in your body safely and effectively. Chiropractic adjustments are also known as spinal manipulation or joint manipulation. When you hear the term chiropractic adjustment, you might think of that popping or cracking sound your back makes twist a certain way. While chiropractic adjustments can make a sound, this does not always happen. Whether or not you hear a cracking or popping sound during a chiropractic adjustment does not determine how effective the therapeutic intervention was. Some people’s joints are more prone to making cracking or popping sounds, while others might be inaudible. The important part of a chiropractic adjustment is that the joint has been properly restored to its natural position.

When joints in the body are out of alignment, it can negatively impact your ability to function properly. A joint that is out of place and negatively impacting you is known as a subluxation. Chiropractors treat subluxations with chiropractic adjustments and other natural, non-invasive techniques. The vertebrae in your spine are actually joints, and chiropractors can use chiropractic adjustments to reduce any subluxations in your spine. A chiropractor can also help with restoring healthy functioning to other joints in the body, like shoulders, wrists, hips, and knees. Injuries or damage to soft tissues like muscles or tendons can also impact nearby joints. Your Atlanta chiropractor can use safe and effective techniques to restore healthy functioning to these soft tissues, which can take pressure off nearby joints so they are able to function properly. A vertebra in your spine that is misaligned may contribute to you experiencing frequent headaches, while a subluxation in your wrist may cause pain, tingling, and numbness that extends into your hand. Chiropractors use a hands-on approach to address these musculoskeletal issues. Instead of prescribing medications that would only mask your symptoms for a short period of time, chiropractors get to the root cause of your condition with effective alternate methods for treatment and care.

How Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help?

Each person who sees a chiropractor will have a unique experience because every person’s body responds differently to a health condition or injury. When you visit a chiropractor, you will receive individualized attention and care for your specific symptoms and goals for treatment. A chiropractor will use chiropractic adjustments and other therapeutic interventions that will specifically help address your pain and discomfort. When a chiropractor performs a chiropractic adjustment, they work to restore healthy functioning in the affected joints. They also work with the surrounding muscles and soft tissue to make sure they are functioning properly and providing effective stability and support to nearby bones and joints. A chiropractic adjustment can help you experience lasting pain relief without having to take any kind of prescription medication or undergo an invasive procedure. Chiropractic adjustments have been used to help with aches and pains, muscle stiffness, musculoskeletal injuries, and chronic conditions.

When to Get an Adjustment

Chiropractic adjustments can benefit children and adults of all ages and for a wide range of health conditions. In fact, chiropractic care is the most common alternative to traditional treatment options in the country. You don’t need to have an injury or experience chronic pain to see a chiropractor. Chiropractors use chiropractic adjustments and other techniques to help patients who are looking to improve their posture and improve overall health and wellness. There is no specific time that is most appropriate to see a chiropractor because they can help no matter what stage of life you are in. A chiropractor will want to work with you to determine your goals for care and will take a holistic approach to address healthy functioning in your whole body, not just where your main symptoms occur. Your Atlanta chiropractor may recommend routine visits so you can experience long-term benefits. Going to the chiropractor when you first notice pain or discomfort can also help reduce your recovery time so you can get back to the activities you enjoy.

Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments

If you are experiencing negative health symptoms like pain or discomfort due to a health condition or injury, chiropractic care can help. Chiropractors offer chiropractic adjustments and other safe and effective techniques to restore healthy functioning in the body. The following are examples of chiropractic adjustment benefits.

Reduce Back Pain

Chiropractic care is most commonly associated with treating back pain. Chiropractors are sometimes referred to as spine doctors and have extensive knowledge and expertise in treating issues that affect the spine, vertebrae, and surrounding nerves and tissues. Back pain is also one of the most common experiences that bring people to the doctor. When a subluxation or issue in your back occurs, it can disrupt the nerves in your spinal column that send signals throughout the body. Chiropractic adjustments will restore healthy alignment to your spine so your brain can more effectively communicate with the rest of your body.

Decrease Neck Pain

Neck pain is another common reason why people seek out pain relief from a chiropractor or doctor. When you spend a lot of time hunched forward over a desk or looking at your cell phone or tablet, it can put a strain on your neck. The neck muscles that support your spine can become weakened and tense, and misalignments in the spine can trigger uncomfortable symptoms like pain, headaches, and other health concerns. Chiropractic adjustments can help significantly reduce your discomfort and help you avoid chronic pain.

Minimize Inflammation

One of the major causes of pain in the body is inflammation. Your body may respond to an injury or health condition with an immune response that promotes inflammation in the area. Inflammation can cause pain, redness, and swelling. When soft tissues become inflamed, they can put pressure on nearby nerves and disrupt the healthy functioning of the joints. A chiropractor can use chiropractic adjustments to restore healthy alignment in the body and reduce inflammation that is causing your pain.

Increase Range of Motion

Chiropractic treatment will also help improve your range of motion. Tense, stiff muscles can restrict movement in your joints. A chiropractor can work with you to relieve tension and stiffness with natural treatment techniques like chiropractic adjustments. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to experience the benefits of chiropractic services on your overall mobility. When your spine and joints are properly aligned, your muscles and soft tissues are better able to provide stability and support. This helps keep you safe and prevent future injuries or issues when participating in activities you enjoy.

Improve Posture

Chiropractors will also use chiropractic adjustments to help improve your posture. It is very common for people to slouch or lean slightly forward. Over time, this can put unnecessary stress and strain on your neck, back, and shoulders. Chronic poor posture can lead to many unwanted health risks, which is where a chiropractor can help. Chiropractic adjustments will help restore proper alignment to your spine from your neck to the base of your spine. A chiropractor will also work with you to strengthen the muscles that support your spine so you can stay in a healthy posture for longer periods of time.

What to Expect with a Chiropractic Adjustment

If you are looking for an Atlanta chiropractic adjustment near me, you might also be wondering what to expect when you visit a chiropractor. Similar to when you visit the doctor, a chiropractor will want to know about your medical history and what brings you into the office. They will perform a physical exam to assess any areas of concern and may also use diagnostic imaging tools like X-rays to get a clearer look at what is going on with your musculoskeletal system. Diagnostic imaging tools can also help support or confirm a diagnosis that will inform your chiropractor’s plan of treatment. Each person’s plan of treatment will be unique because no two bodies are exactly alike. Your Atlanta chiropractor will walk you through your individualized treatment plan and explain what types of techniques will be incorporated to best meet your needs.

For a chiropractic adjustment, you will typically lie down on a chiropractic table for treatment. Depending on what areas are of concern, you may lie face-down or in another position. A chiropractor will use a safe and controlled amount of thrust using two hands or a chiropractic tool to repair the subluxation. These short, controlled forces put targeted pressure on a joint to help restore alignment and functioning. A chiropractic adjustment can be used to align vertebrae in your spine or restore a joint to its normal range of motion. Sometimes a chiropractic adjustment may make a popping or cracking sound, which is often misunderstood as bones cracking or rubbing together. In fact, the popping sound you might hear during a chiropractic treatment is caused by gases being released from inside the joints when they are moved and stretched. Your Atlanta chiropractor may recommend continued visits to help train the nearby muscles and soft tissues to support the realignment.

Goals for Chiropractic Care

Your Atlanta chiropractor will work with you to determine unique goals for chiropractic care so you can get the most out of your treatments. A combination of short-term and long-term goals will help you experience swift relief and work to prevent your pain and discomfort from bothering you again in the future. Short-term goals will typically include reducing the pain and symptoms that brought you in. Other short-term goals may include restoring normal function to your muscles and joints. Long-term goals will focus on your overall health and wellbeing, including your ability to return to your regular routines and activities safely and effectively.

At AICA Orthopedics in Atlanta, our team of chiropractors and doctors work with you to relieve your pain and help you experience lasting relief. Visit a metro Atlanta location near you to get started with a chiropractor and experience first-hand the benefits of chiropractic adjustments. Our highly trained and skilled doctors and patient care providers will walk you through expectations, appointments, chiropractic adjustment costs, and everything you need to make your visit to AICA Orthopedics a success.