A chiropractic adjustment is a high velocity, low amplitude, controlled, yet gentle thrust used to restore the spine’s normal position of the vertebrae. The adjustment helps restore the joint’s natural movement, relieves pressure on the nerves, and allows messages to flow more freely from the brain to the body. You may hear an audible popping sound which is nothing more than the release of gas from the joint, similar to cracking a knuckle or pulling a suction cup from a window.
How your body responds to an adjustment depends on various factors, including the alignment of the spine, the degree of degeneration, the length of time the issue has been present, the amount of pressure on the nerves, and the level of dysfunction that exists. If it is your first adjustment, you may feel sensations you haven’t felt before. If you have been under chiropractic care for a while, your body may express different things at different times. After all, the body is very dynamic, and the adjustments build upon one another. As your body responds and starts changing structurally and functionally and healing more effectively, you will experience change.
You May Feel Better
Many patients experience mild, moderate, or even significant improvement in pain level, mobility, or symptoms. Improvements may be temporary or longer-term, but it is essential to understand that the absence of symptoms does not equal problem resolution. Unfortunately, the absence of symptoms can give one a false sense of progress. Corrective care chiropractors seek to achieve spinal correction structurally and functionally rather than just a temporary effect. For example, a doctor will take pre and post-x-rays to determine the level of structural improvement. Doctors will also use other tools like orthopedic exams, thermal scans, and progress evaluations to determine overall functional improvements.
Even if you feel better after your first few adjustments, stick with them. Symptoms are the last things to appear and the first to go away. After all, you have already lost some level of function before the first tinge of pain or the first symptom appears. Any symptom you are experiencing is a warning sign of more significant problems, and a corrective care chiropractor will seek to get to the root cause of the issue and look to fix the problem, not just offer pain relief.
You May Feel The Same
Many patients do not feel any change in their pain or symptoms after an adjustment. There are many reasons for this, but it does not mean it is ineffective. A chiropractic adjustment removes interference to the nervous system, improves circulation, and increases movement in the musculoskeletal system so that the body can function more optimally. Many of the problems in the spine and the amount of subluxation require multiple adjustments to begin to make permanent changes. Again, your doctor is well-equipped to monitor your progress and make any alterations to your care plan where necessary.
You May Feel Mild Discomfort or Other Sensations
Although it is uncommon, you may feel mild discomfort after an adjustment. There may be mild tenderness or muscle soreness because your spine has been realigned, and your muscles are reestablishing their functional integrity and proper mechanical structure. You can compare it to soreness or stiffness you feel after a workout.
Problems often take long periods to develop and, therefore, can take long periods to correct. As these problems persist, scar tissues, adhesions, and fixations build in the joints. The chiropractic adjustment restores motion and breaks through scar tissue. This, in turn, can cause some degree of inflammation, resulting in pain or discomfort. Keep in mind that this is okay. Instead, it is a sign that things are moving in the right direction. Many chiropractors will start with a lighter adjustment and build from there as your body responds.
It is also possible that you may feel lightheaded or nauseous, but it is rare. When subluxations are removed, your body can release stored-up toxins. While this is good, it can result in nausea, light-headedness, dizziness, tenderness, soreness, achiness, or tiredness. These types of symptoms are typically short-lived. Contact your doctor if your symptoms become more severe or last longer than 24 hours.
What To Do Following A Chiropractic Adjustment
- Because there is a potential release of toxins, drinking a lot of water leading up to and following your adjustment is crucial. Hydration on the front end can mitigate the release of toxins, and drinking water afterward can help flush out the toxins. Both will help support your body’s natural detoxification capabilities.
- Practice gentle stretching of your neck, upper and lower back. This will help decrease soreness and help strengthen the muscles. Your doctor will help recommend these movements. (MaxLiving doctors have many at-home equipment and exercises that will help with this specifically).
- Relax as much as possible. Your body needs time to heal and repair. Stress and physical exertion can interfere with this healing process, while rest will help reduce inflammation and allow your body to repair.
- Get plenty of sleep. Your body does its best healing, repairing, and restoring while you are in a deep sleep.
The bottom line
Getting checked for subluxation (interference to the nervous system) and addressing those subluxations with chiropractic adjustments is the best thing you can do for your health. After all, your nervous system controls every cell, tissue, and organ in the body and sends and receives messages from the brain to the body. Any interference diminishes function at some level which can result in dysfunction. This dysfunction, over time, leads to disease.
Finding a principled, corrective care chiropractor who can also advise you on other lifestyle-related factors affecting your health is vital. MaxLiving doctors are well-versed in corrective care chiropractic and the 5 Essentials of health.
About the Author
Kimberly Roberto is a wife, mother of three, author, and business owner. She and her husband Fred have owned and operated a chiropractic and wellness clinic for the last 25 years. Kimberly and Fred have been a part of MaxLiving for since it’s onset. She co-authored the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book in 2009 which sold over 10,000 copies and recently authored the MaxLiving’s Maximizing Your Pregnancy, Birth and Newbornbook. She’s a holistic nutritionist and maintains a healthy cooking/recipe blog. She is passionate about natural health and helping people reach their potential for health and wellness. She resides in Marietta, GA and their three children are now grown and attending college.
