If you experience severe pain in your back, lower back, neck or in the shoulders, either naturally or due to the intense physical exercises you have been involved in, then you could need chiropractic adjustments. This is especially if the pains becoming too much and taking too long to subside. Chiropractic adjustments entail the manipulation of the disc joints to help relieve you from the pain you might be experiencing. Although chiropractic adjustments might be helpful, some people fear that the procedure could be painful. This article gives an in-depth insight on what chiropractic adjustments entail and whether they do hurt.
What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
This is the manipulation of the spinal joints by use of specific slow thrusts done by hands or elbows. It is done to ease back pain, neck pain, shoulder and lower back pain. The procedure is done by physicians, known as chiropractors who are licensed under the department of health. The chiropractor begins by asking you questions about your specific type of joints pain, followed by a look at your health history, to determine the type of adjustment you will need.
Types of Chiropractic Adjustments
There are three types of chiropractic adjustments namely; neck, shoulder and back adjustments. Each of these adjustments takes a different technique to perform.
- Neck Adjustment
This is recommended for people with chronic headaches, usually called migraines and stiffness in the neck that prevents them from turning comfortably. The chiropractor does a neck adjustment by tilting your head from side to side in a slow motion. This is done when you are lying comfortably on your back on the table. It is performed by manipulating your cervical vertebrae and is aimed at enhancing mobility in your joints.
Shoulder Adjustment:
This type of adjustment is recommended for people who spend the better part of their day sitting at their desks in the office. They may experience back and neck pain because of the misalignment in the shoulder since shoulders are part of the spinal column, hence they can affect the back too. It is performed with the patient seated on the table, while the doctor gives forward or backward thrusts to the shoulder disc joints.
- Back Adjustment
A back adjustment is performed while the patient lies on their stomach on the chiropractic table. For the lower back, the patient may have their leg slightly over the other so that their hip is resting on the raised leg. Then the doctor performs the thrusts using their hands or the elbow.
Do Chiropractic Adjustments Hurt?
Contrary to what most people think or assume; that chiropractic adjustments hurt, the truth is that most people who have them experience just a little discomfort as the one you feel after an extensive physical exercise or strenuous work. All you hear are cracking or pop sounds made by the escaping air from the joints fluid. It is important to note that chiropractic adjustments do not hurt more than you came; if you came with severe pain, then you may feel a little pain after the treatment.
Chiropractic adjustments are used to cure back, neck, shoulder pain, as well as chronic headaches (migraines). To ease the pain, the doctor places heat or cold pressure to prevent inflammation. If the treatment goes normal, of which it often does, the patient feels great relief due to the release of pressure from the disc joints and the feel good hormone, endorphins
Risks Involved
When performed well by a careful chiropractor, these adjustments rarely have risks. However, the only major risk is the rapture of the artery around the neck, shoulders or the back, which may lead to stroke. However, if you have a spinal injury, spinal cancer, known problems in the upper neck, severe osteoporosis or numbness in the legs, you are advised not to seek chiropractic adjustments since this may worsen these conditions and lead to more serious problems.
Insurance Cover
Most insurance providers cover an adjustment recommended by osteopaths only. You will have to pay for your adjustment if you went for it on voluntary basis. Hover, they are not that expensive, just a few bucks are enough for this important cure to your most joints pains.
This article has clearly shown that chiropractic adjustments do not hurt a lot. As explained above, the benefits outweigh the risks by a bigger margin. Do not let some few bucks prevent you from seeking this awesome cure to your joint pains. It is important that when looking for a chiropractor that you first verify their license and check on their reviews and ratings.