An adjustment is a passive manual maneuver during which a joint is taken near its end range of motion without exceeding the anatomical boundary limit. This is typically accomplished by the doctor’s hands applying a low force but very fast thrust to the patient. This thrust may or may not cause an audible release (“crack”) and attempts to increase a joint’s range of motion.
What makes the “cracking” sound?
When an adjustment is performed, the applied force slightly separates the two adjoining surfaces in the joint, which in turn creates a reduction in pressure within the joint cavity. This reduction in pressure causes some of the gases that are dissolved in the joint fluids to leave the solution creating a bubble or cavity, which rapidly collapses upon itself, resulting in a “clicking” sound.
This mechanism is very similar to the sound that is created when you open up a can of pop.
Will it Hurt?
Most adjusting techniques emphasize using minimal force and gentle pressure, few patients feel any discomfort during the adjustment.
Your adjustment should be completely pain free. Some patients, particularly if they are tense, involuntarily stiffen and resist the adjustment. At these times, they may feel slight discomfort until they learn to relax.
What can chiropractic do for me?
- Helps reduce pain.
- Helps improve areas of reduced movement in the joints and surrounding soft tissues
- Helps to decrease muscle tightness or spasm
- Helps restore normal mechanics and improves functioning of the spine, and extremity joints.
Through its effect on the nervous system, chiropractic helps to optimize a patients health as a whole.
