Types of Chiropractic Adjustments and How They Work

Lower back pain is a common condition people suffer as a result of their day-to-day activities. You can suffer back pain from sleeping or sitting in a wrong posture, or from trauma sustained from a sporting activity, or when you work your back too much.

Back pain can be quite traumatizing, especially if you are a busy person. That’s why we have chiropractors. Chiropractors are trained specialists who offer chiropractic care to people suffering from back pain.

Chiropractic care in Manhattan involves adjustments of the spine and the nervous system through spinal manipulations. Other than back pain, other conditions treated include digestive disorders, chronic pain, intense migraines, and stress.

How Does It Work?

Manual adjustment in Manhattan, KS, involves a chiropractor applying manipulative force to your spinal vertebrae that exhibit abnormal movement patterns, or those with faulty functioning.

The objective here is to reduce subluxation and increase the vertebrae’s range of motion, thus minimizing irritability caused by vertebrae complexion. This way, the function of the spine is improved, and back pain is alleviated.

Chiropractic treatment at Premier Chiropractic & Wellness clinic generally involves:

• Applying a high-velocity short-lever arm thrust to the vertebrae.
• Joint cavitation – a subsequent audible release of gas caused by the expulsion of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide trapped in the vertebrae (cavitation)
• A relieving sensation on the patient. Sometimes there’s minor discomfort that lasts a short duration. Spasms of the surrounding muscles cause relief if the patient becomes tense during the chiropractic treatments.

If you are still unsure what the chiropractor does during manual adjustment, here are a few techniques they use and brief details of what they actually do.

Chiropractic Adjustment Techniques

• • Gonstead Adjustment

It’s among the most common manual adjustment techniques and is mostly used to treat chronic-backpain using a hand technique. It’s a virtually universal technique in chiropractic treatment.

This technique involves the adjustment of the lower back areas while the patient lies on his side. Chiropractors use it to realign the joints, minimize back pain and stiffness, and maximize mobility. The technique is often taught to students in their early learning stages.

• • Activator Technique

This technique uses a spring-loaded hand mechanical instrument known as an Activator Adjusting Instrument. The instrument delivers a gentle pulsating force to the spine, forcing motion restoration on the joint’s targeted affected vertebra.

The Activator Technique comes with two advantages:

First, the instrument is quick, so it’s less likely that the body muscles will get tense in response or resist treatment. This may facilitate the effectiveness of the treatment.

Second, it applies just enough force to the joints. The force is localized, so there is no extra torque or bending motion on the joints.

• • Flexion-Distraction

It’s also called a cox technique/compression manipulation. More than half of chiropractors practice this technique. It’s a technique of choice by the chiropractor near you to treating disc herniations, scoliosis, and joint pains. Patients will feel a gentle stretching movement during treatment.

Flexion-distraction comes with the following clinical benefits.

• Pressure reduction on the spinal nerves
• Increased spinal motion between the joints and discs
• It’s a conservative option when compared to surgery
• Reduces symptoms of sciatica

The treatment is an excellent light-pressure option and easily allows muscle relaxation.

• • Thompson Technique

Also called the Drop-table method, the Thompson Technique allows chiropractors to apply high velocity with low amplitude and minimal force adjustments. It involves using a highly adaptive table that is padded, such that it drops by the proper fraction when the chiropractor applies a quick adjustment force.

This technique is comfortable both for the patient and the chiropractor. The patient feels a vibration, which makes it very comfortable for them. It also reduces tear and wear on the doctor’s body, thanks to the dropping device.

• • Soft-Tissue Therapy

As opposed to other techniques, this method focuses on the complex soft tissues, i.e., muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissue to the spinal joints. It allows the release of toxins, which improves blood circulation.

The technique aims at alleviating the soft tissue discomfort caused by everyday occupational stress and over-muscular use. It’s good therapy for people involved in constant strenuous activity. Its benefits include:

• • • Increased motion and muscle tissue flexibility
    • A heightened feeling of wellbeing
    • Tension and stress relief
    • Corrects muscular imbalances
    • Minimizes the risk of spinal injury.

Your chiropractor will talk to you about lifestyle choices that potentially cause back pain and help you effectively get rid of these unhealthy habits.