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Have you ever wondered what you can expect when you see a chiropractor? Chiropractic treatments are a form of noninvasive therapy that can assist in managing pain from many musculoskeletal disorders or even just your average aches and pains that don’t seem to be going away on their own. Chiropractic therapy has never claimed to be a “one and done” style of therapy, yet contrary to myth: you won’t need to go to chiropractors for the rest of your life if you see one.
What do Chiropractic adjustments entail?
From Medline Plus, it says that “Chiropractors perform adjustments (manipulations) to the spine or other parts of the body. The goal is to correct alignment problems, ease pain, and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.” These adjustments can be colloquially called “pops”, “cracks”, which can seem offputting if you don’t know what’s happening.
Total Chiro explains, “It may surprise some people, but we actually don’t currently have a consensus on exactly what causes the popping or cracking sound your back makes. We do know that it’s from the relief of pressure. However, we don’t know the specifics.”
Two current theories that are given in that same article are:
- The sound is caused by the synovial fluid on the outside of your Basically, your vertebrae are outlined by capsules filled with synovial fluid that acts as a cushion to further protect your spine. When the capsules are stretched out, more space is created for the fluid inside. This leads to a release in pressure, causing the popping or cracking sounds.
- Gasses that build up in your body, like carbon monoxide and nitrogen, can wind up trapped in between your joints. Stretching out those joints allows the gas to escape, thus relieving the pressure and creating that popping or cracking sound.
Other Things That Can Happen in a Chiropractic Appointment
Before you head into your appointment, as with many other type of health care professions, you’ll be asked to give a medical history and fill out paperwork. You usually want to try to be 15 minutes early, at least, to fill this out. It gives you a bubble of room so that you don’t start bleeding into your appointment.
Examinations
What your initial appointment examination will look like depends on the chiropractor’s experience and preferences.
What your examination could include are tests dealing with:
- Range of motion of the affected body part(s) Muscle tone
- Muscle strength
- Neurological integrity
Some chiropractors may even have an x-ray machine that can give them a better picture of what is going on with the bones.
Diagnosis (if applicable) & Treatment Plan
Some conditions can be diagnosed in your initial appointment, some may not. Even if there is no diagnosis made, a chiropractor can come up with a treatment plan and a timeline. Sometimes a treatment plan can include education on diet and stretches that you can do at home. As many will tell you, the intention of chiropractic is to be an assist in your body’s own healing abilities.
Works Cited
“Chiropractic.” Medlineplus.gov, National Library of Medicine, 2019, medlineplus.gov/chiropractic.html.
DC, John Schubbe. “What to Expect at the First Chiropractic Consultation.” Spine-Health, 26 Feb. 2020, www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/what-expect-first-chiropractic- consultation.
Goldman, Dr. Todd. “What Is the Popping Sound during a Chiropractic Adjustment?” Total Chiro, 6 Apr. 2023, totalchiro.com/blog/what-is-the-popping-sound/. Accessed 14 Jan. 2024.