Adjustments

The adjustment is a safe, natural, noninvasive procedure the Chiropractor uses to restore and improve health. Learning the art of adjusting is a skill that requires years of study and practice. Chiropractic doctors are the only health care professionals trained to deliver chiropractic adjustments. Spinal adjustments by any other individual or health care professional have been shown to be dangerous and less effective.

• What Is A Spinal Adjustment?
• What Kind of Adjustments Do We Offer?
• When Should Spinal Adjustments Be Given?
• What Do Spinal Adjustments Do?
• The Non-Spinal Adjustment
• FYI

What Is A Spinal Adjustment?

In basic terms, the spinal adjustment or spinal manipulation refers to the process in which the doctor of chiropractic skillfully applies controlled force into one or more “subluxated” vertebrae of the spine. The adjustment is also frequently used in the pelvic region to normalize the sacroiliac joints. The adjustment is usually delivered using the hands or through the use of a specialized mechanical tool.

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What Kind of Adjustments Do We Offer?

There are many different types of Chiropractic adjustments available to help treat patients’ spines. Here at Alaska Chiropractic & Therapy, we use four main types of ways to move the spine.

• Manual “diversified” adjustments. This is the good old-fashioned, hands-on Chiropractic adjustment that most people think of when they think of Chiropractic care. The doctor puts his hands on the patient’s spine and pushes or pulls, and often you hear an audible ‘pop’ or ‘crack.’ This is Dr. Christopher Twiford’s specialty, and we do a lot of diversified adjusting.

• Activator. The activator is a small, handheld instrument the doctor uses to ‘tap’ the vertebrae into place. Some patients call the activator the ‘clicker’ because of the noise it makes. The activator is a gentler alternative that some patients prefer to manual adjustments.

• Drop table. The drop piece or ‘drop table’ is a feature of higher-end Chiropractic tables and lets the table itself help do more of the adjustment instead of the doctor. A small section of the table drops down about an inch or so when the doctor pushes on it, and this helps move the spine. Doctor Lorentzen utilized the drop table a lot in his practice, and we still use it in our office today.

• Pelvic blocks. Two wedge-shaped foam blocks are placed under the hips and pelvis while the patient lies face down. These wedges, placed strategically by the Chiropractor, allow the patient’s body weight to gently help shift the pelvis back into place if it is rotated.

If there is a specific style or technique that you are familiar with, please feel free to talk with our doctor about it, and we will see what we can do.

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When Should Spinal Adjustments Be Given?

Spinal adjustments are applied to certain vertebrae of the spine which are no longer in their proper position or where functioning has become impaired. Vertebrae that lose their normal position or proper motion are called vertebral subluxations. The Chiropractor uses several unique tests and procedures to determine which, if any, vertebrae are subluxated. If subluxations are found, immediate correction is generally indicated. Since cavities subluxations are not always painful during the initial stages, even those not experiencing back or neck discomfort should receive periodic spinal checkups.

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What Do Spinal Adjustments Do?

Adjusting helps correct vertebral subluxations. Correcting subluxations reduces pain and inflammation, reduces muscle spasm and tension, normalizes spinal biomechanics, and, more importantly, can remove nerve irritation and interference which can improve the overall health and wellness of the individual. Chiropractic adjustments are the only way to eliminate vertebral subluxations, and only the Chiropractor is trained to detect subluxations and deliver the chiropractic spinal adjustment to correct subluxations.

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The Non-Spinal Adjustment

In addition to adjusting the spine and pelvis, the chiropractor can adjust almost every other body joint. This includes the joints of the hands and feet, wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips, ribs, and jaw. In fact, some chiropractors are even trained in techniques to adjust the joints (sutures) of the skull.

Like the joints of the spine, joints in the extremities can also become misaligned and fixated. Chiropractic adjustive techniques can restore and enhance extremity joint functioning, increasing joint life and keeping wear and tear to a minimum. This is of special interest to athletes who generally demand optimal joint performance from highly stressed joints. Adjusting provides an immediate increase in joint range of motion and supplies the joint with nutrients, as motion is the only way to bring nutrients into the joint cartilage and flush waste products out.

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FYI

Did your mother ever warn you that “cracking” your knuckles would give you arthritis? If she did, we’re sorry to say that she was wrong! Research has shown that individuals who habitually “crack” their knuckles over their lifetime actually lower the incidence of arthritis in their knuckles compared with those who do not. Researchers believe the knuckle “cracking” increases joint nutrition and maintains joint motion, both of which are essential for a healthy joint.

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