What does a chiropractor actually do?

A licensed chiropractor uses special instruments or their hands to manipulate joints in the body. This process is also called spinal or joint manipulation. It can help reduce pain and correct the body's alignment and overall physical function.

Low back pain, neck pain, and headache are the most common problems for which people seek chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic care is a useful pain management resource. Chiropractors ensure the muscles surrounding the joints are working properly. Chiropractors can also treat arthritic joint functioning.

Spinal manipulation and chiropractic care are generally considered safe, effective treatments for acute low back pain, the type of sudden injury that results from moving furniture or getting tackled.

His research on chiropractic suggests that cervical and lumbar manipulation—the back and neck adjustments most people associate with a visit to a chiropractor—can be an effective treatment for low back pain.

Historically, the medical associations have demonstrated resentment to any other community treating the ill. So first and foremost, it started out as a turf war. Secondarily, Medical Doctors don't really understand what Chiropractors do, as they were not trained in spinal manipulation techniques.

No. The neck is a body part surrounded by strong muscles and ligaments. There is no study citing that chiropractic manipulation has led to “neck-breaking” around the globe.

Phrenic nerve injury causing diaphragmatic palsy is a rare complication of cervical chiropractic manipulation. We report a case of bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis in a healthy gentleman who underwent cervical manipulation.

It is not uncommon after a recent chiropractic adjustment to experience discomfort as toxins are released from the body. Through chiropractic adjustments and treatments, toxins are broken up and released, and the body rids itself of these toxins with a healthy immune response.

By cracking your own back, you could actually make your back issues worse and cause more pain, muscle strain or injury. Professionals can better determine how to manipulate your spine with proper force, without causing additional damage. They can also address any additional issues you might have.

Feeling a crunching or hearing a popping sound when bending or arching the back are signs that cartilage may have worn away and is not protecting the facet joints from friction. The medical term for this symptom is "crepitus."

Back cracking can occur whenever the spine's facet joints are manipulated out of or into their normal position, such as when twisting the lower back or neck. When the facet joints move like this, they can produce an audible crack or pop along with a grinding sensation or sudden relief of pressure.

Posture Check – Another way to look for spinal alignment issues is by standing in front of a mirror and looking to see if everything is level on a horizontal plane. See if your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles all on the same horizontal plane, or if one side dipping.

Jayme F: “It feels like a stiffness and tightness in my lower back.” While more common in adults, stiffness and tightness of the lower back can be a common scoliosis-related symptom. As the body tries to adjust to the abnormal spinal curvature, muscles and ligaments can become stretched and strained from overuse.

Your doctor will tell you that you have scoliosis if your curve is greater than 10 degrees. Doctors classify angles of 25 to 35 degrees as significant, while those that are more than 50 degrees are severe. In addition to X-rays, your doctor may ask for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

However, while it might be tempting to try to self-correct your spinal misalignment at home, it is never recommended to do so without the help of a medical professional.

Sitting upright is uncomfortable because it requires our muscles to work, rather than relax, and because it often tries to straighten out the natural curves in the back, which is hard to maintain and may not actually be very helpful.