There are many schools of thought and techniques on chiropractic care, that are available to the public through the chiropractic profession. From soft tissue techniques to physical therapy exercises the options are endless. Yet the common factor of any chiropractic care is adjustment and mobilization. Our focus at the Back to Health Chiropractic & Acupuncture Wellness Center is on personalized care. With care aimed at your condition and health goals, you can live your best, active, life, free of pain.
Are there specific goals of chiropractic care?
A chiropractic adjustment or mobilization aims to restore the normal range of motion to joints that aren’t moving properly (restricted). There are many ideas in existence trying to explain how joints become restricted but because we are an evidence-based practice, we’ll stick to what science has proven…
What causes restricted joints?
Joints are lined with tiny pieces of cartilage that are called meniscoids. These meniscoids can get caught on each other from time to time between two joint surfaces. This sticking together can cause the joint to glide improperly. Meniscoid entrapments usually occur when a joint is overloaded. Many things can lead to joint overload; poor posture, scar tissue/adhesions, weak muscles, and nerve entrapments to name a few. For example: Pain as a result of muscle spasm, i.e. acute locked neck syndrome. Prolonged immobility of the joints in the neck i.e. prolonged poor posture when using electronics (tablets, phones)
Several problems can occur from the entrapment of a meniscoid including: Restricted joint motion, pain, muscle spasms, compensation from other joints, and joint and disc degeneration (arthritis).
What is “an adjustment”?
An adjustment consists of a quick but gentle force across the involved joint with the intention being to separate the restricted joint surfaces. Joint mobilization is a gentler technique and can achieve similar results, but a slow movement is used instead of a quick force. The goal of both is to move the joint in a way that releases the meniscoid entrapment and restores proper motion to the joint.
Why do bodies sometimes “pop” when adjusted?
The “popping” sound that you hear when an adjustment is given is not what we look for. That sound is called a cavitation. It is simply carbon dioxide bubbles released from the fluid inside a joint. A cavitation occurs when a quick stretch is placed on a fluid. To give an idea of another setting where you can visually see cavitation in action; cavitations appear when a boat propeller cuts through the water leaving a trail of bubbles. As a trained and experienced chiropractor, Dr. Erik is focused on the restoration of the affected joints’ motion, the sound is just a bit of a bonus.
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