What Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Do?

What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation, is a targeted, hands-on technique used to restore normal movement to a joint that has become restricted. Using a controlled amount of force and a specific direction of movement, a chiropractor applies pressure to a joint in the spine or elsewhere in the body that isn't gliding through its normal range of motion.

The idea behind an adjustment is fairly straightforward. When a spinal joint loses some of its normal motion, it can irritate nearby nerves, tighten surrounding muscles, and contribute to pain or stiffness in that area or even somewhere else in the body. An adjustment is the tool a doctor of chiropractic uses to address that restricted joint directly, rather than only addressing the muscle tension around it.

What Happens During a Chiropractic Adjustment

Every visit starts with information gathering, not treatment. A chiropractor typically reviews your history, asks about your symptoms, and performs a physical exam to identify which joints are restricted and whether manual adjustment is an appropriate approach for your situation.

From there, a typical adjustment visit looks something like this:

• The chiropractor identifies the specific joint or joints that are restricted, often through palpation and range-of-motion testing.
• You're positioned on a treatment table, sometimes with the help of supportive equipment like a decompression table or a wobble chair, depending on the area being treated.
• The chiropractor applies a quick, controlled thrust or a slower, sustained pressure to the joint, depending on the technique and your comfort level.
• The joint moves through a small range of motion it wasn't able to access on its own, which can produce an audible pop or crack.
• The chiropractor reassesses movement and asks how you're feeling before moving to the next area, if additional adjustments are part of your plan.

For neck and upper back complaints, this may be paired with cervical traction to gently decompress the area before or after the adjustment itself.

What Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Feel Like?

Most patients describe an adjustment as a brief pressure or stretch sensation, followed by a feeling of release in the joint. It's common to hear a pop or crack during the movement, similar to the sound of cracking a knuckle.

Immediately afterward, many people notice looser movement in the treated area. It isn't unusual to feel mild soreness for a day or so afterward, somewhat like the feeling after light exercise, but a properly performed adjustment shouldn't cause sharp or lasting pain.

The Popping or Cracking Sound, Explained

The sound most people associate with a chiropractic adjustment comes from a process called cavitation. Spinal joints are surrounded by a capsule containing lubricating fluid and small gas bubbles. When a chiropractor moves the joint through its adjustment, the quick change in pressure inside the joint capsule causes those gas bubbles to shift, which produces the popping sound. It's the same basic mechanism behind cracking a knuckle. The sound itself isn't a measure of how effective the adjustment was, and many effective adjustments produce little or no audible sound at all.

What Conditions Can a Chiropractic Adjustment Help With?

Chiropractic adjustments are most commonly used to address mechanical issues involving the joints, muscles, and nerves of the spine. Patients typically seek out an adjustment for concerns such as:

• Low back pain and stiffness
• Neck pain and reduced neck mobility
• Headaches connected to tension in the neck and upper back
• Muscle tightness surrounding a restricted joint
• Discomfort following a car accident or sports-related strain

If back pain is your main concern, our dedicated back pain page goes into more detail on how adjustments fit into a broader treatment plan, and our comparison of chiropractic care and physical therapy for back pain breaks down how the two approaches differ. For headache-related concerns, our head and neck page and our article on tension headaches versus migraines and how chiropractic may help with both offer more specific guidance.

Is a Chiropractic Adjustment Safe?

For most people, a chiropractic adjustment performed by a trained and licensed chiropractor is considered a safe, conservative option for addressing joint restriction and related pain. That said, safety starts with an accurate exam. A chiropractor should evaluate your history and current symptoms before recommending an adjustment, and should adjust their approach or refer you elsewhere if manual adjustment isn't the right fit for your situation.

Who Performs a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Chiropractic adjustments are performed by doctors of chiropractic, licensed healthcare providers trained specifically in evaluating and treating joint restriction using manual techniques. At True Works Chiropractic, adjustments are provided by Dr. Michael Moss, DC, who evaluates each patient individually before recommending an adjustment or any other part of a treatment plan.

How Many Adjustments Will You Need?

There's no single answer that fits every patient. How many visits you'll need depends on how long you've had symptoms, how restricted the joint is, and how your body responds to the first few adjustments. Some patients notice a difference after just one or two visits, while others benefit from a short series of visits spaced closer together at first, followed by less frequent visits as things improve. A chiropractor should be able to give you a general sense of what to expect after your initial exam, based on your specific findings rather than a one-size-fits-all schedule.

If you're dealing with ongoing back pain, neck pain, or headaches and want to know whether a chiropractic adjustment could help, the next step is a proper exam. You can contact us to ask questions or get started, or visit our New Patient Center to see what your first visit will look like.