What Does A Chiropractic Adjustment Do?

The purpose and effects of a chiropractic adjustment are often misunderstood. A chiropractic adjustment does one thing and does it very well.: It gets stuck joints ("motion unit fixations" aka "vertebral subluxations") moving again with a gentle, directed force.

There are many possible causes of this fixation or subluxation.The three most frequent categories are:

  • Posture (sitting at a desk, phones and computers,habit of slumping, etc.)
  • Repetitive Movements (lifting at work, computer gaming, etc.)
  • Injuries (auto, work-related, sports, etc.)
Motion unit fixations aka subluxations exist in one of three phases. Over time, they progress from Phase 1 to Phase 3. (In the case of injury, the process can accelerate quickly due to tearing of muscles and ligaments.)
  • Phase 1. The deep spinal muscles that stabilize and allow small movements of individual joints tighten.
  • Phase 2. The ligaments that hold the joint together shrink as does the connective tissue that holds the muscle fibers together.
  • Phase 3. Because of continued pressure, disc and joint cartilage breaks down and bones change their shape and bone spurs form.

Obviously, Phase 1 is easier to correct than Phase 2. While improvement can be made and pain reduced or eliminated in Phase 3, degenerative changes are not reversible. Therefore, early intervention is always the best approach.

Often a patient will ask the chiropractor to put the bone "back in place". That is not what a chiropractic adjustment does. Only your body knows where a particular bone is supposed to be at any given moment. For example, if you turn your head to the right, the bones can't be in the same place they were when you were looking to the left.

The truth is: The chiropractor doesn’t actually do the adjustment. He or she just finds and manipulates the fixated (aka subluxated) joints. The patient’s own body makes the actual adjustment.

Many changes happen with a chiropractic adjustment.

  • Tight muscles relax
  • Shortened ligaments are lengthened
  • Pressure is released from the joint
  • Circulation to the area is increased
  • Pain nerve endings are released, causing pain signals to stop
  • Thousands of nerve endings called “proprioceptors” spring back to life, re-establishing normal communication between that area and the brain
  • Joints, muscles, and ligaments above and below the fixated area that were overworking settle down
  • Pressure comes off the nerve root, relieving pain and tingling down the arm or leg or problems in whatever other tissues it controls
CLICK for Motion X-Ray Video of an AdjustmentThe same thing happens when done by instrument or by hand.Dr. Galzarano does both.

The effects of a chiropractic adjustment are profoundly positive. The optimum frequency of adjustments for YOU depends on your goals (just pain relief or corrective care?), your willingness to follow through with home care, your daily activities, and the Phase that the problem joints are in. Dr. Galzarano works out an individualized plan for each patient in order to achieve quick, but lasting results.

Chiropractic is Safe.

Records from insurance and court cases have constantly shown that chiropractic is the safest portal of entry health care available to the public today. Although no healthcare procedures are without some risk, chiropractic stands on a record of safety and effectiveness which is unmatched in healthcare. To learn more about the safety record of chiropractic please visit the website: Chiropractic Is Safe

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