If you’re experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, or pain in the joints, subluxations of the spine may be responsible. This is the field in which your chiropractor specialises.

In very simple terms, a vertebral subluxation is when one or more of the bones in your spinal column (vertebrae) move out of alignment, aren’t moving properly, or are undergoing physical changes due to degeneration, which therefore irritate your spinal nerves which are found between each of your vertebrae. Because of the irritation or pressure, it causes the nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals travelling along the nerves. Even a very small amount of pressure can have a profound effect on the functioning of the nerves.

So how does this affect you? Firstly, it’s important to know that your nervous system controls and coordinates all of the functions of the body. If there’s interference with the signals travelling over nerves, parts of the body won’t get the correct nerve messages and won’t be able to function at their best. In very simple terms, some parts of your body won’t be working properly, and this can present as back pain, neck pain, impaired mobility, headaches, or hidden, less visible symptoms.

From a broader perspective, subluxations reflect many changes going on at the same time involving the vertebrae out of alignment, the resulting malfunctioning of the nerve pathways, and its effect on the surrounding muscles, soft tissue, tendons, ligaments, blood supply, and chemical changes in the body.

Summarising a Chiropractor’s specialisation, it’s the responsibility of the Doctor of Chiropractic to locate subluxations, and reduce or correct them. This is done through a series of chiropractic adjustments designed specifically to correct the vertebral subluxations in your spine.

Chiropractors are the only profession qualified with years of training and education to be skilled at correcting subluxations as a means to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Place your trust in the services of a knowledgeable and well-respected chiropractor. Chiropractor Adelaide can offer quality health care at Walkerville Chiropractic – Adelaide’s most trusted chiropractic clinic.

A chiropractor will treat vertebral subluxations by way of a “spinal adjustment”.

To do that, the Chiropractor applies simple pressure to the bone and restores it to its normal pattern of movement, freeing up the vertebrae, and allowing it the room to align itself correctly.

Many people believe that the chiropractor forces or pushes a vertebra back into alignment, but only an individual’s own body will know for sure the correct positioning of each bone. With freedom of movement, the body can do its job and ease them back into the correct position.

Unfortunately, if the vertebrae have been out of alignment for some time, the muscles connected to subluxated vertebrae become locked in their positions and tend to pull the bone back out of alignment. This is why it may take several chiropractic visits before the adjustment “holds,” and the bone settles into its proper position.

Different Adjusting Techniques

If you were to ask different people to describe their chiropractic adjustments, you may get many different answers. There are many adjusting techniques to choose from to suit the needs of an individual.

Chiropractors will have their patients either sit up or lie down for certain adjustments. Some use elaborate tables with moveable parts, while others use stationary tables. They may use a certain technique on a particular visit and something completely different the next.

Each chiropractor and each patient is different. Each has differing needs and even their size and weight is a consideration. Every subluxation is also unique and may require a completely tailored approach.

It’s the role of the chiropractor to select the technique that will most effectively correct the subluxation with minimal force or effort. It’s a learned “art” requiring skill and training, rather than pure strength.

Will it Hurt?

Most adjusting techniques use gentle pressure and minimal force, so few patients feel any discomfort. Frequently, however, patients will hear popping sounds, which are just tiny pockets of air being released with a “pop”, and is completely normal.

Apart from the sounds, the adjustment should not be painful, unless a person involuntarily stiffens because they’re finding it difficult to relax. Even so, there would only be minimal discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments, overall, are a very gentle form of treatment.

To find out more, talk to your chiropractor. Adelaide offers a well credentialed advisory service at Walkerville Chiropractic – Chiropractor Adelaide, available to answer any of your questions.