Our modern lives don’t always support our physical health and chronic back pain is just one example of the seemingly never ending list of issues an office job can bring us.
Table of Contents
What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?
Chiropractic adjustments or spinal adjustments are a relatively new method of pain management that focuses on aligning the bones of certain segments of our bodies, most often the spine.
This form of treatment has modest evidence to support its efficacy, even so, many people report immediate improvement after a visit at the chiropractor’s office.
While anecdotal evidence can be very convincing, we should never forget that we are paying for a healthcare service and we should choose our provider with attention. Always research the chiropractor you want to visit and ideally, look up their credentials and education.
Where to Find a Chiropractor?
For this, we did our research and contacted a local chiropractic office. The location was very easy to access and we could see someone with a motor disability getting there without any issues. It was located on the main floor of an apartment building, right across a Betinia, in the central area of the city. Nestled between a Lidl and BetOnRed. The fact that there were no stairs were again, really helpful for people who might have difficulties with mobility
What to Expect?
Entering the place, you can expect everything a usual physician’s office would have. A displayed vertebral column, a couple of plaques with orthopedic structures with names you probably can’t pronounce.
During the examination, the chiropractor will palpate the soft tissue around the area/s of concern and they also might ask for an x-ray. This is important because the spine is a critical area and one wrong move from an untrained practitioner can lead to disastrous consequences.
After the general examination the treatment will begin. This is where the infamous cracking will take place. Depending on the problem you’re facing, you will be placed either on your stomach or your back and with certain holds the chiropractor will perform the adjustments.
These will feel like very sudden jolts that will produce the popping sounds, although that is not the point. The maneuvers will hopefully elongate and decompress the spine, providing pain relief and a better range of motion.
After the Procedure
Generally, the aftermath of a chiropractic adjustment is without any major complications, but you might experience a light headache, or pain in the area that has been treated. All of these things are completely normal and part of the recovery process.
In our case the mild pain and headache were there, but that was as far as the symptoms went. We didn’t feel dizzy, exiting the office we didn’t see two Betinia or Lidls instead of one. Our walking was normal and didn’t crash into the BetOnRed.
Risks Associated with Spinal Adjustments
While it really sounds good that you go to your practitioner and all of your back and neck pain will magically disappear, it is worth noting that it has its own risks and contraindications.
People who experience numbness of tingling in their extremities should avoid chiropractors, furthermore, individuals with predisposition to strokes are also advised against choosing this treatment.
Our Personal Opinion
We had the fortune of finding a very good professional and so our experience was extremely pleasant. Everything was explained to us in detail and we were made aware of the potential risks and complications that can occur. He walked us through the procedure from the examination to the spinal manipulation and the maneuver that are going to be used, so we felt extremely safe.
In terms of usefulness, we felt mild improvement in our lumbar and cervical pain so chiropractic adjustment may be an effective tool in pain management if paired with other methods such as physical exercise or physiotherapy.
Would We Go Back?
We actually did, we followed up our initial visit with 2 additional treatments and the experience was similar. The mild improvements continued and we still didn’t see multiples of the Betinia, Lidl or BetOnRed around the chiropractor’s office.
It is definitely beneficial to book multiple appointments, since, like with any other form of treatment, you rarely see big improvement after a single day. Still, it is crucial to assess how your pain is progressing and if adjustments are truly for you.
Our Conclusion About Chiropractors
As we mentioned above, spinal adjustments are a relatively new method to treat back pain, and with new treatments come some benefits but also the uncertainty of what could happen if the procedure is not done correctly or other factors that are not yet researched.
Knowing this, we hope that you can also make an informed decision and choose the best solution for your concerns.