One of the most common questions we get from clients is, simply, How Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Work?! Well, it’s a little more complex than you might imagine. Let’s dive in!
Facet Joints: Gliding Your Way to Better Health
If you’ve had neck or back pain that you could put a finger on, or sharp pain when moving, it may be due to facet joints of your spine. It’s easy to think of your facet joints as the knuckles of your spine. They are small joints with a capsule and cartilage pad that glide and slide, allowing your spine and body to move.
As you go through life and your spinal discs undergo the aging process, your facet joints take on the extra load. Unfortunately, this excess stress and pressure can wear down your facet joints, resulting in the beginning of the degenerative process, which can cause adhesions, restricted motion, bone spurs, and pain.
- The facet joints of your spine slide and glide as you move.
• Restrictions or adhesions in the facets can occur with age and injury.
• Spinal adjustments help the facet joints move freely and decrease painful restrictions.
The facet joints of your spine thrive on movement. Movement helps them stay healthy and may even slow down the degenerative process. Spinal adjustments have been shown to reduce adhesions of the facet joints, allowing you to move more freely with less pain. We believe that when you are moving better, you are feeling better, and we’re proud to be a part of the healthcare team that helps you stay active!
Disc Issues and Chiropractic
Disc herniations, bulges, protrusions, and extrusions are the most common reasons people visit a chiropractor. Come to think of it, most people see a chiropractor not just because they have a disc issue but because the disc issue has caused a significant impact on their quality of life. Exciting new research has begun to showcase what we have witnessed for years: how chiropractic care provides outstanding results for people with spinal disc issues.
Specific chiropractic techniques are thought to influence the pressure in your spinal discs. Emerging research has shown that movement, reducing intra-discal stress, and opening up the channels your nerves pass through can improve how you feel and accelerate the healing process.
• Keeping your core muscles strong and flexible can decrease your likelihood of suffering a disc bulge or herniation.
• Research has shown spinal adjustments to be very effective at reducing pain caused by disc bulges and herniations.
• Spinal adjustments were found to be more effective than spinal injections for treating
disc issues.
Your body has an incredible ability to heal without drugs or surgery, even from disc herniations. A recent study showcased that people with an MRI-confirmed disc herniation received better results with chiropractic adjustments than injections. If you have an MRI that shows a disc issue, it does NOT mean that surgery or injections are your only options. If you have a disc issue slowing you down, call us today to discover a natural way to find relief.
The Brain + Spine Connection
Every thought and movement occurs through your brain or spinal cord, commonly known as the central nervous system. Your spinal column acts as the protection and pathway for your spinal cord to travel down and then split into the nerves that reach every cell of your body. Every moment, millions of messages are moving along your spinal cord to maintain the delicate balance between your brain and body.
Chiropractic adjustments can alter biochemical markers in your brain. New research has shown that the type of movement during a chiropractic adjustment can change the chemistry of your brain. These changes can result in everything from endorphin release (a feel-good hormone) to pain relief, and emerging research has even indicated increased strength (or cortical drive) after an adjustment.
- Your brain and body are in constant communication through your central and peripheral nervous system.• The spinal cord can send information to your brain at over 250 mph!
• Chiropractic adjustments to your neck or back have been shown to influence brain function, resulting in pain relief, endorphin release, and more.
Over the past 100 years, scientists and doctors have learned much about the brain/body connection, but we still have a long way to go. Aging, healing, and your entire life experience happen through the communication and coordination of your brain and body. Keeping your brain and body engaged and moving each day can help support a healthy life. If you’ve struggled to stay active due to pain, schedule an evaluation with us today.
Your Body is Designed to Move
Your body is built to move. Every spinal disc and joint is designed to help you sit, stand, run, and move! Your discs are soft enough to flex as you bend forward and back, the spinal facet joints slide as you turn and twist, and the spinal bones are connected with ligaments that keep you supported as your muscles push and pull. It’s an incredibly strong and resilient system when you stop and think about it.
New research has begun to give us a glimpse of just how important movement is in our lives. For example, spine movement has now been shown to stimulate and accelerate the healing process. Movement is so crucial in the healing process that even people who have spine surgery are encouraged to get up and move as quickly as possible after surgery.
- All of the bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints of your spine are designed to support
daily movement.• Blood flow, strength, and flexibility are all enhanced through movement.• Movement of the individual segments of your spine can affect how you heal.
What Now?
I believe encouraging healthy movement and activity is part of my job as your chiropractor. If you have any questions about stretches, exercises, or other ways to proactively stay healthy, ask. There is an old saying, “You don’t get old then stiff; you get stiff then old.” We want to help you stay young by helping you keep your spine and body moving. Stay proactive with your health by ensuring you have your next appointment scheduled!
