Chiropractic therapy is now commonly used by many people to find relief from back pain. Chiropractic therapy is best used for acute back pain, which is back pain that will subside after about six weeks. There is usually a direct cause for this kind of back pain such as a trauma or injury.

Chronic back pain does not always see effective results from this type of alternative medicine. An understanding of how chiropractors adjust the spine is important as it will help you to decide if this is a treatment you should be undergoing. If you still have doubts about this form of treatment then talk to your doctor.

The Technique

At your first visit to the chiropractors your practitioner will take down a medical history to determine what type of pain you are experiencing. A physical examination will then follow to determine if there are any abnormal movement patterns in the spine. Sometimes the spine does not function as it should or has a reduced range of motion.

Chiropractors then determine how best to adjust the spine to increase the range of motion in the spine. How chiropractors adjust the spine seems a little violent from the outside, the practitioner uses a quick, firm movement to the vertebrae to realign it. Usually after you first experience how chiropractors adjust your vertebrae you will hear a popping sound.

This is perfectly normal and nothing you should be worried about. It is also normal to experience pain after chiropractic adjustment. This is usually a result of tensing up during the treatment; it could also be a muscle spasm near the joint that the chiropractor is adjusting.

It is important to be relaxed during the treatment as the successful treatment of your pain requires you to relax your muscles. How chiropractors adjust the spine may get a little more complicated when you are tensed up. This may involve electrical stimulation to the affected area before further spinal manipulation is attempted. An indicator that you are not relaxed is an absence of the popping noise that should accompany spinal manipulation.

How chiropractors adjust the spine is basically a way to reduce the recovery time for a back injury. It is also a fantastic way for you to find relief from back pain if you do not want to be on medication. Consider this option first before having surgery, but remember to see your doctor before seeing a chiropractor to rule out any serious diseases.