Question
I saw a chiropractor because my posture was getting bad and I had pain in my back between my shoulder blades.  He adjusted my back by cracking it and took my neck and twisted it one way and then the other - after the first visit I was standing up tall and felt great.  He said I had really bad compression and just needed adjustments.  The second time I went he did the same things and then I had some neck pain - I went again a few days later and told him - he then did electrical stimulation on my neck and just cracked my back - he told me I had a soft tissue reaction and it should resolve in a day.  It's been 3 days now and my neck is tender to the touch and I can't sleep because it hurts so bad - I've taken Motrin and iced my neck and it doesn't help.  Is this normal?

Answer
There are a few questions I have before answering your question.  First, how old are you, and how long did you have the problem before you went to the chiropractor?  While it is not unusual to have some discomfort after an adjustment, it is unusual for it to last for very long.  Did the doctor take x-rays?  If so, did he take another one after the adjustment?  That may give some insight as to why it hurts so much.  The other thing to note is that there are many chiropractic techniques, and it sounds like you may need a lighter touch than the doctor used at that time.  Not everyone responds to the same technique.

If you did not have an x-ray, I would quickly go and see a different chiropractor.  I would advise one who uses a softer technique such as thompson or activator.

Let me know how this works out for you.

Dr, P