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Can I Give Myself A Chiropractic Adjustment?

Posted by Florida Spine and Injury | Aug 31, 2020 4:01:38 PM

Everyone will likely experience back or neck pain to some extent during their life. 

And if you have chronic joint immobility, it can eventually progress to pain and inflammation in the joints. 

Having pain in your neck or back and having it treated with a chiropractic adjustment before it becomes a chronic condition is in your best interest.

But, some people want to skip the office visit and often wonder if they can adjust themselves. 

The easiest answer to this question is no.

Self chiropractic isn't possible; chiropractors can't even adjust themselves.

Most people are under the assumption that a chiropractic adjustment is just "cracking" your back.  

But those people don't understand the purpose that the adjustment serves.

But when your neck gets stiff, or your back starts to ache, all you want is some quick relief from your joint pain. 

So you twist your neck to the left, lower your shoulder down to the right, hoping for that familiar popping sound. 

And when it pops, you feel some relief.

But self-manipulation only offers short-term relief that doesn't address the cause of your pain.

In the article below, we will discuss why you can't adjust yourself and why a chiropractic adjustment is more than cracking your joints.

Table of Contents

 

What's With That Pop?

No matter what you're trying to crack, whether it's your knuckles or your spine, it's the "pop" that you're probably after. 

This is called "cavitation." 

When you attempt DIY chiropractic and crack your joints, and even during a proper realignment, joint pressure suddenly decreases, releasing gasses in the synovial fluid into the joint space, causing the popping sound.

Although it might seem like the pop is the end goal, that's not what gives you relief from your pain. 

To experience real relief, you need to have an improvement in the way your joints move. 

When a trained chiropractor creates cavitations, they improve joint function, relax the muscles, and decrease nerve irritation with targeted pressure.

Cracking your joints yourself, on the other hand, isn't targeted and is entirely random. 

When you do it yourself, you are more likely to get the pop from a joint that is already moving freely rather than the one causing your pain. 

That's why it's impossible to replicate the same long-lasting relief that you get from a chiropractor.

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What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

The chiropractic adjustment is an integral part of the treatment of joint problems in the spine and other joints. 

So what exactly is a chiropractic adjustment? 

Chiropractic adjustments use a specific force in a precise direction applied to a misaligned joint. 

Chiropractic adjustments will gradually return the bones to a more appropriately aligned position, restoring the range of motion.

This, in turn, removes interference to nerves and helps the surrounding tissues relax. 

This eases pain in the joints, with noticeable relief after just one adjustment. 

Your chiropractor can perform spinal manipulation in one of several ways. 

Typically, your chiropractor will use their hands or a specially designed instrument to deliver the adjustment. 

Some adjustments are quick movements, while other conditions require a slower technique. 

The technique your chiropractor will use will be tailored to your age, size, and unique problem.

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"Self Chiropractic"

You've probably heard that popping your knuckles leads to arthritis; however, most medical experts have said this is just a myth. 

For many people, popping their joints produces pain and doesn't provide any relief.

That's because they have an underlying issue that's driving them to crack their joints to begin with. 

Conditions like arthritis, tendinitis, and bursitis cause swelling in the soft tissues. 

These conditions cause popping or cracking noises in the joints during regular movements. 

These pops aren't the same as the popping sound produced during manipulation or even cracking your joints. 

These noises come from the swollen tissue snapping.

People are often driven to pop their joints or ask family members to crack them, to get relief throughout their day repeatedly. 

But again, cracking your joints yourself can't compare to the pain relief that you will get from a chiropractor.

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You can't give yourself the same type of adjustment as a chiropractor

Can I Adjust My Spine?

Since chiropractic manipulation is a specific force applied in a particular direction to a specific joint, it is impossible to effectively adjust your own spine. 

Cracking your joints does create the "popping" sound similar to a chiropractic adjustment. 

When you self crack, it is almost always counterproductive, making an already unstable area even worse. 

Regular chiropractic adjustments will treat the right joints, in the right direction, at the right frequency of treatment providing actual pain relief. 

Twisting your spine to make loose joints pop actually worsens the balance of spine motion and provides only temporary relief at best.

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What Chiropractors Know That You Don't

Spine-health is very complicated, and most of us aren't familiar with the anatomy of the spine. 

In addition to the facet joints' location and function, you have muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and several body processes that all play a role in the function of the spine.

Chiropractors are trained in all areas of the spine's structure and function. 

Chiropractors know how the spine should be positioned and function from the neck to the tailbone. 

Still, it might be tempting to try to find relief yourself when you're suffering from neck pain or back pain. 

And, thanks to the various forms of technology available today, more people are dealing with neck and back pain. 

But trying to fix your neck or back without knowing how they are supposed to work will never achieve the same results as professional chiropractic care. 

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Visit Florida Spine and Injury

There is no such thing as DIY chiropractic.

Attempting to find relief by yourself with self-manipulation will result in your symptoms' underlying condition failing to get treated. 

This allows your symptoms to expand into severe health conditions and can lead to chronic pain.

To make sure the root cause of your pain is being treated, and you aren't just getting temporary relief, you should see a doctor of chiropractic.

The chiropractors at Florida Spine and Injury will design a treatment plan tailored to your needs to fix the issue that is causing your symptoms.

Click the button below to schedule your Free Consultation with Florida Spine and Injury.

 

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Original Article Here

Topics: Chiropractic Adjustment

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