Chiropractic Adjustments in Rome, GA

What Chiropractic Adjustments Actually Do to Your Spine

Many people assume that we only "crack backs," and while that's true, there is a much more specific process occurring to your spine during chiropractic adjustments, and it is helpful to know exactly what it is before setting an appointment.

The 24 vertebrae of your spine are able to move, each of them forming a joint between the bones above and below it. When that joint is out of place and loses the ability to move the way it should, it is called a subluxation. Most subluxations are not immediately obvious, though over time, an immobile vertebra creates stress on your muscles, your surrounding nerves, and changes your posture and gait.

Chiropractic adjustments are simply forceful, yet controlled, pressure directly to that joint in order to restore mobility. The "pop" is simply gas escaping within the joint fluid. Spinal manipulation is considered a first-line treatment in research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association [1], and is recommended for low back pain.

This is what your body experiences after a chiropractic adjustment:

• Range of motion in that joint is restored
• Nerve pressure is reduced and pain signals diminish quickly
• Muscles surrounding the area of the adjustment are able to relax because they are moving again
• Increased blood flow in the area helps with natural healing

We regularly experience this in our Rome offices. Someone walks in barely able to rotate their head, but 20 minutes later they are freely able to rotate and can't believe how long it took for them to get here. That's not magic. It's a mechanical problem and it needs a mechanical solution instead of just masking pain.

The benefits go beyond relief in the spine. Patients in our West Rome office tell us they are sleeping better and headaches are less frequent. It's because your spine protects your central nervous system and when it is moving, your nervous system can function much more efficiently.

Another misconception is that all chiropractic adjustments are the same. Some people have very gentle adjustments and they never feel a pop. We use different types of adjustments depending on age and preference.

Chiropractic adjustments are meant to give your spine what it needs to work so your body can take care of the rest.

You may not think you have many conditions, but you would be surprised by how many people enter our Rome office looking for a chiropractic adjustment for back pain alone. While that's usually the most common reason, it's far from the only reason.

There are 24 joints in your spine that protect your nervous system, which controls everything that goes on in your body. If any of those 24 joints become immobile, it can put pressure on your nerves. We witness this phenomenon on a weekly basis: patients who never suspected their headaches or stiff necks were the result of spinal issues.

Some of the conditions that chiropractic adjustments are especially helpful for include:

• Chronic lower back stiffness and discomfort that won't go away
• Neck pain from working at a desk, holding your phone, or sleeping in an awkward position
• Sciatica with pain traveling down one leg
• Tension headaches and migraines
• Pinched nerves resulting in arm or hand numbness

According to the American College of Physicians, spinal manipulation is considered a first option for low back pain, prior to considering medications [2]. This makes it more than alternative care, it is first line care.

The list extends beyond pain conditions, too. People near the Rome area arrive with whiplash, feeling it weeks after their car accidents. Rome gym goers come to us with restricted joints that are sabotaging their gains. Third trimester moms seek help with the back pressure that keeps them from sleeping.

All the time we see patients sit in our exam room and say: "I didn't know a chiropractor could help with this."

Not sure if what you're experiencing falls in this category? You're in good company. Patients have come in for us believing they need surgery before they try chiropractic care for their frozen shoulder or a herniated disc. Usually they don't. An exam lets us know what's happening, and whether chiropractic adjustments can help. If not, we're very honest with you and will send you on your way. We know when a chiropractic adjustment should happen, and when it shouldn't. We'll help get you pain free and back to what matters, and never play games.

What Happens at Your First Visit for Adjustments

Before we ever touch your back, we first have to know what's going on. We ask about your pain, your routine, and your injuries. Perhaps you fender bended on Martha Berry Highway and never felt right. Or you wake every morning stiff and sore, and have decided to do something about it. We want to know everything that brings you here.

Once we talk, we will:

• Conduct a hands-on examination of your spine, checking for joint restriction and tenderness
• Take X-rays if needed to see exactly what's happening with your alignment
• Explain what we see to you right there, right then
• Provide your first adjustment if chiropractic adjustments are right for you

The actual adjustment is often done in seconds. Just like you're expecting, we use just the right amount of force to target the correct joints in your back. It can get noisy too (just don't let that put you off!); most people in Rome tell us the same thing afterward: "That's it?" They expected something dramatic. It's not. Plenty of our patients feel completely different instantly; but others will feel slightly sore for one or two days, just like you would after a good gym session! This is perfectly normal. We see plenty of first-timers who are nervous about being adjusted, but by the time they leave our practice, they are grinning from ear-to-ear. It's the ones that were most anxious beforehand that usually become our most consistent patients.

You will not be pushed into a course of treatment before your first visit. We need to see what the chiropractic adjustments do for you, then work out what happens next from there depending on how your body reacts. When you visit our Rome chiropractor office, you will never feel rushed, and you will have enough time to ask any questions you want. Unsure if chiropractic adjustments are the right choice for your condition? Explore how a chiropractor might be the right option for you.

How Many Adjustments You Will Need

This is a big question, and unfortunately, it can really be a matter of how it is for the patient. Some people come to our Rome practice for a stiff neck that began just the day before, and they may be fully well after three or four sessions. A person who has had lower back pain for six months will likely need a different approach. The more time a problem has gone on, the more chiropractic adjustments will be needed to fix it.

The rough guide to how many chiropractic adjustment sessions you will need, based on what our patients here in Rome normally have is:

• Acute pain (such as a muscle strain, recent sports injury or flare-up) — 4–8 visits over a few weeks
• Chronic pain (ongoing condition that can last for months or years) — 12–20 visits over a longer treatment plan
• Maintenance/Prevention after you are back to feeling good — 1–2 visits a month
• Car accident injury recovery varies, but could be 2–3 sessions a week initially

Your first consultation visit gives us a good indication. A range-of-motion test, posture test and review of what you do on a daily basis will help us figure out what you need. For example, if you are an office worker near downtown Rome you will put different stress on your spine than someone with manual physical work will. This is what helps create your treatment plan.

One thing most people don't realize is that the initial chiropractic visits are not there to make you perfect. It is getting your body to buy into a new position. Your muscles have been holding that same negative pattern for so long. It takes practice for them to get used to it. Need a long-term strategy, or a short one? That is totally unpredictable. A patient outside our office might not have a clear understanding of how much correction their body needs. We complete an exam and only then provide recommendations. No guessing here. We check in after the third treatment. If you respond very quickly, we may space the treatments out sooner. If you move more slowly, we may adjust the treatment. The body has told us what it needs once we begin to treat it. This is simply what we do. We keep the body moving.

Warning Signs to Know Before and After an Adjustment

Most folks feel good after chiropractic adjustments. However, your body speaks, and you need to listen.

Before you lay back on the treatment table, tell us if something seems amiss. The reason we ask every patient in Rome about their health history is that some conditions require more care, or even a different way of doing things. We need to talk ahead of time if any of these factors exist:

• Numbness or tingling spreading down both arms or legs
• Recent broken bones or weak bones, like severe osteoporosis
• Weight loss that is unexplained along with back pain
• High fever with neck or spinal stiffness
• Current use of anti-coagulant medication

Any one of these does not mean a patient is ineligible for adjustment. They just change the way that we treat them. We routinely treat patients from West Rome with complex histories. The treatment method is just tailored to fit the patient.

Post adjustment, some aching is totally normal. It is sort of like that feeling you get after exercise. It typically goes away in 24–48 hours. Be sure to drink water and get some walking. However, these things are grounds for us to get a phone call back here:

• New stabbing pain
• Dizziness for minutes after treatment
• Weakness in arms and legs
• Sudden, severe headache

These instances are uncommon. There are rare, serious complications following chiropractic adjustments, but Mayo Clinic tells us these are quite rare [3]. As for us, our reputation in Rome is based on our carefulness.

Most times the things people are worried about end up being perfectly normal muscle activity. This is your body shifting a bit more than it has in a while and that is something good.

The real warning is leaving your symptoms for months and thinking that things will resolve on their own. That is the red flag we hope people pay attention to.