Spinal Manipulation in Rome, GA

What Spinal Manipulation Actually Does to Your Spine

They say we're cracking backs, right? Fair enough. What spinal manipulation does internally is far more specific. And it's something you should know about before getting on our schedule.

Your spine is a column of 24 vertebrae, which can move. Between each one there's a joint. When one of those joints loses its normal range of motion, muscles around it react to it, get tense. And the nerves react to it too, getting irritated. A person is left with stiffness, pain, or a sense that something is just not right. That is what we refer to as a subluxation. With spinal manipulation, we use a specific short and fast action that is used to put movement back into that joint that's stuck.

This is what happens during spinal manipulation:

• By means of physical examination and movement testing we can identify restricted joints.
• By placing your body in specific positions we can target that restricted joint only.
• The joint is moved in a very specific short and fast direction into what we call the paraphysiological space, the space past a joint's normal range of motion.
• There's gas in the joint fluids, and when we move the joint into this new space, it's what makes the 'pop' you sometimes hear.
• After that the muscles around the joint relax and the nerves have less pressure on them.

The pop itself is not a goal. It is merely the result. What's important is the movement that's been restored in the joint.

Patients in Rome that come into our office have often struggled with the issue they have for weeks, or even months. By this point, their body has been compensating for the problem. Hips might not line up with each other, the shoulders are rounded forward, and they work differently on the left and right sides. When a chiropractor performs spinal manipulation on them, that's where the compensation is interrupted, where the joint is allowed to move again, and where the body is allowed to stop compensating for a loss of function. Spinal manipulation can also help patients in Rome neighborhoods, and in West Rome, as well as our downtown area.

The American Chiropractic Association says spinal manipulation has a growing body of recent research supporting the use of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) as a first line treatment for acute low back pain [1]. This certainly correlates with what we see here at our chiropractic office. Patients come in stiff and leave moving better in a day.

Spinal manipulation is not only a relief of symptoms. By putting the joint back where it belongs, the communication from your nervous system is also improved. Sleep quality will be improved, headaches can lessen, and your body will actually work the way that it was meant to work.

Conditions That Respond Well to Spinal Manipulation

Surprisingly, there are people that come into our Rome chiropractic office thinking spinal manipulation is only good for back pain. It can help with that, but the list goes a lot longer.

We work with patients all week that have been struggling with headaches. These headaches can happen for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years. They have tried almost everything such as, pain relief medications from the store, dark rooms, or caffeine cessation. Then, when they come and do one or two visits with us, and the headaches disappear. That is because there is a nerve being pressed that leads to your head or neck. That is because that part of the spine is in an abnormal position, causing irritation and pain in the upper neck region, which leads to tension headaches and migraines, according to the Cleveland Clinic [2]. Spinal manipulation is among the most effective approaches for treating tension headaches and headaches originating in the neck.

These are some of the problems we help most with spinal manipulation:

• Neck pain or stiffness that has no obvious cause and doesn't get better on its own
• Sciatica, which is shooting pain in the leg
• Pinched nerves in the arms or hands which create tingling or numbness
• Discs that are bulging or herniated and cause chronic low back strain
• Whiplash caused by auto collisions or low-speed bumps near West Rome

Does your problem fit into this list? This is a question we get a lot in Rome. Many patients don't realize that neck issues such as tightness or recurring jaw pain may be linked to spinal problems. The body is all connected and the problem in one area can show up in another. We treat sports injuries as well. Whether you're a serious runner, or the occasional softball player, or just someone who exercises, repetitive movements will often create uneven stresses and eventually misalign the vertebrae in the spine. Once a vertebra becomes fixed, the body adjusts to it in a way that makes the original injury worse. However, many people are surprised to learn that stress-related pain is also helped by spinal manipulation. Everyone carries stress somewhere in the body. This may include tension in the neck and shoulders, stiffness in the mid-back, or slumping forward from sitting all day. Spinal manipulation relieves the problem at its source. We often see this pattern at each examination. Bottom line: if you have an ache and it won't go away, see if it's a spinal problem. Starting with a chiropractor is a good first step.

What to Expect at Your First Adjustment Appointment

Come in dressed comfortably, but you need to be prepared to explain why you are coming to us. It is not unusual for Rome patients to come to our office after a day at work. People from the West Rome area sometimes drive across town on their lunch breaks to have an appointment. Here is the process we follow:

• We discuss the problem. We start by talking about your history. We'd like to know about prior injuries, daily activities, pain, the duration of the problem, and anything else that may be relevant. This should take about 10 minutes.
• We examine you. We will then perform a manual examination. This involves testing your posture, range of motion, and movement of each spine segment, and taking an X-ray if necessary.
• We tell you what to expect. We don't begin treatment until you have an understanding of what's going on and of our plan. You will know exactly where the problem is and what we will do about it.
• The treatment. People are often afraid of this step, but it actually isn't scary or uncomfortable. We put you on a comfortable bed, put the body in the right position, and give the joint a little quick nudge. This is all over in a matter of seconds. If you hear a click, this just means gas released from the joint. You didn't break anything.
• We check in with you after. Are you feeling any soreness? We provide a clear picture of what you can expect the following day or two and if a follow-up appointment is required.

Most new patients tell us it wasn't quite as scary as they expected it to be. Some feel instant relief on the table. Others don't realize things shifted until later that day.

Still, what's really important, we don't rush the process. Everyone that comes in through our Rome office gets the full process regardless of whether it's the first visit or the 50th. Our team are active license holders, and have years of practical experience so you'll feel in great hands from start to finish.

Common feedback we get is "I wish I'd come in sooner". The neck ache you've had for 3 months? The back pain you get when you try to bend over? These don't go away, they just get worse. Your first manipulation session is about finding answers and a plan forward.

How Many Sessions Do You Need?

This is probably the most common question we get around Rome, and sadly it doesn't have a one-size-fits-all answer.

What we can say, is that we've learned that patients usually fit into one of these three categories:

• Fresh pain. Perhaps you slept awkwardly or pulled a muscle lifting some groceries. This type often settles in 3-6 visits within the first couple weeks.
• Long-term discomfort. Constant tension, daily headaches, or pain that keeps popping up. This kind of thing usually needs 6-12 treatment sessions to get under control.
• Long-standing injuries or posture problems. Maybe you work near the Turner McCall corridor and spend long periods at a desk. Perhaps you had an old car accident. These conditions may take longer to fix (and we're always upfront with you about it).

Typically, you can expect to see whether the right direction is taken by visit number 3. We never make assumptions. Every few visits, we re-assess and alter the treatment plan depending on how your body is responding.

Some come expecting their problem to disappear completely after one session. Yes, this happens sometimes with minor misalignments, but isn't the general rule. Your back doesn't go wrong in a couple hours. Fixing it needs repetition so muscles and joints relearn what normal feels like.

Here's something most don't factor in. Once you no longer feel pain, a few maintenance visits to Rome is all it takes to keep that pain at bay. Some of our patients in Rome come in once a month to stay ahead of their problems. This isn't a sales pitch. It's simply what works.

This is what to expect when you come in the first time. We will examine you in full, provide you with a realistic timeline, and a plan you can hold us to.

If we don't think you'll benefit from spinal manipulation for your condition, we'll let you know that too. There's no point to your time or ours getting used up for nothing.

What To Do After Your Spinal Manipulation Appointment

What you do in the first 24 hours after receiving an adjustment is much more important than you realize.

Muscles that were restricted for weeks, or even months, are now in a new position. Joints that were not moving freely are now mobile. That's a huge deal, your body needs time to get caught up to that change. While many people are immediately pain-free after their first visit, others have mild stiffness, similar to how a good workout feels, both of which are normal responses to an adjustment.

These are the recommendations that we give for the hours after your visit:

• Drink an increased amount of water. Hydration helps your muscles adapt to the corrected position in a faster manner.
• Take a short walk. No walking at the gym or at the track, walking in your neighborhood or by the Etowah River will do just fine.
• Avoid heavy lifting or working out hard for the rest of the day.
• If a particular area is feeling sore, apply ice to it for 15 minutes at a time. No heat packs.
• Pay attention to your posture. When sitting down, keep both feet on the floor, and don't sit in the same position on the couch for hours.

It's common to feel mild aches that dissipate overnight, however, call us if any concerns arise or you have a question. We'd prefer hearing from you than you going home to worry.

It's not uncommon for Rome residents to notice that they're sleeping better, their neck is relaxed, and headaches no longer occur days after an adjustment. That means your nervous system is responding very well to the change.

The most common mistake patients in our office make is that they start to feel so much better that they skip their follow-up. Do not fall prey to this trap! You didn't become misaligned overnight, and you certainly won't stay misaligned after your first visit. By continuing to go on the treatment plan we set for you, the adjustment will remain in place so that your body can eventually maintain the corrected position long-term.

We may also provide you with a few rehabilitation exercises to do at home, usually in the form of light stretching. This not only reinforces your treatment, but it can also be a preventative tool between visits that will help prevent any pain or discomfort. Homework that actually benefits you in the long run.