The Chiropractic Adjustment and its Philosophy
An adjustment is a mobilization of a joint.
That joint could be in your spine or your elbow or your foot, any place where two bones meet.
The mobilization could be slow. We can gently glide the joint through its range of motion, subtly working to expand the range with each pass.
The mobilization could be fast. We can move quickly through joint space to create a rapid exchange of fluid and gas that creates a pop and improves the range of motion instantly.
Both mobilizations are useful. Physicians argued about which mobilization belonged to which doctor for decades. They said the other guy’s mobilization didn’t work. They said their way was the only way. Physicians can be dumb. But the truth eventually wins out.
Eventually, you have a patient sitting in front of you that has not improved with your mobilization. So you start trying the other guy’s mobilization. And it works. Just like that, you realize how silly you were. Soon enough, the physical therapy school is teaching fast mobilizations and the chiro school is teaching slow mobilizations. And we start to look the same. Because we want to do what works for our patients. So it is with the chiropractic adjustment. Whatever animosity that existed in previous generations of medical professionals has begun to dissolve, because chiros and PTs simply want their clients to get better.
Nowadays, medical doctors will recommend seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist before introducing narcotics or recommending surgery. Generic websites like healthline.com recommend chiropractic. The Chief Medical Officer of the United States Olympic Team has been a chiropractor. Every NFL team has a chiropractor on staff. The truth wins eventually. The value of the adjustment is too obvious. And, as it turns out, giving everybody addictive mind-altering drugs shouldn’t be our first response to musculoskeletal pain.
An adjustment is not voodoo or quackery. It is not placebo. An adjustment is movement. And movement just so happens to be a great solution for Movement Dysfunction.
So then, fast movement, slow movement, small movement, large movement, passive movement, active movement, loaded movement, tool-assisted movement… ALL movement belongs to us. And we move you so that, eventually, YOU can move you. That is the goal of the chiropractor. To restore your body’s movement. That you would move without fear. Move in freedom. Move with power. Often times, that Movement starts with an adjustment.
Adjustments with Dr. Ben
The first part of our treatment is to assess the typical movement of every joint. I review your global overall movement and then I check the individual mobility of every joint. We watch you move, then we feel you move. We discuss where you move well and where you do not.
Movement dysfunction can be the product of a variety of conditions, and we evaluate all of them:
The nervous system is not communicating optimally
The joint is restricted
The joint is misaligned
The joint is too mobile
The joint is being overloaded
The muscle and fascia are restricted
The muscle and fascia are overworked
The muscle and fascia are weak
Each of these different dysfunctions requires a different movement strategy. You may have seen a chiropractor or therapist that only practices one or two mobilization strategies, and they were unable to help you. That does not mean that chiropractic or physical therapy does not work. It means that you brought your car to a mechanic who only uses a wrench. He does a bang-up job with a lot of clients, but you need the best movement for YOUR body to move the way that YOU want.
My focus is to help your body meet your movement goals, so I use a wide variety of strategies to approach the wide variety of movement problems that you may have. Moreover, I have multiple strategies for mobilizing the same joint, so I can adjust my adjusting style to match your preference and/or need. These adjusting strategies include:
Diversified high velocity, low amplitude adjusting (sometimes associated with pops & cracks)
Gentle, manual mobilization (no cracking)
Manual traction
Activator technique (clicker tool)
Mulligan technique (mobilization w/ a strap)
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching (PNF)
These adjustments are not the only tools in my tool belt. But they do provide a great starting point. Ultimately, we will build our treatment sessions around your preferences. We pursue what works for your body and your goals.
If you have more questions about adjustments and how I can help your particular issue, feel free to Book an Appointment or give us a call!
