{"id":114618,"date":"2025-05-19T15:07:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T15:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114618\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T15:07:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T15:07:08","slug":"what-is-a-chiropractic-adjustment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114618\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a chiropractic adjustment?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;width:100%;height:100%;z-index:2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/82697227007-getty-images-72527973.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vidplayicon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/icon-play-alt-white.svg.svg+xml\" alt=\"play\" style=\"height:40px;margin:auto 18px auto 27px;width:40px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>How bowel frequency impacts your health<\/p>\n<p>Are there hard and fast rules about what constitutes a healthy \u2026let\u2019s just say it, poo?<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to treating and preventing medical conditions or injuries, there are no shortage of options available. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/05\/09\/fda-at-home-cervical-cancer-screening-test\/83540646007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Screenings<\/a> and vaccinations, surgical interventions, medications and various forms of psychotherapies are all common. Complementary or alternative medicine approaches are also sometimes recommended. These may include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2024\/01\/13\/does-acupuncture-hurt\/72092736007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acupuncture<\/a>, herbal medicine and various forms of massage therapy.<\/p>\n<p>Chiropractic care is another alternative approach as it emphasizes interconnectedness between proper body alignment and many bodily functions we associate with overall health.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what chiropractic care is, what happens during a chiropractic adjustment and who should probably skip out on having one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What do chiropractors do? What happens during a chiropractic adjustment?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A chiropractic adjustment is a procedure meant to improve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/03\/04\/what-is-the-best-sleeping-position\/79803573007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spinal alignment<\/a> and healthy joint function throughout the body. An adjustment usually starts with a chiropractor learning the medical history of the patient, checking their vitals and providing a physical exam, explains Keith Sparks, a board-certified chiropractor at California Chiropractic in Bakersfield, who has been treating patients for 29 years. &#8220;Sometimes an X-ray is also taken before the adjustment begins,&#8221; he adds.<\/p>\n<p>He explains that once the preliminary exam is given and medical history established, the patient usually starts by lying down on a chiropractic table \u2013\u00a0a mechanically assisted massage-like table that is divided into different sections that allows for various areas of the hips\u00a0or spine to be targeted. &#8220;During an adjustment, I&#8217;ll use my hands, different elements of the table or a low-force instrument to correct any issues that may be occurring,&#8221; Sparks says.<\/p>\n<p>This joint and spine manipulation is a sort of reboot for the body&#8217;s nervous\u00a0system and &#8220;helps your body move better, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2024\/09\/26\/how-to-have-more-energy\/75258012007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feel better<\/a> and heal better,&#8221; says John Ulrich, a board-certified chiropractor at California Sports &amp; Family Chiropractic\u00a0who has been treating patients for 35 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What are the benefits of getting a chiropractic adjustment?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While chiropractic care has many benefits, the one most often sought after is relief from neck or back pain as pain in these regions is commonly caused by\u00a0nerve compression.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Pinched nerves occur when the surrounding cartilage or muscle or bone tissue put excessive pressure on spinal joints. &#8220;When a joint is under pressure, a chiropractic adjustment helps release that pressure, which is the audible &#8216;pop&#8217; or &#8216;cracking&#8217; sound a patient hears&#8221; explains Zubin Dah, a board-certified chiropractor at Southern California Health Center in Irvine.<\/p>\n<p>Spinal manipulation not only works to treat\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2023\/05\/13\/how-to-stretch-your-lower-back-to-relieve-back-pain-when\/70202255007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">back pain<\/a> this way, but chiropractic adjustments may also improve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2024\/02\/15\/what-causes-headaches\/72510777007\/\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">headaches<\/a> and spine-related conditions, notes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/chiropractic-adjustment\/about\/pac-20393513\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And chiropractic adjustments may also be helpful in preventing or treating some forms of arthritis, notes the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arthritis.org\/health-wellness\/treatment\/complementary-therapies\/physical-therapies\/chiropractic-care-for-arthritis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arthritis Foundation<\/a>,\u00a0and has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6722922\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">been shown to<\/a>\u00a0improve immune function as well. &#8220;A properly moving spine is more resilient and heals faster than a back or joint that is stuck or unstable,&#8221; says Ulrich.<\/p>\n<p>Helping joints become unstuck and stable, he adds, &#8220;also improves mobility and quality of life.&#8221; Sparks agrees and notes that this also provides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/2016\/08\/01\/balance-aging-falls\/87911302\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">better balance<\/a>, reduced stress and can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2023\/02\/01\/what-is-sleep-hygiene-improve-sleep\/11106518002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improve sleep quality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to treating injuries and conditions, chiropractic adjustments can also prevent them by improving how the nervous system operates. &#8220;Chiropractic care can prevent inflammation and many associated conditions the same way going to the dentist can prevent cavities,&#8221; says Sparks.<\/p>\n<p>Are chiropractic adjustments safe?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While chiropractic adjustments are safe when they are done by someone trained and licensed, notes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/chiropractic-adjustment\/about\/pac-20393513\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>, they are not for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are times when adjustments\u00a0may not help and\/or could hurt the patient,&#8221; says Dah. For instance, someone with joint hypermobility, someone who has recently undergone surgery &#8220;in the area of where the adjustment is taking place,&#8221; Dah says, an individual with a skin condition that could be irritated by an adjustment or someone who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/03\/22\/what-is-osteoporosis\/81146940007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">severe osteoporosis<\/a>, spinal cancer or bone disease would usually not be given a traditional chiropractic adjustment or possibly any chiropractic treatment at all. Ditto for anyone who has recently suffered trauma or a serious injury that first needs to heal.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is why we conduct a thorough exam and evaluate a patient&#8217;s medical history before beginning any treatment,&#8221; Sparks says. &#8220;Not every condition or situation is appropriate for chiropractic care just like not every condition is appropriate for surgery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Loren Fishman, a physician and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Columbia University, agrees. While he doesn&#8217;t recommend that everyone sees a chiropractor, he says that chiropractic adjustments can be helpful for treating or preventing a variety or musculoskeletal issues in some people. &#8220;Chiropractic care,&#8221; he says, &#8220;is convenient, usually close to home, in general less expensive than many alternatives and can sometimes help clear up a problem quickly.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How bowel frequency impacts your health Are there hard and fast rules about what constitutes a healthy \u2026let\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":114619,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4315],"tags":[5784,38443,38445,5176,14338,31015,51799,51798,6583,105,1866,6582,6590,3462,12639,4326,3912,38444,12,5179,5185,51341,26139,6581,5180,51796,22846,1022,6588,51797,51800,5598,1408,6093,6589,6434,5181,16,15,2488],"class_list":{"0":"post-114618","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-affiliate","9":"tag-alternative","10":"tag-alternative-u0026-natural-medicine","11":"tag-and","12":"tag-care","13":"tag-chiropractic","14":"tag-chiropractic-treatments","15":"tag-cord","16":"tag-curious","17":"tag-health","18":"tag-injuries","19":"tag-just","20":"tag-just-curious","21":"tag-local","22":"tag-local-affiliate-health-and-wellness","23":"tag-medication","24":"tag-medicine","25":"tag-natural","26":"tag-news","27":"tag-overall","28":"tag-overall-positive","29":"tag-physical","30":"tag-physical-therapy","31":"tag-point","32":"tag-positive","33":"tag-preventive","34":"tag-preventive-care","35":"tag-seo","36":"tag-seo-wellness","37":"tag-spinal","38":"tag-spinal-cord-injuries","39":"tag-the","40":"tag-therapy","41":"tag-to","42":"tag-to-the-point","43":"tag-treatments","44":"tag-u0026","45":"tag-uk","46":"tag-united-kingdom","47":"tag-wellness"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}