During the adjustment, you may be asked to lie down on a specially designed table. By placing the hands in precise places and performing controlled movements, the chiropractor works on one joint at a time. This is to help improve movement and ease pain.
Chiropractic
adjustment is a procedure in which trained specialists called chiropractors use their hands or a small instrument to apply controlled force to a spinal joint.The goal of this procedure, also called spinal manipulation, is to improve the movement of the spine and the body's ability to move. Low back pain, neck pain, and headaches are the most common reasons people seek chiropractic adjustments. You don't need to do anything special before a chiropractic adjustment. During a chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor will most often place you in certain postures for treating affected areas.
You're likely to lie face down on a special padded chiropractic table. Using their hands to apply controlled force to a joint, the chiropractor pushes the joint beyond their usual range of motion. You may hear popping or crackling sounds when the chiropractor moves the joints during the treatment session. Some people have mild side effects for a few days after the chiropractic adjustment.
These may include headaches or pain in the parts of the body that were treated and being tired. Chiropractic adjustments can ease lower back pain. Depending on the cause of your lower back pain, you may need several sessions. Research shows that spinal manipulation works to treat certain types of low back pain. Some studies also suggest that chiropractic adjustments may work for headaches and other spine-related conditions, such as neck pain.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenues support our nonprofit mission. Donate to our 2025 campaign to cure cancer and transform the way cancer is treated and defeated. Chiropractic treatments can cause mild and temporary side effects, such as discomfort, stiffness, or headache.
Rarely, people also report serious episodes, such as spinal cord injury, arterial dissection, and stroke. The reported adverse effects were documented in a randomized controlled trial comparing spinal manipulation with spinal mobilization as a treatment for neck pain. 43 of the 280 patients, 30%, reported at least one adverse effect. Patients who had their spine manipulated were more likely to experience adverse effects than patients treated with mobilization, a more gentle manual technique preferred by many osteopaths.
The most common side effects were increased pain, headache, tiredness and pain irradiation. This is the most common side effect of a chiropractic adjustment and accounts for approximately two-thirds of all reactions. Sore joints or sore muscles, especially in the treatment area, may occur within the first few hours after treatment and should not last longer than 24 hours. Apply an ice pack to the painful area to help the pain go away more quickly.
The most common side effects of chiropractic neck adjustment are mild pain, numbness, tingling, stiffness, or weakness for 24 to 48 hours after the adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments may be right for you if you're in pain and want an alternative form of treatment. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), pre-existing health conditions can increase the risks of chiropractic treatments. People can also report injuries to state medical boards or to any board that authorizes and regulates chiropractors.
in your state. In this age group, cases were five times more likely to have had more than three chiropractic visits with a cervical diagnosis in the month before the event. Insurance may partially or completely cover chiropractic treatment as a complementary health approach. The primary care doctor can rule out potentially serious problems that require treatment beyond a chiropractic adjustment.
Of course, if chiropractors are reckless, inexperienced, or poorly trained, their services can cause adverse effects. Doctors of chiropractic (DC) must earn a medical school degree, complete clinical training and obtain a state license before opening or joining an office. The chiropractor will use pressure to manipulate the joints of the body to realign the spine and reduce pain and discomfort. In some cases, a chiropractor can adjust treatment for patients with these conditions to avoid high-speed adjustments.
In patients younger than 45, the chances of suffering a spinal stroke within a week after visiting the chiropractor multiplied by five. The best chiropractic approach for a person may depend on their circumstances and the reason they are receiving treatment. In 22 cases (published in 20 articles), the therapists were chiropractors (table 9-28), while in 10 cases (published in nine articles) they were other health professionals (table). Chiropractors may argue that it takes years of experience to learn the fine psychomotor control required to perform skilled manipulations.
