Of the many remedies for chronic back pain, chiropractic adjustments may be the best known, but least understood. When you hear people talking about going to their chiropractor for a “back adjustment,” they’re referring to a type of manual therapy (i.e., a treatment delivered through the physician’s hands) for spinal realignment, specifically to realign joint subluxations. The most common goal is a pain-free, well-performing spine, but people also seek chiropractic care for headaches, neck and shoulder issues, hip alignment, and drug-free pain maintenance.

02

Activator or Arthrostim

Although a number of chiropractic techniques exist, the most common type of adjustment involves a controlled but fast directional thrust into the joint. (Other names for a chiropractic adjustment are “spinal manipulation”). There are other options for patients who do not want to be manually adjusted, such as using a tool like an Activator or Arthrostim, which has been shown through research to be just as effective. The goal is to bring the bones of a joint back to their normal, natural fit. It may take just one adjustment to achieve this (where the adjustment “sticks”), or it may take several. While many chiropractors just adjust the spine, we at Elite Wellness Center also adjust the pelvis, shoulders, knees, and many other joints in the body.