Is Chiropractic Care Safe?

Chiropractic patient receiving a cervical spine adjustment

A common question asked by new patients is, “Is chiropractic care safe?

The short answer is yes, but read on to learn more.

From chiropractic care to surgery, a number of medical therapies are available to alleviate your pain. The trick is finding the safest therapy that works best for your injury.

Chiropractic care is one of the safest, non-invasive methods to relieve stress on your musculoskeletal system. The care does not use expensive equipment or steroidal drugs that could hurt you.

Current research shows the benefits of chiropractic care for patients suffering from minor to moderate injuries, including:

Pain Relief from Neck Adjustments

Living daily with neck pain or headaches can be taxing. Many of you who suffer from these symptoms take painkillers every day to relieve the chronic pain, which can be harmful to your liver and stomach. Before giving yourself long-term damage, we recommend that you visit a chiropractor to safely treat the root of your problem. Often, headaches and neck pain are rooted from stress on your cervical spine.

Help is available if you are suffering from neck pain or headaches. Neck adjustments, or cervical manipulations, have been scientifically researched to safely alleviate pain when performed by a trained chiropractor. The procedure can improve joint mobility in the neck and reduce muscle spasms. In return, your neck will gain a larger range of motion and reduce the pressure that could be making your neck sore.

Benefits of Neck Adjustment

  • Alleviate painful headaches
  • Increase mobility of the neck
  • Reduce tension and pressure of the neck
  • Reduce shoulder pain

Only 1 case in 5.85 million neck manipulations resulted in arterial damage. The American Chiropractic Association compares this statistic to people on a 10-minute passenger ride. You are more likely to hurt your back when driving to the chiropractic appointment than from the neck manipulation.

How Does a Neck Adjustment Work?

Your neck adjustment is a high-velocity, swift force that manipulates your spine back into alignment. The quick movement can be stressful to receive. Nevertheless, a neck adjustment by a trained chiropractor can restore your cervical spine to improve your neck’s mobility and diminish the headaches that have been disrupting your daily life. The same swift movement is used on your hips, shoulders, and mid and lower back of your adjustment.

During Your Adjustment

Little special preparation is used to prepare you for an adjustment. Your chiropractor may loosen your muscles and spine with a heating pad. You are then asked to lie face down or sit on a padded chiropractic table where the adjustment occurs. The preparation ensures that you can receive a controlled adjustment. You may hear a pop which is similar to cracking your knuckles. The pop is air pockets releasing from stressed regions of your spine, joints, and tendons.

After Your Adjustment

Chiropractic care can provide you with pain relief immediately. You might feel soreness for the first 24 hours, due to temporary inflammation. Ice your sore area every two hours for 10 minutes. Make sure to avoid heat directly on the sore area. As your therapy progresses, your period of injury relief will probably prolong.

Additional Therapies

To increase the benefits of your chiropractic healing plan, your chiropractor might recommend lifestyle changes. The purpose is to reduce daily stress on your spine.

How You Can Make Your Healing Safer

There are many things that you can do to help ensure a safe chiropractic adjustment.

Before receiving care, inform your chiropractor of your health history. Your doctor may advise you to seek different medical care if he suspects that your health history or body type will prevent you from being able to recover from chiropractic care.

A trained chiropractor will be able to identify if chiropractic therapy is not right for you.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care can improve your life. Speak with your doctor to see if chiropractic care could work for you.

The spinal manipulation is one of the safest forms of therapy available. You will not be taking risks with steroidal drugs or expensive equipment – your chiropractor’s hands are their greatest tool.

Just because you suffered an injury, this does not mean that you should live your life in pain. Dr. Troy can help you recover from your injury using safe chiropractic care. Call our office to schedule a free consultation.