chiropractic adjustments

What are chiropractic adjustments?

At Premier Sports & Spine, our sports chiropractors use adjusting techniques to improve alignment and induce motion into joints that have a decreased range of motion. A chiropractic adjustment is the technique of taking a joint to its end range of motion and quickly pushing past that point in a controlled and safe manner.

Performing a chiropractic adjustment stretches the joint capsule—the ligaments that hold the joint together—and then returns the joint to its normal range of motion. This quick stretch activates a structure called the Golgi tendon apparatus, which causes a reflex relaxation of the muscle attached to the tendon.

We know that chiropractic adjustments are not for every patient, and we do not automatically adjust all our patients. We use evidence-based models to create individualized treatment plans for our patients. When a patient’s condition or injury would benefit from an adjustment, we work within their comfort levels to ensure the safest, most effective chiropractic treatments.

Does every patient at Premier receive chiropractic adjustments?

The short answer is no. Many conditions and injuries that are treated by sports chiropractors have only soft tissue components and no injury to a joint, like a quad strain. At Premier Sports & Spine, we address the soft tissue injury with manual therapies and prescribe stretching and corrective exercises for full resolution of the condition without any unnecessary chiropractic adjustments.

Some chiropractors claim that they can “reverse the curve” of an injured spine, improve disc degeneration or even eliminate arthritis. These claims are unfounded in research, and some may consider the claims to be irresponsible. Many traditional chiropractors use scare tactics to convince patients that they need multiple scheduled treatments and that permanent conditions can actually be “reversed.”

At Premier, our goal is to get to the root of the problem, fix it, and keep it from coming back. With permanent conditions, we create treatment plans that get the patient back to optimal levels of function with the least amount of symptoms and teach them how to care for themselves.

If a patient does not require a chiropractic adjustment as part of their treatment plan, they do not receive one.

At both our Eden Prairie and Eagan clinic locations we use our knowledge to inform patients, not to intimidate them.

What if I’m afraid to get my neck snapped?

Not all people enjoy a cervical adjustment. The sports chiropractors at Premier Sports & Spine have many ways to get the same job done. If a patient needs to improve the range of motion in one or more joints in the cervical spine, but does not want a cervical adjustment, the doctor simply uses different techniques to achieve improved range of motion within those joints. It’s no big deal!

Why should I see a chiropractor instead of a physical therapist for chiropractic adjustments?

Patients can have adverse reactions to adjustments, so a provider’s skill level and training should be considered if you are seeking chiropractic care. Chiropractors spend 4 years being trained in joint manipulation and adjusting. 

To practice in the state of Minnesota, a chiropractor must perform hundreds of supervised adjustments and have passed a written and practical board examination. In the state of Minnesota, physical therapists can learn and become certified to perform a cervical spine adjustment in a weekend seminar. 

In the literature, the majority of adverse effects from joint manipulation come from adjustments being performed by physical therapists, not chiropractors.