Commonly Asked Questions
- A chiropractic Adjustment (also called a spinal manipulation) is a precise, controlled force applied to a joint – usually in your spine – to:
- Restore normal joint movement:
- Joints that can get “stuck” or move poorly due to posture, stress, or injury
- An adjustment helps the joint move through it’s full, healthy range again.
- Reduce pain and tension:
- Improve joint movement can relieve pressure on nearby nerves and muscles
- This can help decrease muscle tightness, local inflammation, and nerve irritation
- Improve nervous system function:
- When joints and tissues move well, it can help your body coordinate better overall.
- You may hear a “pop” or “crack” – that’s just gas bubbles (carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas) being released from the joint fluid
- It shouldn’t be painful – most people feel relief, lightness, and freedom of movement after
- You may feel a quick pinch when the needle goes in, but most times you don’t feel anything at all.
- Once the needle is in, you may feel:
- A dull ache
- Warmth or heaviness around the point
- These sensations are normal- they’re called “deqi” in Chinese medicine and they mean the treatment is working.
- It shouldn’t feel intensely painful:
- If it does, tell your acupuncture provider right away- they can adjust or remove the needle
- A skilled acupuncturist is gentle and knows how to minimize discomfort
- Unfortunately, a licensed chiropractor cannot legally do that.
- As a licensed chiropractor, we can only bill insurance for chiropractic services provided within our scope of practice under our chiropractic license.
- Even if we use acupuncture as part of our technique during a chiropractic visit, it is still part of our chiropractic care, not a standalone acupuncture under a different profession.