Chiropractic spinal manipulation
Chiropractors utilise a package of care. Treatment interventions may include manual therapy (spinal manipulation, massage, stretching and mobilisation), supervised rehabilitation or posture and lifestyle advice.
Spinal manipulation
Chiropractic treatment mainly involves safe, often gentle, specific spinal manipulation to free joints in the spine or other, related areas, that are not moving properly. Most often, this requires a short thrust to a joint that can result in an audible 'pop' and may bring relief of symptoms; some patients report an increased feeling of well-being.
The 'pop' is simply the sound of bubbles of gas popping in the fluid of the joint as the pressure is released. Some patients may experience temporary symptoms such as pain or soreness around the areas being treated most likely due to the area already being inflamed.
Rarely, some patients may experience redness of the skin due to temporary inflammation and, where the area being treated is already inflamed, symptoms may seem slightly worse to start with.
The illustrations on the right illustrate side-posture positioning of a patient for a lumbar spine (low back) adjustment. These are the most frequently applied adjustments for lumbar spinal dysfunction. By understanding the mechanical principles of the spinal joints, segmental restriction can be recognised and joint tension released by an adjustive thrust.
Spinal mobilisation
Spinal mobilisation is a form of non-thrust joint manipulation typically applied within the physiologic range of joint motion. Mobilisation's are passive rhythmic graded movements of controlled depth and rate. They may be applied with fast or slow repetitions and various depth.
Spinal traction-distraction
A form of mobilisation producing a tractional or separating force. It may be accomplished manually or with mechanical assistance and can be sustained or intermittent.
