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Actually, not all
adjusting techniques produce the sound associated with "popping
knuckles." Some create no sound at all, some a little. Many
techniques, however, do create the sound of a spinal "release."
What causes it? The mystery may have been solved by a British research
team that took x-ray movies of people "popping" their knuckles.
The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the partial vacuum created
when the joints are slightly separated.
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The desire to pop the
neck or back is caused by tension from a jammed or fixated vertebra, which
causes another part of the spine to compensate by moving too much and
"popping" a lot. The jammed part should be adjusted by a
chiropractor so that the rest of the spinal column will balance and stop
being so movable and noisy.
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Cracking or popping
your neck gives relief for a while, but soon the urge to pop or crack
reappears because the cause of the spinal tension hasn't been corrected.
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Chiropractors have
Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degrees granted from chiropractic colleges.
Chiropractic education and medical education are similar in some respects
and different in others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs and
medical doctors do not correct the vertebral subluxation complex (spinal
nerve stress).
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Not Always. A
subluxation or spinal nerve stress is like a dental cavity- you may have
it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's why periodic spinal
check-ups are so important. Although it may be possible to know you have
spinal nerve stress, it is rarely possible to be sure you don't. An
occasional spinal check-up is always a good idea.
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It depends on the
adjusting technique your chiropractor uses. Sometimes the initial
adjustment is preceded by a relatively brief initial visit, case history
and evaluation. At other times it may take a few hours or even a few days
of evaluation and spinal
analysis.
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Newborns have received
spinal adjustments especially after difficult or traumatic births. back
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If only it were (just a
little!), there'd be a lot less sick people around and we chiropractors
wouldn't get patients who last saw a chiropractor "a few years ago
when my back went out." It is possible to get used to feeling more
balanced, less stressed, and more energetic as a result of periodic
chiropractic care. You may become more sensitive to your body and know
when you've "lost" your adjustment. back
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Spinal stress will
continue to build up as before, without release. At which time, hopefully,
before you can make the decision to return for periodic check-ups, so that
your body and overall health won't suffer.
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No. Chiropractic deals
with the spinal column, nerve system, meninges and body structure. Massage
therapists deal with muscle tension, circulation, and body fluid drainage.
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Today chiropractors
have privileges in many hospitals. (Who needs healthy spines more than
people facing life threatening diseases?) The presence of D.C.s in
hospitals is a welcome beginning -- hopefully paving the way toward making
drugless, natural methods of chiropractic care available to all hospital
patients.
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In a majority of cases
the answer is a resounding "Yes."
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Yes. It's an
unfortunate fact that half of those who had spinal surgery discover a
return of their original symptoms months or years later. They then face
the prospect of additional surgery. This too common occurrence is known as
"Failed Back Surgery Syndrome." Chiropractic may help prevent
repeated operations.
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After the break heals,
yes. In fact, a broken bone forms a callus or bone scar when it heals that
is stronger than the rest of the bone which should dispel any concerns
about the safety of an adjustment. People who have had broken bones need
chiropractic check-ups because accidents usually cause spinal subluxations.
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Yes. Having your spinal
nerve stress corrected is important, no matter what other type of health
care you are receiving. Today many D.C.s and M.D.s are working together in
clinics and on joint research projects. M.D.s are quite likely to have
patients who are under chiropractic care, in fact many see a D.C.
themselves.
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Certainly, as Norman
Cousins says: "There are times when intervention in the form of
medicine or surgery is absolutely necessary but there is never a time when
the nourishment one puts into one's body or one's mind is not essential to
health." Chiropractors would add spinal care to Mr. Cousins'
observation.
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Yes. There are verified
instances of blind people recovering eyesight after a fall, of individuals
able to walk again after their wheelchair was thrown, and of amnesiacs who
remember their past after receiving a trauma-- these are examples of
" accidental adjustments" in which a trauma accidentally
realigned the spine. A visit to the chiropractor is a lot safer. Also,
many types of therapy, including massage and various body work can reduce
musculo-skeletal stress, sometimes permitting the spine to automatically
realign, as will cathartic emotional release. Occasionally, even a good
night's sleep can release spinal stress.
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Yes. Symptoms are not a
good way to judge health. They sometimes surface only after years of body
malfunction. (like a tooth cavity)
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The answer is " as
soon as you develop spinal nerve stress." But since spinal nerve
stress is often painless, it's good to get your spine checked
periodically, as you get your teeth checked periodically for
"painless" cavities.
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