What is an adjustment?

What is an adjustment? 

◦ Depending on where you go, chiropractors may provide a different explanation for what an  adjustment is and why it is helpful. At M2 Chiropractic, we follow the evidence and what  research is showing. Adjustments, otherwise known as manipulations, are helpful to help decrease pain and to increase motion or mobility in various areas of the body. When  thinking about anatomy, we have bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles fascia and nerves  that we treat in chiropractic care. A joint is where two or more bone surfaces come  together, which allow for motion to occur. Each joint has a certain amount of motion that  should occur based on its purpose, location and function. When an adjustment or  manipulation are performed, joint surfaces are separated small amounts (paper-thin  amounts) in a quick fashion, which can create a popping sound. The "pop" is what most  people associate with chiropractors and an adjustment. The noise is referred to as a  cavitation, and it's a gas bubble that is released due to the fluid pressure change within  the joint. Typically, that pop is associated with enough motion occurring within the joints  that were intended to be adjusted. Often, patients may think the pop is necessary in order  for the adjustment to be successful, but that is not true. Sometimes it can take a bit for  the joint surfaces to separate enough for a cavitation to actually occur, and some joints  may never have a cavitation. That does not mean the adjustment wasn't successful. The  idea behind the adjustment is to create motion through these areas, and by creating  motion through some the joints, pain relief follows. We can perform an adjustment with not  only our hands, but with adjusting tools as well. There are a couple different tools that we  can use for this that are incredibly safe and get great results. They typically don't produce  a cavitation, but improve motion and decrease pain.