How To Choose a Chiropractor

When someone finally decides they want or need to go to the chiropractor, the second tough and sometimes confusing decision is "Which chiropractor do I go to?". Here in Katy, Texas there are about 4 other chiropractors within a mile or two from my office. You have probably heard stories from individuals who had a horrible experience at one chiropractor and a wonderful experience at another. You may also be aware of the fact that many chiropractors treat and manage patients very differently from one another. So how do you know which one to choose?

To start, you should have an idea of what some of the different chiropractic techniques are. You can really break it down into two groups chiropractors that use manual adjustments and those that use instrument assisted adjustments.

Manual adjustments are manipulations of the joints by hand. Most chiropractors use manual adjustments. There are many different techniques utilizing manual adjustments. “Diversified” and “Gonstead” are probably the two most common. While there are certainly differences between these techniques, from a patient's perspective they are fairly similar. I utilize Diversified technique.

Instrument assisted adjustments are manipulations of the joint by a tool. “Activator” is probably the most common instrument assisted technique. One big difference with instrument assisted techniques is the absence of joint cavitation or pop with the adjustment.

Personally, I feel manual adjustments are more effective than instrument assisted ones. A major focus in my clinic is restoring proper function and full range of motion of the joints. I do not feel this is as easily accomplished with instrument assisted techniques. However, I do utilize instrument assisted techniques on occasion if they fit the situation better or if a patient insists on their utilization due to preference.

I have given you a very simplistic breakdown of chiropractic techniques that will hopefully help you in your decision on which chiropractor to choose or at least give you a start. You can and should call the chiropractor before your first visit and ask them what techniques they use. It is not an unusual question.

How To Choose a Chiropractor

Why Do My Joints “Pop” - Part II

In my last post I explained the “popping” noise heard during joint manipulation, called “cavitation”. The noise is created when nitrogen gases come out of solution from your joint fluid. I told you that this phenomenon can only occur once approximately every 20 minutes. So you might be asking, “Why does my shoulder/knee/hip constantly pop every time I move it?”. You can probably get it to “pop” every second if you wanted to. Is this a bad thing?

This “popping” noise is different from the joint cavitation we already spoke about. This noise is called “crepitus”. It can occur for several reasons. It can occur in individuals with degeneration, where the two ends of their joints may actually be rubbing together. Another fairly common cause is that either a ligament or tendon is getting caught on some part of the body as you move, and then it suddenly releases and snaps across like a rubber band creating the “pop”.

So is this a bad thing? The majority of the time, no, it’s just something that happens. It can become a problem though if the area becomes irritated and inflamed due to the constant rubbing or snapping. If this occurs it can become a serious source of pain and discomfort. You should try to limit the motion that causes the crepitus and stop if it becomes painful or sore.

Can you get rid of the crepitus? Strengthening, stretching, and joint manipulation can all help to reduce or eliminate crepitus. Proper strengthening can condition your muscles to support your joints better, allowing them to move properly which can reduce the amount of friction and rubbing in the joint. Stretching can relax ligaments and tendons so they don’t catch and snap. Joint manipulation assists in restoring proper motion and therefore reducing abnormal friction and rubbing in the joint.

Bottom line, if it hurts, get it checked out. There is a difference between the “pop” heard with joint manipulation, “cavitation”, and consistent noise in your joint, “crepitus”.

Why Do My Joints “Pop” - Part II

Why Do My Joints “Pop”

What is that popping sound heard when I pop my knuckles our when my chiropractor adjusts my spine or other joints of my body? This is a great question I get asked all the time. Many individuals are concerned by what is causing the noise and others are just curious.

“Cavitation” is the technical term for the sound heard when a joint is manipulated. The sound heard when your chiropractor adjusts your spine is the same as when someone “pops” their knuckles. Okay, so nice fancy name, what is actually happening?

There are several different types of joints within the body. The joints that can be cavitated are synovial joints. These are the most common type of joints within your body. Your finger, knee, elbow, shoulder, and facet joints of your spine are examples of synovial joints. These joints are surrounded by a ligamentous capsule and filled with a lubricating substance called synovial fluid. Nitrogen gas gets mixed in solution with the synovial fluid. This is normal and is not a problem or a reason why your joints become fixated or painful. But this nitrogen gas is the key to the cavitation that occurs with a manipulation.

During a manipulation the joint capsule becomes stretched. When this occurs, the volume of space within the capsule is increased resulting in a sudden decrease in pressure. Remember basic physics. Now, this sudden decrease in pressure causes the nitrogen gases to come out of solution, and “POP”.

So there you have it. The popping sound is not your joints rubbing together and certainly not your bones breaking. Nitrogen gas will return into solution in the synovial fluid within about 20 minutes. This is why you cannot get the popping sound to occur if you try to adjust the same joint again, unless you wait about 20 minutes.

Why Do My Joints “Pop”

What Does a Chiropractor Do?

What exactly does a chiropractor do? This is a great question. I love answering it and love correcting old explanations my patients picked up from other/older chiropractors. The most common answers I hear from individuals are "you straighten my spine" or "you put my bones back into alignment". While there is some truth to these answers, I don't like them because they impart a false understanding.

The truth is, chiropractors do not take your vertebra or any bone from point A and move it to point B and it stays there. Many individuals believe they walk into the chiropractor’s office with their vertebra "out of alignment" in position A, and walk out of the office with their "spine aligned" in position B. This does not happen.

So what does happen? Chiropractic adjustments/manipulations are about improving the function of your joints, whether it is the joints between the vertebrae of your spine or the joints of your elbow. You walk into your chiropractor’s office with your joints fixated and locked up. They are not moving optimally or with full range of motion. Now you get your adjustment and this frees up or removes the fixation. So now you walk out of the chiropractor’s office with your joints moving more optimally and with the fixations removed.

Some of you may be arguing that you know your chiropractor has “moved your bones” because you have seen x-rays of your spine after treatment and you can see the changes that were made. I am in agreement with you that this can and does occur, as I have seen it in many of my patients. This straightening or improved alignment is happening because the joints are functioning better. The spine was misaligned in the first place because your vertebra was fixated and locked in an abnormal position. Once the adjustment removed this fixation the joint was able to move freely and “sit” in a more normal alignment.

What explanations of what a chiropractor does have you heard?

What Does a Chiropractor Do?

Chiropractic - A Public Discussion

I want to create and stimulate discussion with the general public on the topic of "Chiropractic". I want to discuss fears and misconceptions you may have about chiropractic, amazing successes that have been a result of chiropractic care, why do some consider chiropractic vodoo and religion, why aren't chiropractors completely integrated within the mainstream medical model, and why are there such differences between chiropractors. These are a few of the topics I hope to expand upon with future posts. I encourage comments as they will fuel the discussion and allow me to develop content based on topics of your interest.

I continue to write for the Frostwood Chiropractic Blog which focuses on various health topics and the role chiropractic may play in their treatment and management.

Chiropractic - A Public Discussion