What Is Spinal Manipulation?

Chiropractors use their hands or adjustment tools to apply a controlled amount of force to the joints of the spine. It’s called “high-velocity, low amplitude thrusts,” meaning quick, short thrusts of force. The amount of force applied is customized to the treatment area and the patient’s comfort level. The thrusts often cause an audible “crack” in the joint, similar to the sound of cracking knuckles. This noise is natural, indicating a release within the joint. While the cracking sound of spinal manipulation can be intimidating, most patients experience immediate relief after treatment.

Spinal Manipulation is one of the most used chiropractic techniques to treat pain because it is safe and effective. Other treatment options like physical therapy, exercise, and massage therapy are also available to chiropractic patients. Before treatments begin, our chiropractors will assess your symptoms to determine if spinal manipulation is right for you.

Millions of people suffer from neck pain every year, be it chronic (recurrent) or injury related. Spinal manipulation is one-way people find relief from neck pain and stiffness. Chiropractors often practice spinal manipulation if the neck pain is the result of dysfunctions in surrounding muscles, joints, ligaments, tissue, and cervical discs (image). Cervical discs live between the vertebrae in the neck. Their primary purpose is to absorb shock and allow the neck to carry varying amounts of stress. There is a variety of treatment positions for neck pain spinal manipulation face-down, face-up, or in a seated position. Treatment position is based on the chiropractor’s assessment and the patient’s comfort level.  Different techniques are especially beneficial in unique cases where the patient was in an auto accident, where certain positions are more comfortable than others.

Spinal manipulation is often used to treat chronic headaches. Chiropractors will conduct an assessment to determine the underlying cause of a person’s headaches. If the cause appears to be tension or neck related, the chiropractor may recommend spinal manipulation as a treatment option. This would include manual thrusts to the cervical spine (neck) and thoracic spine (upper back) to relieve muscle tension and ease nerve pressure, reducing the intensity and frequency of headaches.