Back Pain Relief - Chiropractic Adjustments, Are They Good For You?

One of the most commonly sought after back pain relief methods is a chiropractic adjustment. Some people really like to have their back cracked, it feels good to them. But, what really happens when you have your back cracked? What makes it feel so good? And, is it really good for you?

People will do anything to get out of pain. The number one pain complaint is back pain (the headache is number one) causes people to spend lots of money on various treatments. But, chiropractors tend to be the most sought back pain relief provider.

A chiropractic adjustment, when done the standard way, involves using force. The area is taken to the extreme of where it can move, then a thrust is applied to move it further. This action forces the joint alignment back to where it is supposed to be. There may be back pain relief, however inflammation happens anytime force is applied to the body. An adjustment may not be as extreme as a blow to the body, but still there will be an inflammatory response. The best chiropractors work to minimize this with various means. I wish I could tell you how to find such a chiropractor, but the only way to tell is to talk to clients that weren't happy with their adjustment, or by experiencing their work for yourself.

Inflammation is not the best thing to have in your body. It is the root of almost every major illness, and in the case of an adjustment, it can cause injury to the surrounding tissues. Some chiropractors will apply ice after adjusting their clients to help minimize this natural reaction.

So, how can something that causes injury feel so good? The answer is the body's naturally occurring opiate, endorphins. Endorphins are a powerful hormone that helps the body deal with pain, just like morphine helps the body deal with pain. Whenever there is a crack in the spine, the body releases endorphins to deal with the pain. The response is virtually instantaneous, so the good feeling from the endorphins is associated with the crack. The choice becomes a question of which is the lesser of the two evils, the pain from a misalignment in the spine, or the damage that comes from an adjustment to eliminate the pain. The answer is more personal than something that can be measured, and it depends on many different factors.

However, there are other options. There are ways to do adjustments gently, to have back pain relief without force. Soft tissue adjustments rely on massage and gentle manipulation that does not involve force. A few chiropractors learn these methods. Also, medical doctors that specialize in bones and joints, osteopaths, often learn them as well. But, you have the same problem as before, how do you find such a gentle practitioner?