So you are sitting at home and all of a sudden you feel the need to crack your back instead of just going to your Chiropractor to get an adjustment. You pull up good old Dr. Google, type in the search bar “Ways to crack your back” and to your amazement there are a vast array of YouTube videos and Wikihow’s on how to do it yourself. There are so many, in fact, that you are so confused on which ones would actually be safe to do at home. So can you crack your own back/neck at home?

There are so many different reasons why you should not be trying to self adjust. Many YEARS of practice and training go into what your Chiropractor has learned and does every day in their practice. Here at Denison Chiropractic we have 38 years of experience from Dr. Robert Bergeron and also 9 years of experience from Dr. Dustin Bergeron. All the training that both of the Doctors have gone through to perfect their practice has given them the ability to truly understand your skeletal structure and provide true care to help you get out of pain. 

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When you come into a Chiropractic office you will go through a process with the Doctors so they can learn more about you and your spine. A Chiropractor is able to fully assess a patient by finding out your medical history and doing a physical exam before recommending a plan of care. Your plan of care may include spinal adjustments, manual therapy, rehab exercise and in some cases a referral to another Doctor to help better suit your needs. If you do not go through this physical exam and there is actually something wrong, you could be putting yourself in extreme danger by adjusting yourself at home. 

So why can I not just get an adjustment at my Chiropractic office and know how to do it from there?

Well here are a few reasons why. First, when you are in a Chiropractic office, before the Doctor even begins just “popping your back”, they check to see which joints are not moving the way that they are supposed to. Most of the time, the joints above and below the restricted joint are actually moving too much and once your Chiropractor has located these joints he uses a specific technique to make sure you aren’t just hearing that popping noise but that they are actually moving the joint in the direction that it needs to go. In some cases the Doctor uses instruments to do the adjusting and you don’t hear a popping sound at all! (Click here to read our blog post on what the popping sound is during an adjustment)

What can you expect after your adjustment is over at the Chiropractor?

When you leave the office you will know that the Chiropractor put your joints that were not moving back into motion and not adding extra movement in the joints that are moving too much. If you are still not convinced that you should not be trying to self adjust at home here is another reason why. When you adjust yourself at home you have very little knowledge of what you are actually doing let alone the way that the joint is supposed to move, how much force to apply to the joint and even where the pain is truly coming from. Someone adjusting from home cannot get the same kind of joint force that a Doctor, who has spent more than 4000 hours learning to do the correct way, can and knows how to. 

Additionally, someone at home cannot apply force to a specific joint in the exact way that you need to based on your individual spinal needs. Chiropractors are looking for that one vertebra or joint that is not functioning properly and has become subluxated. Once they find this joint, they use a specific amount of force in a specific way to deliver a correction by contacting a certain part of the bone with a part of their hand or finger.

What can happen if I continue self asjusting?

This means your self adjustment you think that you are getting is actually too much movement in your joints and can over time cause hypermobility(too much movement) in some spots and hypomobility(not enough movement) in other places.  You also may hear that popping sound but it most likely is not coming from where it needs to. It is coming from the joints surrounding the “stiff” area which are hyper-mobile.

We need movement in the joints of our spine but having too much can lead to even bigger issues, including instability and also early degeneration(osteoarthritis). There are extremely painful conditions, which in most cases, cannot be corrected. Making sure you go to your Chiropractor and getting regular adjustments is the best way to keep your spine in line the HEALTHY way! Even Chiropractors need another Doctor to help get an adjustment themselves! 

Need a Chiropractor?

If you are looking for a Chiropractor look no further than Denison Chiropractic! We have the most skilled and caring Doctors in all of Texoma! Book your appointment HERE or give us a call at (903) 821-5151.

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