Fake News: “All chiropractors do is crack peoples’ necks and backs.”
This is a pretty common view. Although chiropractic adjustments (AKA joint manipulation) to the spine and other joints is one of the most effective tools that chiropractors have, it is far from the only thing we are train in or our license allows us to do.
As chiropractors, our education focuses on, first and foremost, properly diagnosing a patient’s musculoskeletal (fancy word for muscles and joints) complaints and then providing the right treatment or referring to the right physician to help that patient achieve the best outcome.
Often, that includes adjusting! But often, this can mean NOT adjusting at all!
What might treatment look like if it doesn’t always include a chiropractic adjustment?
Treatment for our patients could include:
Only doing exercises (and no, this is not to torture you)
Soft tissue treatments (such as dry needling, cupping, sports massage, or tool scraping)
Coaching a movement pattern in a safer more effective way
Or, it could be as simple as modifying your workouts to meet your training capacity
So, don’t be surprised if we don’t adjust every time we treat — it’s not always necessary!
What is necessary, though, is a thorough assessment and accurate diagnosis!