Have you ever have had an adjustment to your neck or back by a chiropractor or a physical therapist? Did the adjustment provide pain relief and or make you feel like you could move better? Usually these adjustments do provide relief, however something common that I see with a lot of patients is that they are getting adjustments and the relief from the adjustment is short lived. Some people will keep going back for adjustments because they provide relief but they usually do not fix the issue.
This blog is is going to help you understand the purpose of an adjustment and how you can use it in combination with a few other things to conquer a nagging issue that may be plaguing you. Chiropractors and physical therapists are trained to assess a person?s joint mobility, This pretty much means that we are trained at observing and feeling how much joint play there is. Is there excess movement? Is it springy? Is it painful when moved?Does it not move at all? An adjustment can be beneficial when you have a joint that is not moving as well as it should be. When it becomes stiff and remains stiff over an extended period of time it can pretty much becomes stuck in a certain position and does not move as freely as it once did and as it is supposed to. A perfect example of this is people who sit all day or people who do the opposite and stand all day. They often complain of mid/upper back stiffness and or pain. Any position that you are in for extended periods of times does not allow for much movement and this means that because the joints are not being moved, they aren?t being lubricated. The joints then lose their ability to move through their full range of motion. This is where adjustments can be beneficial. The goal is to restore one?s ROM in a joint that has become restricted. The biggest problem I see however is that people have an adjustment which reduces or eliminates that stiff joint, but then they go back to their lives which often involves jobs where they sit or stand all day. So they go back to those positions that don?t allow them to move their joints and then they become stiff again, so off they go back to their chiro or PT and it just becomes a cycle. The good news is that there is a solution and it is actually more simple than you think.
The answer is simply to use it. You know the old phrase if you don’t use it you lose it? This applies to this scenario as well. If you have an adjustment and it has created more range of motion and mobility, then you must move it through its full range of motion and continue to move it and use it. The best advice I can give to someone who is either trying to improve mobility or keep their body nice and flexible involves following these 4 simple steps:
1. stretch the tissue
2. mobilize the joints
3. move through the full range of motion
4. load it while using it through the full range of motion
If you are unsure how to apply these 4 steps to your problematic areas that you frequently get adjusted, our workshop on February 23rd, 2019  is just the thing you need. We will be providing all sorts of tips and trick to help you be your best you and live your best life. You can sign up below:

 

Neck Pain Workshop

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Chandler Physical Therapy is a family owned and operated Physical Therapy clinic in Chandler, Arizona. We treat active adults who are looking to keep themselves pain free and active through exercise and healthy living.
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and ask or, we have a Free Discovery Visit (Half Hour) that allows you to sit down, one on one with a therapist to discuss what you have going on to find out if physical therapy is a good fit for you. Check it out below:

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This FREE, 30 minute, one-on-one evaluation is where one of our amazing therapists will sit down with you, get your story and your background and then run through a series of specific movement and strength tests so you know whether physical therapy is a good path for you!