Top Five Chiropractic Questions…

What is the difference between chiropractic and osteopathy?

There is quite a lot of similarity in terms of treatment approaches and outcomes, they are both brilliant forms of treatment. The main difference is a chiropractor can take, and diagnose, x-rays but an osteopath can’t. If you are in need of x-rays because of your case history or your examination findings, those x-rays are going to direct the treatment plan and rule out anything sinister or serious. They are going to be an absolutely essential tool to accurately diagnose what’s going on and what can be done to help, and that’s the difference.

What is that cracking noise?

That cracking sound you hear when you get a chiropractic adjustment is nitrogen releasing from within the joint. When you crack your knuckles, it’s the same principle. It’s not bone on bone, not something snapping or breaking. It’s literally a restricted joint which we take to the end range of motion and we provide a very specific force to very carefully and gently release that joint and that can, most of the time, produce a popping or cracking sound which is nitrogen releasing.

Does the adjustment hurt?

For the vast majority, say 98% of people, it doesn’t hurt at all. It sometimes sounds painful, the pops, clicks, cracks and releases. But all that is, is that you hear sounds that you think are painful and you mind thinks it is a painful experience. It’s not actually painful, it’s just joints and muscles that haven’t moved properly for a while are moving and making that sound. It might be sore the next day or a few hours later, use ice or ice spray to reduce that pain.

Why use ice?

The old wives tale to lay on a hot water bottle is wrong, you will be stiff as a board. The heat is only going to add to the inflammation in the area. Ice or ice spray (I recommends Biofreeze) reduces the inflammation, causes blood flow to the area, taking away toxins and adding to the healing. If you’re in pain, use ice. Your see on the TV where sporting physios run on the pitch to spray players who are hurt or injured, they are using ice spray NOT heat! Always Ice!

How many Treatments will I need?

This is dependant on how long you have had the problem for, what you’re hoping to get from treatment and what we find on the examination and, if appropriate, the x-rays. That’s all going to determine how many treatments you have. If you’ve had a pain for a long period of time, that’s called a chronic problem, it will usually require more treatment to unlock those joints and get things moving better. If you’ve just sprained your back or pulled your neck, it generally doesn’t require many treatments to get things unlocked and released. It depends on  what’s lying underneath, it will all be examined and gone through with you as a patient, and then we can determine the best course of treatment. The more you can do initially, little and often, the quicker the joints release and then things can move better and feel better. So often people will be coming in once, twice sometimes three times per week initially to release those joints and get things moving better so they feel better quicker. Long term I often treat people once a month on a sort of monthly maintenance which works really well to keep things good and aligned and feeling fine.