Chiropractic care is a noninvasive, therapeutic approach to address a variety of musculoskeletal issues. From back or neck pain to headaches and more, chiropractic care is designed to relieve pain, facilitate the healing process, and improve your mobility.
Despite common misconceptions, chiropractic adjustments are typically gentle and should not cause discomfort. Many patients experience immediate pain relief following an adjustment. However, some people feel sore during and after the adjustments. So, what pain is normal after seeing a licensed chiropractor, and what isn’t?
Do Chiropractic Adjustments Hurt?
Chiropractors manually adjust and manipulate the spine to relieve pain and enhance your body’s physical function. During an adjustment, the chiropractor applies force and thrust to realign your joints and relieve any pain you’re experiencing. As that happens, you may hear popping or cracking sounds, which can be alarming but are completely normal. What you’re hearing is the release and formation of gas bubbles in your joints, similar to when you crack your knuckles.
Whether or not you hear the cracking noises, many patients experience immediate relief in their pain levels and range of motion. But you may also feel some discomfort, muscle stiffness, or other discomfort during and after an adjustment.
Common Pain During a Chiropractic Adjustment
During a chiropractic adjustment, you may feel some pressure or discomfort as your chiropractor applies controlled force to realign your joints. This feeling is temporary, though, as the adjustments are done quickly and targeted to a specific joint.
You may also feel the sensation of pressure releasing from your joints. As noted above, this is the sound of the gas bubbles popping and forming, but it can lead to that kind of sensation.nt.
Common Pain After a Chiropractic Adjustment
It’s common to have some mild soreness or discomfort in the treated areas. It usually lasts between 24 and 48 hours and is similar to how you might feel if you started a new workout routine or lifted heavier weights than you normally do. This is a good sign! It indicates your body is adjusting to the new, more correct alignment.
It’s normal to experience:
- Slight muscle stiffness, soreness, or tenderness
- Mild headache
- Temporary increase in discomfort, which quickly subsides.
- Joint “looseness.” Your joints may feel more mobile or flexible as they realign.
- Temporary fatigue as your body heals from the adjustment
- Bruising
Someone with a preexisting condition (sciatica) or more serious injury (whiplash from a car accident injury) may experience more than minor or slight pain after an adjustment, but that’s still considered normal. Your spine, muscles, and joints are inflamed, making them more sensitive to the adjustments. As the healing process begins and your body adjusts to the treatment plan, your post-adjustment soreness and pain should ease over time.
When to Worry About Pain After a Chiropractic Adjustment
While mild and sometimes moderate pain after an adjustment is normal and nothing to worry about, severe pain is not normal. If you experience any of the following, contact a doctor for further evaluation:
- Pain that lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours
- The pain becomes worse instead of subsiding or spreads
- Sharp or shooting pains when you move
- Difficulty speaking
- Fainting
- Numbness
How to Minimize Pain During and After a Chiropractic Adjustment
Discussing your concerns and how your body feels during and after the adjustment with your chiropractor is critical. They can adjust your treatment plan as necessary to ensure you’re comfortable with what’s happening and to minimize soreness after the adjustment.
Some general ways to reduce soreness after an adjustment are:
- Gentle stretching to help tissues heal more quickly after an adjustment.
- Applying ice packs or heat to the sore area.
- Staying hydrated. Sometimes, muscle aches are a sign of dehydration.
Discover the Path to Pain-Free Living
Chiropractic treatment can be a safe and effective method for relieving your pain and enhancing your overall quality of life. Using your body’s natural healing abilities, you can increase flexibility, restore your range of motion, and experience pain relief that interrupted your daily routine.
If you are dealing with persistent low back pain, neck pain, or other symptoms or simply want to improve your general health, schedule an appointment with Flourish Chiropractic Spa. Our team of dedicated professionals is here to guide you through each step of your chiropractic journey, ensuring you receive the personalized care you deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how chiropractic care can enhance your life, and schedule your first visit to start on the path to better health and well-being.
