Chiropractic Techniques

For many, chiropractics presents a welcomed alternative to conventional medicine, one in which the patient takes a proactive role. Chiropractors often encourage their patients to read literature and inform themselves about the problem for which they seek treatment.

The first step in chiropractic care is the initial consultation. Chiropractic experts debate over whether it is necessary to use X rays when analyzing the initial state of the spine.

On one hand, some say that many conditions that require care aren't even visible on X rays. Supporters however, insist that since chiropractic work is so meticulous and the vertebrae of the neck are so small, X rays help enormously in evaluating a patient's condition.

When referring to chiropractic techniques, one refers to the several ways of adjusting the spine. Chiropractors vary the amount of force or pressure they apply when performing adjustments. Some use very little force, and focus on trigger points. Trigger points are areas of the spine that are connected to other parts of the body through flows of energy. The same principle is used in acupuncture. Low-pressure techniques are ideal when working on the neck since again, neck vertebrae are so small.

Though many chiropractors prefer to use low-force techniques, the vast majority of practitioners use medium-force procedures. These procedures implement the idea of long or short levers. As Michael Lenars and Victoria St. George describe in The Chiropractic Way, with long lever adjustments, the body is torqued, or twisted, to bring the affected joint to the point in its range of motion where it's locking up. The chiropractor then applies a quick motion of pressure to move the joint past that point, thereby unlocking it.

Short lever techniques are a bit gentler. They often require the use of a drop table. Drop tables get their name from their ability to drop slightly when pressure is applied to certain sections. With short lever adjustments, rather than moving a limb, the chiropractor uses his/her hands to apply pressure. Short lever techniques are gentler than their long lever counterparts, in part, because the drop table absorbs much of the pressure from the adjustment.

The least common technique, high force adjustments, is sometimes needed for particularly stubborn joints. When a medium force technique cannot unlock a joint, then a chiropractor applies the same long lever technique as before, only with stronger pressure. Most chiropractors prefer to avoid high force adjustments however, since the ideal scenario is to use as gentle a force or pressure as possible.

For many, many people, chiropractic techniques have helped to alleviate pain and regain health and independence, often without drugs or surgery.

Lenarz, Michael and Victoria St. George. The Chiropractic Way. New York: Bantam Books, 2003.