In this blog, we will be discussing the basics of the chiropractic adjustment, what it does for the body, why it is that the treatment here at IHS is a little different, and how it can be of the most benefit to you. In today’s day and age with social media, we are all vaguely familiar with what a chiropractic adjustment looks and sounds like. However, a large majority of that content does not go into detail about what it is that they are doing, why it is that it’s important, and what else is available to you. So often we are fixated by the sound of popping joints, and the allure of what that could possibly feel like to us, that we do not dig deeper beyond the face value. Here at integrated health solutions we truly value and believe in patient education and feel that the treatment that we offer is only a part of the solution. In order to provide the most exceptional customer experience and obtain the best patient results, we believe that you need to not only receive treatment but understand what it is that it’s doing to your body and why it is that that is important.
At its base level, the chiropractic adjustment is centered around motion and function. We all know that physical activity and movement is important to our muscles and the rest of our body, but we often forget how important movement and motion is to the individual joints within our body. We create physical limitations and restrictions within our joints, specifically our spine, throughout each and every day. Whether it be poor posture, dysfunctional movement or maybe even a physical injury, we consistently put our body in a compromised position day in and day out while still asking it to function and more importantly, function well. When a joint in the body notes a physical restriction and cannot complete the normal movement that is typically required of it, a cascading series of functional compensations occur. The brain and the nervous system has a mapped out communication plan throughout our entire body. The spinal cord serves as the highway for that travel. When we have a restricted segment in our spine or joint in our body, it creates a traffic jam on that highway. Not only do we notice the physical limitations (decreased range of motion, body aches, or even tightness), but we also notice the neurological limitations which consists mainly of pain and discomfort. When the brain cannot effectively communicate with the rest of the body due to a restricted segment, the overall communication of the body is directly impacted. What then happens simultaneously, is the body begins to dysfunctional compensate around that limited range of motion and corrupted function. The body understands that it can utilize other segments, joints, or even muscles to accomplish a similar task. While this may go unnoticed most of the days, it creates a snowball or avalanche like effect that will continue to build under the surface. These minor inconveniences and compensations create an overall dysfunctional quality of life.
As a society nowadays, we are centered around instant gratification. Now I am not here to tell you that the chiropractic adjustment does not feel good. For those of us that have experienced what it feels like to be adjusted, we understand the immediate sense of relief and bodily improvement that comes with the adjustment. However, that is only half the battle. When you correct the chiropractic adjustment by giving the body the motion that it was so desperately needing,you stop the bleeding. But simply stopping the bleeding is not enough. We also need to go back and fix the underlying compensation and dysfunction that the body created while it was under the limitations. While creating movement in the joints of the body feels good and can give you the false sense of correction, there is more that is needed. What is it that physically attaches to and moves said joints? That is muscles, tendons and ligaments. While the adjustment may speak to the skeletal system and allow for proper neurological communication, it does not correct muscular deficiencies or compensations. That is where additional treatments like soft tissue manual therapy, dry, needling, and even dynamic rehab rehabilitation create and all encompassing and highly effective treatment plan. Now let’s break down a little bit about what those look like.
Soft tissue manual therapy, otherwise known as massage therapy, is a great tool to aid in not only muscle tension, but also circulatory function. When combined with other modalities, soft tissue manual therapy can be one of the most efficient ways of bodily healing. Here at IHS we do a plethora of modalities and types of manual therapy (Graston, ART, etc). While each individual type of soft tissue has its benefit, the objective is to create the most amount of circulatory response while eating in the release of muscle tension all under the umbrella of the most comfortable patient experience. Just because something is effective, does not mean that it is comfortable. Each person typically has a preference in how it is that they are treated, and soft tissue is no different. We pride ourselves in utilizing whatever technique or approach is most comfortable and appreciated by the patient without sacrificing the ultimate patient outcome. Here at IHS we use a non-allergenic massage lotion with the use of a guasha or Graston-like tool to evenly spread the lotion across the skin. This serves as a lubrication to ensure that there is not too much friction and discomfort during the process of the massage. We then utilize a skin to skin contact pressure with our hands to slowly guide and lengthen the muscle fibers in a parallel direction. This is important to prevent further accumulation of muscle, knots and tension, while also aiding and improving the circulatory response and decreased pressure on the corresponding blood vessels. People nowadays, here far too often the phrase “no pain, no gain”. While there is a time in place and something to be said for a moderate to aggressive type of pressure, it is simply not necessary to achieve the best results. When a soft tissue technique is accompanied by a more aggressive technique like dry needling, the amount of pressure needed to achieve the same results is simply not that aggressive. Soft tissue is typically done after dry needling when the muscles are at their most vulnerable place. They have undergone the more aggressive of the treatments to physically remove the tension, now they simply need a gentle pressure to align the corresponding muscle fibers and alleviate restriction on the blood vessels. Now let’s dive a little bit into what it is that dry needling does, and how it is that it aides in the goal of our treatment plan.
Dry, needling, or medical acupuncture, is the use of incredibly thin, micro, filaments, penetrating through the skin and plunging deep into the muscle fibers to create the most effective healing response. Each individual time that a micro filament is inserted through the skin, we are damaging several thousands of cells. Now, while that may sound like a lot, if we remember back to our middle school biology, we have trillions upon trillions of cells. The trauma or damage that the microfilaments cause, is simply creating enough damage to alert the brain that a medical and a healing response is needed. A targeted dry needling approach to a specific and corresponding group of muscles, is the most effective amount of tissue release that a person can receive. Well, most of us may be familiar with the term acupuncture, we may not necessarily know what it means and how it is the dry needling is different. Dry needling set itself apart and two distinct ways. Number one, penetration depth. When doing dry, needling or medical based acupuncture, the depth of the needle insertion is slightly more than what you receive with a traditional acupuncture approach. This is imperative to directly impact the muscles, and reach the depth at which the deeper layers of muscles are sitting. Traditional acupuncture stays at the skin level and does not go deep enough to affect the muscles like dry needling does. The second difference is target area. Dry needling, target specifically musculoskeletal response. Traditional acupuncture targets energy channels, or Chi in the body. Those energy channels stay at a relatively surface level, which is why acupuncture does not get the depth necessary to affect change in the muscles. The greatest advantage that dry needling serves, is when it is done with a homeostatic approach. This simply means that if you are aware of the acupuncture points and the targeted regions of the body that correspond with certain reactions, you may apply the dry needling approach with the increased depth response, yet simultaneously receive benefits of the traditional-based acupuncture. Here at IHS we apply the homeostatic dry needling approach and we overlap not only targeted muscle tension, but acupuncture points to receive the greatest overall benefit.
The third technique typically utilized by our doctors is dynamic rehabilitation. This correlates greatly to our discussion about the adjustment. When compensation and dysfunctional movement occurs, we create poor mechanics and bad habits. This is what our dynamic rehabilitation aims to correct. While it may look at a surface level like physical therapy, it is truly much deeper than that.While physical therapy surrounds itself with the ideology of strengthening, we prefer to target function. Our dynamic rehabilitation can go deeper than simple, stretches, and light core activity, we can also target the things that we call blind spots. This can constitute poor posture, a bad sleeping position, hip hinging mechanisms when bending to pick up a child or household item. It is very important that you cannot only perform activities, but you perform activities well and truly functional. We do not surround ourselves with the target of strength. We prefer function. Throughout the treatment plan, your doctor will be able to get a hands-on understanding of how your body functions, and more importantly, where your limitations are. Those are the limitations that we target with our dynamic rehabilitation. While I may start with something as simple as how to use a lacrosse ball or a foam roller to help monitor daily aches and pains,and then begins to snowball and progress into things like functional core strength, postural, and economical awareness, and so much more.
This is what most patients end up missing when they only receive an adjustment. After working with the muscles to relieve the tension through dry, needling and soft tissue, the body is more able to receive the adjustment. There is less pressure needed, which makes for a more comfortable experience. People nowadays are so complex, that a simple straightforward treatment is typically not in your best interest. Combining a complexity of treatment methods and targeting several different layers of your bodily function, is the best overall way to target specific aches and pains. This is what we do here at IHS. We pride ourselves and not simply doing what it is that the patient asks for, which is typically just the adjustment.We pride ourselves and being able to understand that your body needs more than maybe what you believe. The overlaying treatments that are combined and utilized by our doctors target not only dysfunctional movement in the spine, but also restricted muscle tension and spasm, as well as compensational function throughout the body. We believe here that that is the best approach that chiropractic can offer. All in all, while the chiropractic adjustment is an effective and beneficial tool, the true benefit of the chiropractic adjustment is received when combined with other techniques and approaches of care. That includes techniques like soft tissue manual therapy, dry, needling, and functional rehabilitation. This is the best way that chiropractic was meant to function.
If you or someone you know is struggling with daily aches, pains, tightness, or maybe you’re just curious, schedule a consultation or new patient visit with one of our talented doctors to find out the best approach for you. You can now even schedule online through our website here if you prefer. We are waiting and anxious to see how it is that we can best help you achieve your goals and live the highest quality of life that you were truly meant to.
Content Provided By Dr. Jordan Miller
