Chiropractic Myths & Facts 2 – What is Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT)?

❌Spinal manipulation is dangerous and painful.

✅Spinal manipulation generally does not hurt. In fact, many patients report immediate pain relief.

👐🏻Spinal manipulation generally does not hurt. In fact, many patients report immediate pain relief.

Spinal manipulation or adjustment is one of the techniques that chiropractors often use to restore the motions of the restricted joints. Adjustment is a high velocity, low amplitude (high speed, low force) thrust applied to a restricted joint at its end range. Adjustments are done by chiropractors, who underwent years of practices, in a controlled and intent-ful manner. Many patients may be nervous about getting an adjustment because the ‘cracking’ or popping sound makes it seems so aggressive. In fact, adjustments generally do not hurt and is safe. Research has shown that the force chiropractors apply during a neck adjustment is less than the compressive force you created in your neck when you look up. The popping sound is believed to result from the release of gas bubbles from the joint – similar to cracking your knuckles!

❌There is no evidence to support the effectiveness of chiropractic care.

✅There is a robust body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments on musculoskeletal conditions.

👐🏻There is a robust body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments on musculoskeletal conditions.

Chiropractic care is proven to have therapeutic effects. There is scientific evidence that shows spinal manipulations and joint mobilizations (oscillating the joint at its end range) decrease pain, sensitivity and muscle tightness, increase function, range of motion and proprioception (body awareness), etc. In fact, spinal manipulation therapy is recommended by numerous treatment guidelines as first line intervention for back pain, neck pain, and cervicogenic headaches.

Hope you get to know more about what spinal manipulation therapy is and its effectiveness in this section. If you would like to know more about chiropractors, you can visit our last post “Chiropractic Myths & Facts 1 – What is a Chiropractor?” or visit https://www.cesphysiorehab.com/post/chiropractic-myths-facts-1-what-is-a-chiropractor

More Chiropractic Myths & Facts: https://www.chiropractic.ca/blog/the-top-6-common-myths-about-chiropractic-treatment/

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