The #1 Question to Ask When Picking A Chiropractor
The number one question to ask when you first encounter a prospective chiropractor to take care of your health is what is the difference between a manipulation, and an adjustment? If your chiropractor cannot answer that question, and show you how you how he or she makes that delineation in getting you well applying the art of chiropractic. Run.

You see, a manipulation is just the movement of a joint to hear it “pop.” I do that every day when I pop my knuckles, or when I get out of bed, and stretch, I hear things “pop”, but it sure doesn’t do anything for my overall health as far as I can tell. In fact, I’m sure if you’re reading this, and have been in pain before you have laid on the floor, and had someone walk on your back, or had someone “crack” your back before. Folks, you can teach a monkey to “crack” your back; there is nothing “doctoral” or “scholarly” about that. It’s not hard, and in my opinion, this is why 90% of people don’t seek chiropractic, because there is nothing special about getting your back manipulated. And ironically, people feel often manipulated after not feeling any different after getting this magical, life changing $25 dollar treatment.

Here is the difference, an adjustment is the removal of a nerve system interference, or nerve pressure that is occurring to the nerve system INSIDE of your spinal column. If you’re chiropractor doesn’t have a means or method of which he is measuring your nervous system before, AND AFTER you receive a thrust into your spine, how do you know whether you were just manipulated or adjusted, or that anything ACTUALLY happened? How does your doctor know whether there was nerve pressure before that warranted the adjustment to take place, and then that the pressure was, in fact, removed after the adjustment was given. Just because you hear or feel a “pop” doesn’t mean your nervous system by default is now operating better. I see a lot of patients who have seen chiropractors that “crack” their backs, and they still are very sick, and still in a lot of pain.

By incorporating a nervous system objective indicator into the protocol, it makes sure I give my patients an adjustment every time I adjust them, but more importantly, I make sure I don’t move a bone that doesn’t need to be moved, and that they ACTUALLY need an adjustment that day. Would it make sense that just as easily as moving a bone into a correct position can help that moving a bone from a good to a bad position can just easily cause harm? Folks, your health is important don’t just let anyone put thrusts or forces into your spine, your brain and nervous system are to important. We tell people car wrecks, falls, and injuries are forces that cause a bone to misalign, how is the one your chiropractor is putting into your body any different? Know the difference, and seek out the providers that can SHOW you a difference. Because you and your health are worth it.

Dr. Grant Dennis