(step)... (step)...
That was me climbing up on my soapbox. Get ready... you're gonna get a lecture! During today's blog I am going to address one
of the frustrating parts of my job.
Let me set the scene:
A patient, who has never been in before, walks into our Salt Lake City office. They fill out the necessary paperwork and we
sit down and begin to discuss why they are here. They tell me that they have lower back pain
and that they can usually "adjust it themselves" by twisting on their
side, but this time it is just too tight.
Wait… What did they just say? Did they just say that they can usually
"adjust it themselves?"
How do I respond politely here? NO YOU CAN'T!!!! YOU CAN NOT
ADJUST YOURSELF!!! YOU CAN NOT ADJUST
YOURSELF!!! YOU CAN NOT ADJUST YOURSELF!!!
Well, maybe I need to be a little more polite. Ok, here
goes:
When a joint becomes misaligned, gasses (mostly nitrogen)
begin to collect in the joint because that joint isn't moving properly. As those gasses continue to build and build,
the pressure inside the joint steadily increases (much like blowing up a
balloon). As you stretch and move the
joint as much as possible, sometimes you will open the joint capsule (the bands
of tissue surrounding the joint). Just
like popping a balloon, when that pressure escapes from the joint.....you get a
big POP. When the pressure is released,
the joint feels better... for a little while (until the pressure builds back
up).
When a chiropractor adjusts a joint, they are stressing the
joint and then performing a quick "thrust" that moves the bone into a
better position. We also get a
"pop", but the "pop" is absolutely meaningless. That is the difference. When someone "pops" their own back
or neck, they are not moving the bones, all they are doing is releasing the
pressure build up which makes the joint feel better until the pressure builds
up again. By moving the bone into a
better position, the Utah chiropractor is decreasing the wear and tear on the
joint and restoring proper function to the joint.
I know the "pop" feels better. I get it. But, the "pop" doesn't do
ANYTHING. After the "pop", the
joint is still misaligned. The joint is
still dysfunctional. The joint is still
breaking down because it isn't moving properly and getting proper
nutrition. The "pop" does
NOTHING!
(step)... (step)... That was me getting off the soapbox.
