Chiropractors do not manipulate, they adjust.  An adjustment means that a change or correction has been made to a joint or joints that have been locked and restricted within their normal range of movement. By and large, this is the most common form of joint problem and is also referred to as a subluxation.

Manipulation on the other hand simply implies that the joint has been moved but not necessarily corrected. This is something that many other professions do because they have not had chiropractic training. It takes many years for a chiropractor to learn how to adjust a joint correctly. It is both an art and a science. It is a highly specialized skill and this is the reason why chiropractic treatment very often succeeds where other forms of treatment do not.

Spinal origins of  musculoskeletal pain:

Subluxation

It is important to note that many types of muscular pain originate from the spine. If there is a subluxation or decreased range of joint movement at a particular spinal level, the nerves emerging from that level may be overstimulated or irritated. They will then send excessive electrical impulses to the muscles they supply. The muscles respond to this overstimulation with increased tension or muscle spasm. This is perceived by the patient as painful, tight muscle.

From this explanation it is clear that measures such as:

- rubbing the muscle,

- using liniment or

- taking pain medication,

  may provide relief but do not address the underlying cause of the problem. 

Nerve root compression 

This occurs for example when a ruptured intervertebral disc (the cartilage between the vertebrae) puts direct pressure on a nerve root. This can cause excruciating pain, weakness, numbness (lack of sensation) or a tingling 'pins and needles' sensation. Nerve root compression can also occur when tiny osteophytes or bony spurs (sometimes related to past trauma or osteoarthritis) are growing where the nerve root emerges from the spine and push into the sensitive nerve fibres. 

Referred (dermatomal) pain  

any people confuse this with nerve root compression. This is not pressure on a nerve. It is a bit more complex. In the embryo, before a baby is fully formed, certain groups of cells are clumped together. For example, the lower back and the legs originate from one group of cells. The neck, chest and arms originate from another. Sometimes,  for example, when we feel an ache in the arm, there is nothing actually wrong with the arm - instead there is really a neck problem. The brain perceives the pain as being arm pain because the arm and neck come from the same embryonic origin. This type of pain is also called dermatomal  pain because areas that originated together in the embryo relate to the same dermatome or area of skin. The attached diagram is a map of the dermatomes representing different spinal segments.

The benefits of chiropractic adjustment  

This treatment can provide immediate relief in the form of reduction or removal of symptoms such as  pain and limited movement. Not only that, but it is a drug-free form of pain management and as such has no side-effects. 

The source of pain is not always as obvious as it appears and this is why some treatments do not work. Chiropractors are trained to differentially diagnose (sort out) the cause of your pain. From there they may proceed with treatment, refer you for other tests such as x-rays or advise you to contact another type of health professional.