Does It Hurt To Get Adjusted?

This question is one I hear relatively often in my 2 clinics….and one that I would like to discuss in detail (even though the answer is no) here. The question is, "Do chiropractic adjustments hurt?" To someone who knows nothing about Chiropractic, it’s a valid question that they deserve the right to know the answer to. In short, the answer is no, if the adjustments are done properly by a trained professional then the answer is no, Chiropractic adjustments should not hurt.

Now there's a difference between hurting and soreness. Sometimes people will get some soreness after an adjustment. Let's think about why that is. After an adjustment, you're moving your bones and joints differently than you have before. You're using your muscles differently that you have before. That's going to create some soreness. A good analogy is if you were to go to the gym, if you haven't been to the gym for a while, and you get a good workout in, you're going to get some sore muscles. That's very normal. It’s also like a runner who pushes themselves hard one day in a run. Even though they’re in shape, the fact of the matter is they used their muscles and ligaments in a way the body’s not used to, hence they can get sore or achy. It's the exact same kind of thing after getting adjusted.

Chiropractic Adjustment in Te Puke

We recently had a patient who came in and had lower back pain. We did his first adjustment and he pretty quickly felt an improvement. He actually jumped up off the table and said, “That definitely feels a lot better.” I still had to warn him, “Hey, I know you're feeling a lot better right now, but you're going to be using your muscles and bones differently so you might get some soreness later on tonight.” He came back the next day and said, “Dr. Hadden, you were right, I felt good right after the adjustment, but I did get sore last night.” And so we always instruct patients when you do get that soreness use an ice or heat pack on it to help take the edge off of the soreness.

In my experience, I would say about 1 in 3 may get some soreness or discomfort after their first adjustment or two. Again, no different than someone who decides to start with Crossfit.  When a Chiropractic adjustment is done properly by a trained professional it shouldn't hurt. It might give you some soreness, but it shouldn't cause real pain. Please do not have someone who's not a trained professional do your Chiropractic adjustment. That could actually cause some serious pain and I've had some new patients come in and say, "Gosh I was hurting and I let my wife pop my back and now it's worse than it was before." Definitely not a good idea!

Chiropractic adjustments are beneficial to the body for so many reasons. Our clinic is ACC accredited and you don’t need a referral for an appointment.  For the majority of those checked in our clinic, there has either been a significant overall improvement or it has completely solved the problem. If you or someone you know is suffering needlessly, feel free to call us at 07 574 3099 for a complimentary consultation and to set up a time to have your spine and nervous system checked.

Dr. David Guest is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a member of the New Zealand Chiropractic Association, and owner of Mount Maunganui and Te Puke Chiropractic in the Bay of Plenty.  Dr. Guest focuses on an area of chiropractic called Structural Correction and has been in practice for 17 years. You can reach Dr. Guest at david@mtchiro.co.nz or (07) 574 3099.