How many treatments will I need ?

Will I have to keep coming back for treatments ?

What is an adjustment ?

Is it bad to 'crack' your own back ?

How is chiropractic different from physiotherapy and osteopathy?

How many treatments will I need ?

Number of treatments will vary from person to person and from condition to condition. Typically, newer injuries will require less treatment, and as long as there is no severe tissue damage, a good improvement will often occur with 4 - 6 treatments. Further treatments, with increasing time intervals between them, may be required to maintain improvement and prevent reoccurrence of the problem.

A recurrent condition, or one that has been present for 3 months or more, will often take longer to successfully treat. This is an important point to remember if you are waiting for a problem to go away on its own.

At the initial consultation, your chiropractor will be able to give you a clearer idea of how many treatments you will need, based on your condition, its severity and your individual circumstances.

Will I have to keep coming back for treatments ?

Whether you decide to return for more regular chiropractic treatments is always up to you. Because of the physical stress of their job or other activities, for some people it is beneficial to get a check-up every couple of months. This helps to reduce reoccurrence of any old conditions and can detect any new problems in the early stages, so that future injuries are prevented.

What is an adjustment ?

An adjustment is the chiropractic word for manipulation, which is when a specific thrust is delivered to a restricted or fixed joint. This is usually done by hand. The thrust is very quick and accurately targets the restricted joint, restoring motion to it. This has the effect of decreasing pain and increasing the range of motion.

When a chiropractor manipulates a joint, you may hear a “popping” or “cracking” sound. This is nothing to be concerned about. The sound is in fact bubbles of gas within the fluid of the joint popping as motion is restored.

Is it bad to 'crack' your own back ?

The main problem with cracking your own back is that it is very unspecific. There is no way you can target the specific restricted joints that are causing the pain. What you may in fact be doing is cracking those joints that have normal movement, thereby increasing the laxity of them, which may cause a degree of instability, which has its own problems.

Chiropractors are very skilled at manipulation and it very specific. The forces are directed at individual joints in order to improve mobility in one area without disturbing or straining another.

How is chiropractic different from physiotherapy and osteopathy?

The main difference between chiropractic and physiotherapy is a chiropractor’s skill and ability in manipulation, of both the spine and extremities, which is learnt over the course of 4 years.

Chiropractic and osteopathy share much common ground. Today there are probably more similarities than differences in terms of concepts and techniques used. The most important thing is that you find someone who you have confidence in, and who you feel comfortable with.