This is one of the common misconceptions about going to a chiropractor. Some people have the impression that once you start getting adjustments, something happens to your spine, making you dependent on it for the rest of your life. In reality, chiropractic is not addictive or habit forming. There are no effects on neurotransmitters in your brain, which is how addiction to drugs occurs. Also, adjustments do not change your physiology to make you dependent on continued treatment.
You usually feel better following an adjustment, able to move more freely and with better posture. Feeling free from muscle aching and pain can be addicting. However, the goal of a good chiropractor is to get you feeling better, and to allow your body to work properly, so you don’t need constant adjusting to feel your best. That said, where do I think this myth comes from? I think there are two main places.
People who try to crack their own spines
Many of us know someone who is in the habit of cracking their back on their own. It can be annoying to hear someone doing it all day, and their explanation is usually that their back feels stiff so they have to stretch that way for relief. It is not hard to think that they started that habit at one time, and once you start you get stuck doing it forever.
Cracking your own back is very different from having an adjustment from a chiropractor. Stretching until your spine pops, or twisting your neck on your own, causes the wrong vertebrae to pop. While that popping gives you a little extra movement in your back, and can make you feel temporarily better, you are not correcting the restriction that is causing you to feel stiff. In contrast, a chiropractor finds the joint that is causing the problem, and adjusts that specific joint. By removing the misalignment that is causing the problem, a few adjustments can usually rebalance the movement of the spine, leaving it in better shape than before. While your sports, travel and work can cause the misalignment to return, it is not the adjustment that is creating the need for more treatment.
Misinformation from chiropractors
Unfortunately, some chiropractors may perpetuate the myth that everyone needs constant adjusting to help with their own business. While there are people who may require regular adjustments due to a chronic injury that will never return to normal, this is not necessary for every person. Your chiropractor should work with you to formulate a treatment plan that works with your body and your life to keep you in your best shape.
Make an Appointment
At our Norwalk Chiropractic office, Dr French only recommends the care you need to correct the problem he finds. Everybody is different, so no treatment plan works for everyone. Dr French understands that, and treats each of his patients like an individual. If you would like to make an appointment, and find out how we can help your back feel its best, contact us or click below to schedule an appointment.
