What is an “adjustment”?
An adjustment is a technique where a chiropractor or doctor of osteopathy applies a quick, corrective thrust to a joint that is out of its proper position. When a joint is misaligned, this interrupts blood, lymphatic, and neurological flow within the body. Adjustments are not specific for just the spine; they can be applied to the joints in your extremities (hands, feet, shoulders, etc.) and to the joints in your skull called sutures. The goal of an adjustment is to improve motion and physical function as well as reducing any pain around the joint. If you’ve ever turned your head or rolled your shoulders and heard a “pop”, that was an adjustment! However, please keep in mind that as one joint becomes misaligned the neighboring joint can become hypermobile – or move too much to compensate for the lack of movement in the other joint. When you self-adjust and hear the “pop”, you are likely moving the hypermobile joint and not the joint that is actually out of place. The adjustment (sometimes referred to as a manipulation) specifically corrects the misaligned joint. Additionally, do not be alarmed by the popping noise that sometimes occurs when a joint is repositioned. Sometimes the pop will happen, and sometimes it won’t. If the noise does not occur, that does not mean the joint wasn’t repositioned. The sound is caused by nitrogen being released from the joint – nothing more. The popping sound is called a “cavitation” and its presence or absence is dependent on the level of nitrogen in your system at the time of the adjustment and is not an indicator of whether or not the joint moved.
What is “cranial adjusting”?
The junctions of the skull (called sutures) are made of dense fibrous tissue that when the joint spaces are improperly aligned can lead to headaches, migraines, and sinus congestion. Adjusting these sutures – either by the hands of a chiropractor or using a chiropractic adjusting instrument called an activator – will re-align the bones in the skull and relieve these symptoms. Cranial adjusting is also effective in ensuring that molding (appropriate skull development after birth) occurs for proper brain growth. The posterior fontanelle (or “soft spot”) closes around 2 months and the anterior fontanelle closes around 18 months. While these “soft spots” are necessary to ensure the baby’s head can fit through the birth canal, it is equally important to make sure they form properly with their developmental milestones.
What is “dry cupping”?
Dry cupping is a therapy that dates back to Ancient China and Egypt. A glass, silicone, or earthenware dome is attached to the skin via suction to lift the skin away from soft tissue. This helps with pain reduction, blood and lymphatic flow, and inflammation reduction. Cupping can also be used as a form of deep tissue massage.