Yes, I hear this often enough that I thought I’d offer some clarification today: as a chiropractor I might “crack your back” but no, I’m not in the practice of actually breaking your bones.
The joints of the body are pretty cool and yet kind of complicated. There are many things that can make them stiff and immobile and this might lead to the surrounding structures and tissues having problems of their own. A “joint” is where the ends of two bones are joined together. One type that chiropractors are very involved with is the synovial joint, which is found in the shoulders, knees, hands, and in the facet joints that are all along the back of the spine. I’ll briefly go over some cool stuff about it and avoid getting too wordy or technical.
A joint capsule surrounds the whole joint and holds in the vital synovial fluid that helps lubricate everything and prevent too much friction during movement. It allows for some normal movements but protects against the bones moving too far (dislocation).
These synovial joints are also held securely with ligaments between the bones that are more rigid than muscles and prevent extra movement. Muscles have more give and though they resist some movement, they especially do a lot to help pull bones in a certain direction (for example, the biceps muscle that pulls between the shoulder and the lower arm enables the arm to bend at the elbow).
As a chiropractor, the musculoskeletal system is like my playground. I look at the angles of the bones as places I can push or pull to help them move in the right direction. When I feel that a joint is too stiff, I will address the joint itself and then the surrounding muscles to help them work as a team. The “pop” that is sometimes felt or heard during a chiropractic adjustment happens when the joint gets to a certain amount of pressure and gas bubbles form to offset the increased pressure. Weird, I know.
But the main thing to remember is that chiropractors are using the bones to help restore health in the joints. By assisting the body to move properly we help the joints get their proper nutrition and avoid things like degeneration, bone spurs, frozen shoulder, and much more. If you feel stiff, if your movement has decreased from injury, overuse, or just daily living – then give us a call and get some chiropractic help!