Self chiropractic is being taught these days. You can find books and videos teaching how to do chiropractic adjustments. But, are these forceful adjustments safe?
Some of the “cracking” techniques may be safe, but it takes training and experience to really be safe. However, even a “safe” adjustment, done by an experienced chiropractor can cause damage, it happens all the time.
When force is uesd to put a joint back into place you always risk damaging the surrounding tissue. In fact, there will be at least some soft tissue dammage. Many chiropractors ice their clients after an adjustment.
Now, before I make a lot of enemies out of some really good chiropractors, let me say that there are really good chiropractors available. My mentor is one of them. He taught me how to do chiropractic adjustments the right way, and there is a right way. To tell the truth, I’m not sure why some chiropractors give such poor adjustments. Maybe it’s a certain ability that some never really manage develop.
How do I know there are chiropractors hurting people? Because I’ve treated a few of them in my practice, and I’ve been hurt by a chiropractor. I’m not a chiropractor, and while I can do a decent chiropractic adjustment, I don’t. That’s a good way for me to land in jail for one thing. For another, I can adjust without force.
I have had many people come to me with an injury caused by a chiropractic adjustment. Somtime the orriginal issue has been dealt with, other times not. I treat them with supplements and other treatments that are very gentle. They are usually pretty scared too.
So, if there are trained chiropractors sending their clients searching for a cure for the cure, what do you think when someone with no training at all starts trying to force someone’s back into alignment? I hope you don’t try these techniques on your loved ones.
I do have to say though, that there are some back cracking techniques that are relatively safe. I used to crack people all the time when I was very young and didn’t know all the tricks I do now. But, a crack is not necessarily an adjustment. And, you don’t have to have a crack to have an adjustment happen. There are many ways to adjust a joint.
The pop you hear when a joint cracks is just an air bubble popping. It feels really good, and many people think of this good feeling as having adjusted something. What really happens though, is that a really powerful peptide, kind of a mini hormone, called an endorphine is released.
Endorphines act as a pain killer, and they are released when we exercise a lot, or if there’s an injury, and even in orgasm. Chemically it resembles opiates, so their pain killing effect can be quite strong. And, they are released when a joint is cracked. That is what makes you feel so good when your back cracks. And, it masks the injury that happens when your back is cracked.
In conclusion, I’d like to encourage you to find a different way to adjust yourself or a loved one. It is possible to adjust your self using Self Adjusting Technique, and there are chiropractors that use a tool called an activator that is usually safe. And, there are practitioners who have learned how to do gentle adjustments. Just, please be careful in your search for back pain relief.
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I also believe that chiropractic medicine takes expertise before conducted. And these books are guides but do not mean everyone can do it.
Many of these books and videos are advocating strong thrust maneuvers that can cause damage when done by a skilled chiropractor. Frankly, it scares me that people are being taught how to do these maneuvers, a little knowledge can be very dangerous. I’ve treated enough people injured by not so skillful chiropractors, and have been hurt by two of them myself. But, I agree with you, some people with a lot of skill cam possibly make some of them work, but there really aren’t many. But, I wouldn’t experiment with the lumbar roll at all.
I also agree with you about my book on self adjusting. These techniques don’t work for everyone which is why I offer a refund. The difference is that my techniques don’t use a thrust at all.
With 20 years of experience, Dr. Morrison looks like one of the good ones if anyone is in the Baltimore area and in need of a chiropractor.
Happens all the time? I think the statistics for irreversible CVA are 1:1,320,000 per “Safety in Chiropractic Medicine” = Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics – 1996.
@DJK, This article is not about cerebrovascular accidents (stroke) being caused by chiropractic adjustments. It is about injuries that often happen from chiropractic adjustments. I have personally seen dozens of clients who have been injured by a chiropractor, and hundreds who have emailed me about it.