When people think of chiropractors, they usually think of adjustments. Adjustments are about how we get your body moving again.
Motion palpation is used to assess the motion of a joint, either in your spine or extremity joints, to determine areas of hypo-mobility or restrictions in movement.
A minimally invasive, low amplitude-high velocity impulse is often used in both the spine and extremity joints where indicated. The result of an adjustment is an increase in range of motion and a decrease in pain in the local area of where the adjustment occurred. The “popping” sound commonly occurs which is the formation and release of a gas bubble due to the quick stretch of the joints of the surrounding area.
Our favorite analogy is to compare joints to the hinges of a door: if a door has not moved or is not moving optimally, it may squeak, creak, or fail to open or close properly. Similarly, our joints may not be moving as efficiently as they should, leading to popping, clicking, pain, or stiffness in the surrounding areas.
In such cases, we often apply a bit of lubrication, in this scenario, that would be a chiropractic adjustment, (as one would apply WD40 to a door hinge) to improve joint mobility and function.
