The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation,” or “chiropractic adjustment.” The purpose of this type of manipulation is to alleviate, restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become restricted in their movement or arising as a result of a tissue injury.
Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time.
In either case, injured tissues undergo physiological changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.