Does Going To The Chiropractor Hurt?
Chiropractor in Amarillo discusses the experience & what to expect
For some reason, some new patients at our Amarillo chiropractic clinic think that going to the chiropractor is going to hurt. Not only that it hurts but that it’s awful, and painful, and basically traumatic on some level.
I am here to ease your concerns and help you understand exactly what going to the chiropractor is like. At least, what it is like to come to see us. I am a chiropractor in Amarillo TX. I cannot speak for every chiropractic office. However, I can definitely tell you what you can expect when you come to our clinic.
The first thing to think about is that not all patients are the same and not all chiropractors are the same. Some patients have an extremely low pain tolerance. Honestly, we hear, “I have high pain tolerance,” from patients all day every day. But the truth is, almost all of them are no different than the rest.
Also, it is important to note that the ‘popping’ noise is not an indicator of successful treatment. We can get really caught up in the idea of wanting to hear pops when we go to the chiropractor. But the truth is, the noise is a result of gas bubbles releasing from within a joint. Sometimes, the gas isn’t there to release and make the noise. That doesn’t mean the joint was not moved, which is the primary goal.
It just means there was no gas to give us the amazing popping noise we all love so much!
Insisting on a chiropractor getting a popping noise out of your back is a quick way to getting sore. It is also a good way to be disillusioned with your visit or with that chiropractor. That is not fair to you and it is not fair to the chiropractor either.
Now that we have covered the popping noise and its lack of significance, and that many do not have the tolerance they think they have, let us cover chiropractors themselves.
Some chiropractors are a lot like patients in that they love to hear the noise. They will twist and turn and push until they hear that popping noise. This is a chiropractor that really does not understand much about movement disorders and the insignificance of the noise.
Some chiropractors don’t pop at all believe it or not. Some use an instrument called an activator that just moves the areas slightly but there no pushing, twisting, or popping involved.
Most chiropractors use a combination of lots of different techniques. Me for example; I just light movements and adjustments for some folks. For others, I use what is called drop tables which are very gentle, use gravity for help in moving different areas, and great for movement. Still, for other patients, I will use the activator to get movement and to keep any treatment at a low level of activity.
Going to the chiropractor is not 0 mph or 100 mph. Meaning that it is not either zero treatment or 100 mph and twisting somebody’s head 180 degrees the other way. There is A LOT of middle ground. A good, patient-centered, and experienced chiropractor is able to grade the level of treatment. Grade it to the patient and their preferences. THAT is what being patient-centered is. It is taking the patient’s preferences into account first. That way we can make the treatment comfortable, gentle, and effective.
If I am being honest, there are some new patients that get a little sore the first time or two after coming to our Amarillo chiropractic clinic. It can be kind of like going to the gym for the first time in a long time. When one changes the program like that, they can reasonably expect a bit of soreness. But it should not last long and should be minimal. If a patient gets sore beyond the first or second treatment, the treatment needs to be changed. We can always alter it to something more tolerable for the patient. Plain and simple.
The overwhelming response to coming to our Amarillo chiropractic clinic is, “Oh my gosh, that felt amazing!” It typically feels great to go to the chiropractor. I have had patients tell me they wish they had gotten over their fears or worries and had come in years ago. I have had patients tell me that I saved their lives because I was able to help them get out of pain and encourage them to get more active in their daily lives. I have had lifelong chiropractic haters give it a try and now are lifelong patients. Not because they have to be or because I talked them into it or scared them into it. But because they know the difference in how they feel when they come in once a month or once every couple of months.
What I’m saying is that the multitudes of benefits far outweigh any small chance of having some mild soreness the first time or two.
We have a way of making mental monsters out of things we are afraid of or don’t completely understand. In our minds, they become big scary monsters. Something to avoid at all costs no matter the evidence to the contrary. Just because they are a monster in our minds does not make it real. Sometimes, if you take a step and you give it a shot, you may find that those monsters collapse into a pile on the floor. You may just find a way out of that pain that has been controlling you for so long.
Understand a couple of big things here:
- The American College of Physicians now recommends spinal manipulative therapy as a first-line treatment for back pain.
- 16,000 people die of taking Tylenol as prescribed every year
- Over 100,000 go to the ER every year from taking ibuprofen and Tylenol as prescribed.
Knowing these numbers, and knowing that the RAND Corporation puts the odds of having an adverse event from going to a chiropractor at about 1 in 1 million…..I have to ask,
“What exactly do you have to lose….other than your pain?”
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Consistently voted one of the best chiropractors in Amarillo TX, Dr. Jeff Williams, DC, FIANM is a Fellowship-trained Neuromusculoskeletal specialist and chiropractor in Amarillo, TX. As an Amarillo chiropractor, Dr. Williams treats chronic pain, disc pain, low back pain, neck pain, whiplash injuries, and more. Dr. Williams is also the host of The Chiropractic Forward Podcast. Through the podcast, Dr. Williams teaches fellow chiropractors and advocates weekly for evidence-based, patient-centered practice through current and relevant research. If you have any questions for Dr. Williams, feel free to email at [email protected]
Learn more about Dr. Williams and his practice at https://www.amarillochiropractor.com. Dr. Williams's full-time Amarillo chiropractic practice is Creek Stone Integrated Care at 3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T, Amarillo, TX 79109
