BENEFITS OF JOINT MANIPULATION
Benefits of Joint Manipulation
If your healthcare practitioner determines that a joint is dysfunctional and not moving properly, they may choose to perform joint manipulation on your body. There are several benefits to joint manipulation:
- Decreased pain: When a dysfunctional joint starts moving properly after a manipulation, pain receptors in the area are “reset” and pain may be decreased.
- Improved muscle activation near the joint: After a deranged joint is manipulated into its anatomical position, muscles surrounding the joint can contract properly.
- Improved range of motion:After joint manipulation, the surfaces of that joint are in a better position for movement. This may lead to improved freedom of movement and range of motion with less stiffness.
- Improved functional mobility: Once a joint is manipulated, the improved range of motion and muscle activation around the joint can lead to improved overall functional mobility.
If you’re having pain, loss of movement, or decreased mobility after an injury or surgery, then a chiropractic adjustment with joint manipulation may be beneficial.
However, joint manipulations and manual therapy aren’t for everyone.
Who It Helps
Joint manipulation can be a helpful and safe manual therapy technique for certain people. This includes:
- People with acute neck pain, back pain, or peripheral joint pain
- Adults from age 25 to 65 with no significant medical conditions
- Athletes who have been injured during their sport
- People who have been immobilized after injury or surgery
If you are generally healthy and are experiencing loss of movement after an injury or surgery, then you may benefit from some form of manual therapy, including joint manipulations, to help you regain movement.
Who It Doesn’t Help
Joint manipulation isn’t for everyone. For some people, it may be dangerous or lead to injury. People with certain conditions should avoid joint manipulations. For instance:
- Osteoporosis: Weakened bones may fracture if a high-velocity force is applied to a joint via manipulation
- Joint fractures: If you have a fracture through your joint, that specific joint shouldn’t be manipulated.
- After spinal fusion surgery: If you’ve had a spinal fusion in your neck or lower back, you should avoid spinal joint manipulations or adjustments for at least one year after surgery. During this time, your bones are healing from the surgery. Manipulation may cause a failure of the fusion.
- People with impaired judgment: During joint manipulations, you may need to give feedback to your chiropractor or PT. If your judgment is impaired due to emotional or mental health issues, this feedback may be limited, and an injury or increased pain may occur.
- Those with arterial insufficiency in their neck: One rare but dangerous side effect of neck adjustments is the risk of tearing an artery in your neck called the vertebrobasilar artery. If there is a deficiency here, neck manipulation may cause a disruption here and lead to a stroke or death.
Talk to Your Healthcare Professional
The decision to have a joint manipulation is one that occurs between you and your trusted healthcare professional. They should provide you with information about the risks and expected benefits of such a procedure.