What is an Adjustment?

A chiropractic adjustment is a gentle, controlled movement that a chiropractor applies to a joint—most often in the spine, but sometimes in other areas like the shoulders, hips, or wrists. The goal is to improve how that joint moves and how it communicates with your nervous system.

How Does it Help?

When a joint isn’t moving the way it should, it can cause stiffness, tension, or irritation to the nearby nerves and muscles. That irritation can show up as pain, tightness, or even problems in how your body functions.

An adjustment helps by:

•   Restoring proper motion to the joint.
•   Reducing pressure or irritation around nerves and soft tissues.
•   Improving communication between your joints, muscles, and nervous system.
•   Helping the body heal itself more efficiently.

Many patients notice less pain, better mobility, and an overall sense of relief after being adjusted. Over time, adjustments can also support better posture, reduce stress on the body, and help prevent future problems.

Chiropractic adjustments are considered passive care, meaning the chiropractor is doing the work to restore proper motion to the joints, calm irritation, and help the body reset. While adjustments are an important part of care, they are only one piece of the process. 

To get the best and longest-lasting results, chiropractors often prescribe active care for patients to do at home, such as stretches, strengthening exercises, posture training, or movement drills. Active care is essential because it strengthens the muscles that support the spine, helps the body maintain the benefits of adjustments, retrains healthy movement patterns, and reduces the risk of recurring issues. In other words, adjustments create the opportunity for healing, but active care builds on that foundation and makes the results more lasting. 

By consistently following through with active care, patients play an active role in their recovery and overall long-term health.