From The Desk of Ann Arbor Chiropractor, Dr.Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

Many people are unfamiliar with chiropractic and therefore ask me a lot of questions about it. Here are some of those questions and the answers I give.

What is a chiropractic adjustment? It is the gently freeing-up of a bone or bones in the body (usually the bones of the spine) in places where the bones are stuck allowing nerves to function as close to %100 as possible.

What do people feel as they are adjusted? In general you don't feel much. You may hear some “popping” sounds, which is air/gas being released from the capsules that protect the joints of the body.

Is there a difference between an spinal adjustment and a spinal manipulation? Yes, an adjustment is the gentle releasing of misaligned bones to allow the bones to move back into there proper position and a manipulation is the forceful returning of bones to the position the doctor wants.

How frequently should someone be adjusted? This is a complicated question to answer as lot goes into figuring out the treatment frequency and duration, ie,. person;s age, thier condition and so on. As a general rule, the longer someone has had the issue being treated the more frequently the person will be treated.

Can I be adjusted if I have had spinal surgery or if I have osteopenia or osteoporosis? Yes. Chiropractors are trained to know the appropriate treatment techniques/protocol to treat the spine whether it has a disease or if it has had surgery.

Do chiropractic adjustments specifically treat injuries? No. Not exactly. Chiropractors work to make sure misaligned bones are back in the proper position so that there is no or minimal nerve interference. This allows the body to heal itself which often results in back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc., to disappear. This also allows the body to be healthier overall.

What is the “popping/cracking ” sound sometimes heard when someone gets a chiropractic adjustment? I briefly spoke about this earlier, but the sound is the same thing as when your knee, ankle, fingers etc,. make that “popping” sound. The sound is gas, that is naturally made by the body, releasing from capsules that are with in the joint structure. Some peoples don't produce the “popping” sound.

If you have any questions about chiropractic don't hesitate to contact me at 734-929-0444 or [email protected].