 | Dr. Kelly Guthrie, DC
is a Chiropractic Physician; he is also board certified by the ACRB as a rehab specialist. He owns and operates Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation which is located at 13th and Tyler. In addition to private practice, Dr. Guthrie also provides consulting for other clinics on how to implement rehabilitation services and guidelines. Dr. Guthrie was born and raised in Wichita and is excited about being back in friendly territory, as he is a K-State graduate. He may be reached at (316) 721-3400, 8404 W 13th Suite 150, Wichita, KS 67212, dcrehab@activecareks.com |
Health & Medicine
2003-01-01 12:18:00
How many is too many?
: I have a problem in my lower back on the right side. It is from golf. It goes out quite frequently and I have to have it put back in by a chiropractor. My question is... will this eventually get worse or can one's joints get put back into place an unlimited number of times?
ANSWER: It is first important to understand what adjustments are. Chiropractic adjustments, or manipulations, remove restrictions in joint motion. · A joint is formed when: two bones, that have motion, meet. · Restrictions are due to: joint (bone) misalignment and/or from tissue injury (joint capsule, ligaments, muscles)· Tissue: holds the joints together.Bones do not generally hurt. More often, it is the tissue around and connected to bones that causes pain. It is this same tissue that can cause joints to become misaligned. For the most part, during a chiropractic adjustment, it is the soft tissue that is being treated. The popping sound normally associated with an adjustment is due to the vacuum that is created when joints are slightly separated (not crunched or cracked).The key considerations for answering your question are frequency and duration. Receiving too many adjustments over a long period of time is sometimes referred to as being over-adjusted. The primary risk of being over-adjusted is joint hypermobility. Hypermobility occurs when the tissue connected to the bones allows the joint to bend too far. If a joint is hypermobile, it should NOT be adjusted; if it is, it will very likely worsen.So, how much is too much? There isn't a magical number and it depends upon the person's age, the joint itself, and the type of injury. Receiving an adjustment five days a week for one to two weeks, immediately following certain injuries, could be beneficial. I would not advise though, that you continue with that frequency beyond 4 to 6 weeks. If over a year's time, someone averaged one to two adjustments a week - you wouldn't normally expect problems; three a week - caution may be warranted; five or more a week - not a good idea. The aforementioned frequencies are based on the assumption that the adjustments are administered to the same joint repeatedly.
