Inquiry: Spine Realignment

[purebred]

Been doing a bit of looking into and at this point, I'm highly considering it. I've heard a multitude of supposed benefits but not entirely certain if it's based on scientific evidence or anecdotal evidence.

does anyone have any literature derived from a reliable source on this matter they would be able to share with me? I'd like to look further into this to see if this is merely some hippie theory or something actually beneficial to my health and well-being.

Note: I'm set on starting yoga very soon and I've come across information suggesting yoga also realigns the spine. can doing both things serve as potential overkill?

Thanks in advance to all who help or at least attempt to.

 

[heywood]

I've always found that a chiro adjustment from time to time never hurts, but others might not always agree. The back has a lot of synovial fluid and it's good to realign on a regular basis; either thru method of stretching/exercise (yoga) or chiropractic adjustments (should be used on an as-needed basis esp. if you are feeling a mis-alignment).

 

[jtp217]

My back always feels way better after I've kept up w/ regular adjustments over the course of a couple months.

 

[bulls**t]

Been doing a bit of looking into and at this point, I'm highly considering it. I've heard a multitude of supposed benefits but not entirely certain if it's based on scientific evidence or anecdotal evidence.

does anyone have any literature derived from a reliable source on this matter they would be able to share with me? I'd like to look further into this to see if this is merely some hippie theory or something actually beneficial to my health and well-being.

Note: I'm set on starting yoga very soon and I've come across information suggesting yoga also realigns the spine. can doing both things serve as potential overkill?

Thanks in advance to all who help or at least attempt to.

The jury is still out on a lot of spinal manipulation.
The lack of studies/ evidence has given it a role as an alternative treatment.
This website should provide more information http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=ost_main

 

[slacker86]

Spinal realignment by stretching or yoga is ok if u feel the need to have it done. Hand manipulation of the spine is dangerous and this is why. Every muscle in ur body and sensory organ from your neck down has nerves that travel to the spine. This includes motor-units, afferent and efferent neuron pathways and sonsory neurons. If the spine is manipulated in a way that impinges or cuts a neuronal pathway (which is very easy to do) you can get something as harmless as having trouble with feelin in your toe to as dangerous as not having muscular control in your legs. Any time spine or any other organ/system that is involved with Peripheral nervouse system to central nervous system information pathways is thought to be wrong you should consult a physician, particuarly one with a specialty in that area. The risk to reward ratio isnt that good and in most cases when done improperly is a lifelong mistake. If manipulation of the spine is something you want to address then I would suggest a physician or MD with a specialy in that field. Stretching and yoga dont seem to have the same risks associated with it as much as spinal manipulation; however it is a very important structure and vital for living so go the extra step if manipulation is what you are looking for.

 

[youngandfree]

I have been seeing a Chiro for a couple years now. I can't speak for all but I have heard some bad stories. My doc is a sports doc, has been a pro beach vollyeball player, has been us decathalon team doc. He has plenty of sports experience which I think is vital since you are an athlete and phyically active. My doc has a special table you lay on face down that has sections that move up and down. He will raise a section up about 2 inches and then apply direct pressure straight down on the spine in that location. The table makes it a "less traumatic" type of adjustment compare to a doc that lays you down and twists your neck and back in crazy ways to "pop" it. My friend went to a doc that would turn his head 90 degrees and crank it quickly and it freaked him out.

Three times I have pinched a nerve, once in my neck, and twice in my back. I tweaked my back doing bent over rows and on 12th rep, I must have barely relaxed. My back cracked 3 times an felt like someone stuck a knife in my side. I went to doc and within minutes of the adjustment, the nerve was released and pain started to subside. still had some residual pain for few days due to muscle strain but pinched nerve was taken care of.

The first thing my doc did was take an xray of my spine. My left hip bone is about and inch higher than the right. He can see exactly what your spine looks like. Yoga is probably great, but I would think you should have a doc check you out before you start trying exercises that you intend to manipulate your spine. Let the doc align you up first and then yoga will help keep it that way.

These are just my experiences and my 2 cents. My chiro has done wonders for my back when I get stupid in the gym. I don't have any other medical issues so I can't speak to those benefits but have friends that swear an adjustment helps with medical issuses that could be caused by nerves being squeezed in wrong places.

Hope this helps
so i definitely suggest do research on your local doctors. some are good and sound, some maybe not. Definitely talk to people in your area and get opinions on specific docs.

 

[Tone]

I work for a chiropractor and I never got an adjustment till i came here, now i get them at least once a week, if not more. I love it. I love getting my neck twisted 90 degrees its awesome, the "CRACK" sound you hear is just gasses being released its not actually your bones. There are many different ways to give an adjustment, each dr is different, we have 2 docs in our office and they both do it completely different.

but we have a precedure: first visit we have an insight subluxation station where we scan to assess if there are any subluxations, next we get x-rayed, then the dr goes over this and after that will adjust you.

Chiropractic lifestyle is a great lifestyle - i recommend it to everybody. It helps your body work better.

 

[Zero V]

I work for a chiropractor and I never got an adjustment till i came here, now i get them at least once a week, if not more. I love it. I love getting my neck twisted 90 degrees its awesome, the "CRACK" sound you hear is just gasses being released its not actually your bones. There are many different ways to give an adjustment, each dr is different, we have 2 docs in our office and they both do it completely different.

but we have a precedure: first visit we have an insight subluxation station where we scan to assess if there are any subluxations, next we get x-rayed, then the dr goes over this and after that will adjust you.

Chiropractic lifestyle is a great lifestyle - i recommend it to everybody. It helps your body work better.

lol but how much does it cost. I have alot of back stress. Sometimes at my old job after a long day of work and the gym, I would come home and get ready to relax. My back will not hurt AT ALL, until I lay on my bed and relax it, then the back will be like pressure and sore. I actually pull my legs up and give it a few minutes, it feels sooo good because it feels like it resets and goes back to a natural curve. I also used to take pillows and put them under my lower back and take naps. Made it feel so good.

 

[Tone]

ahhh, sounds like you have a lot of problems, you need a chiro brother. Depends on where you go for how much it costs, depends if you have insurance, if the office accepts insurance. But it is well worth it if you are having such back pain. Also I would do wellness care, fix it and keep it fixed. Also try to get something to put under your knees when you lay on your back, will help your low back and take some of the pressure off of it.

 

[Zero V]

ahhh, sounds like you have a lot of problems, you need a chiro brother. Depends on where you go for how much it costs, depends if you have insurance, if the office accepts insurance. But it is well worth it if you are having such back pain. Also I would do wellness care, fix it and keep it fixed. Also try to get something to put under your knees when you lay on your back, will help your low back and take some of the pressure off of it.

It hasnt happened in a long while. Then again I usually force a good posture, and sit up straight in my car. It seems to happen in the time periods where I am in better shape, my back is usually really tight. There is a middle vertebra that always feels weird, when I was a kid I was pulled backwards in half, about 90 degree angle. Couldnt walk for 5-10 minutes. Back when I was like 9ish

BTW sometimes if I do the decline sit ups, part of the lower back pops sometimes I can stretch it and it will stop. (◕‿◕)

 

[Rhyno]

Imo, Yoga has the potential to be very helpful in this area, but it might be problematic especially if you have issues with hyper-mobilty.

Active release has been great for my back problems and depending on your insurance you can get most of it covered. Most times, back injuries effect the surrounding soft-tissue structures (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) so it is beneficial to have them worked on. Additionally, there may be other problems in other areas in the posterior-chain that is making your back problems worse and a skilled ART provider can address such issues. In terms of spinal realignment, adhensions on the soft-tissue (scar tissue and such) along with muscle weakness can destory the natural curves of your spine. Once these are worked out, you can go on to strengthen weakened areas to help the realignment process.

If you have pinched nerves and such look for someone with a "nerve entrapment" certification. The quality of the treatment depends on the practitioner so I'd recommend looking at a few providers before settling on one. The one I see in Illinois is both a chiro and a ART guy and works wonders for all of my soft-tissue injuries.

I also recommend trying foam roller work. Mark Reifkind's DVD "Restoring Lost Physical Function" is a great resource for this. Spinal realignment is a topic he goes into depth about. It's pricey to purchase (worth it imo) but you can find it as a torrent on the net if you are financially challenged. I had to go the torrent route myself, so PM me if if you trouble getting a hold of it.