What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

When the 24 bones that protect the spinal cord lose their normal position or motion, delicate nerve tissue can become choked or irritated.  If a thorough examination reveals malfunctioning areas of the spine, chiropractic adjustments are recommended to help correct this situation.

A chiropractic adjustment is the use of a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint that is fixated, or not moving properly.  Adjustments help return bones to a more normal position or motion, relieving pain.

There are many ways to adjust the spine.  Usually our doctor's hands or a specially designed instrument delivers a brief and highly accurate thrust.  After years of training, each doctor has selected a variety of methods and becomes skilled in their delivery.  Regardless of the technique used, each chiropractic adjustment is tailored to the patient's age, size, and unique spinal problem.

Adjustments help normalize spinal function and avoid bone and soft tissue degeneration.  When nervous system function improves in this way, the body can begin the natural healing process.

Backpacks That Make the Grade

Backpacks are very convenient for carrying books and supplies, but many are overloaded or improperly worn.  This can put children at risk for spinal injury.

Here are some recommendations for safe backpack use:

• Wear both straps.  This distributes the weight evenly across the back and shoulders.
• Wear the backpack over the mid-back muscles.  These muscles are the strongest.  The size of the backpack should match the size of the child so the backpack rests evenly in the middle of the back.
• Don't overload the backpack.  The load should not be more than 10% of the child's weight.  Therefore, a 75 lb child should only carry 7.5 lbs or less in their backpack.

Here are some signs that your child's backpack is too heavy:

• The child changes their posture when wearing the backpack to accomodate the extra weight.
• The child struggles when putting the backpack on or taking it off.
• The child experiences pain while wearing the backpack.
• The child experiences tingling or numbness or has red marks from wearing the backpack.

Keep these tips in mind when shopping for a new backpack or when observing your child with their current backpack.