Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt? Why it cracks, in English

It is the first thing people ask if they have never seen a chiropractor: will it hurt? Why does it crack? Is it safe? These are fair questions. If you live in Málaga or are here for a while and would rather hear it in English, this page explains what a chiropractic adjustment feels like at this clinic in central Málaga, what that cracking sound is, what you might feel afterwards and what happens at your first visit.

Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?

Most people are surprised by how little they feel. An adjustment is a short, quick, precise movement on one particular joint, not a pull or a forceful push. What most people notice is the surprise of the movement, and sometimes the crack.

If you come in with an area that is very sore or very stiff, getting into position on the table can be uncomfortable for a moment. That is why, before doing anything, we explain what we are going to do and how you will lie. If something does not feel right, tell us and we change it: there are other ways to work on the same area.

Why does my neck or back crack during an adjustment?

That cracking sound is gas. The joints of the spine, like those of your fingers, contain fluid. When the two surfaces of the joint separate quickly, a small gas bubble forms in that fluid, and that is what you hear.

It has been watched as it happens: one study filmed knuckles cracking inside an MRI scanner and found that the sound comes at the moment that bubble forms.

So the crack is not a bone going back into place, or a vertebra that was “out”. It is a normal sound a joint makes when it moves.

Does it have to crack to work?

No. Two studies in people with low back pain compared those who heard a pop with those who did not, and both groups did equally well for pain, movement and day-to-day function.

What an adjustment aims for is to get a stiff joint moving again, not the noise.

And if you would rather it did not crack, we can also use an instrument, which gives a short impulse and never makes a popping sound. We explain it before we start and you decide.

What does it feel like during and after an adjustment?

When we finish, most people notice that the area feels looser.

Over the next few days, some people feel sore, as if they had exercised, a bit stiff, or more pain than usual in that area. In studies of people treated for back and neck pain, about half noticed something like this at some point during their treatment, mostly muscle soreness, and it passed. Tiredness or slight dizziness are less common.

If it happens to you, keep moving normally within what feels comfortable and tell us at your next visit: it helps us adapt the treatment to you.

Is it safe to see a chiropractor?

Serious complications are rare. A review of 250 publications on the risks of manual treatment of the spine concludes that mild, short-lived reactions are common and serious problems are rare.

The best-known worry is the neck and stroke. A population study in Ontario, Canada, found no greater risk after seeing a chiropractor than after seeing a family doctor. The authors explain this by the fact that people who are starting to have that problem in an artery tend to seek help first for neck pain or headache.

That is why, before adjusting, and especially before adjusting the neck, we ask questions and examine you. If something you tell us or something we find does not fit this clinic, we do not adjust, and we tell you that same day.

What happens at the first visit?

The first visit lasts about half an hour. We listen: what is wrong, since when, how it started and what you have been told before. Then comes the examination and a postural assessment. Bring any scans or reports you have.

We explain what we find before starting any treatment, including which technique we would use and whether it cracks. If there is no reason not to, treatment starts that same day. If we see that your problem comes from there, we work on it. If not, we tell you that same day.

José De San Juan Guerrero, Doctor of Chiropractic (Sherman College, USA) and registered physiotherapist (licence 5960, Official College of Physiotherapists of Andalusia), has been adjusting for more than 25 years. He sees patients in English and Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

Is it bad to crack your own back?
The crack itself does not damage the joint: in a study of people who had cracked their knuckles for years, they had no more arthritis in their hands than people who did not. What does happen when you crack your own back is that you do not choose which joint moves. At the clinic we look for the specific area that has gone stiff.

I feel sore after seeing a chiropractor. Is that normal?
Feeling sore, as if you had exercised, over the following days is common and goes away on its own. In our experience it tends to happen at the first or second visit, because the movement is new to your body, and usually not after that. If the pain is strong, getting worse or different from what you had before, tell whoever treated you or your doctor.

Will you crack my neck?
Only if you want us to and the examination shows it makes sense. The neck can also be worked on with an instrument or with gentle techniques, with no popping sound.

How long does an adjustment take?
The impulse itself takes an instant. The whole first visit, including the explanation, takes about half an hour.

Do I need a referral or a scan before coming?
No. But if you have reports or scans, bring them.

Do you speak English?
Yes, the whole visit can be in English.

Book your first visit · English-speaking chiropractor in central Málaga · C/ Córdoba 6 · +34 629 245 594 · how to find us

Esta página también está disponible en español: ¿Cruje? ¿Duele? Qué se siente en un ajuste quiropráctico.

This clinic works with musculoskeletal problems of the spine and joints. We do not diagnose or treat systemic, respiratory, autoimmune, metabolic or neurological diseases, and we do not replace treatment prescribed by your doctor. If you have a diagnosis of that kind, your specialist is the one who manages it.