Chiropractic Adjustments
An adjustment is a specific movement applied to a joint, usually in the spine, after the chiropractor has examined how that joint is moving. It is not a promise to fix a disc, a nerve, or a knee in one visit.
Is it a fit
Why the Chiropractor Reaches for an Adjustment
- A spinal joint that will not travel through its normal range
- Stiffness that builds while you sit still and loosens once you move
- Pain that changes predictably when you bend one direction
- A back or neck the exam shows is loading unevenly side to side
How the Chiropractor Chooses a Technique
TexStar chiropractors may use Gonstead, Diversified, Thompson Drop, Activator, or myoneural re-education. The choice depends on the exam, your size, and whether you are comfortable with a manual thrust. Instrument-assisted work is an option when a hands-on thrust is a poor fit.
What the Contact Actually Feels Like
Most of the visit is positioning. The chiropractor moves you so the joint being treated is the one under tension, then applies a short push that is over before you can brace against it. A drop-piece table lowers an inch under the contact, which lets the chiropractor use less force. The instrument option is a spring-loaded tap you hear more than feel.
What an Adjustment May Change
The goal is to improve joint motion and reduce irritation around that joint. Some people notice less stiffness the same day. Others need a short plan before daily tasks feel easier. Pain can also flare briefly after the first session, which is worth reporting rather than waiting out.
Why the Plan Is Short by Default
There is no visit count attached to a diagnosis at TexStar. The chiropractor sets a small number of sessions, retests the motion that was restricted, and either continues, changes tools, or stops. If two or three sessions produce nothing measurable, that is information, and the plan should change rather than repeat.
Adjustments During Pregnancy
Prenatal visits use positioning and techniques meant for pregnancy, and only at clinics where the chiropractor is trained in them. Ask when you book so you are scheduled with the right chiropractor. Pregnancy is also a reason the chiropractor may choose instrument work over a manual thrust.
When an Adjustment Is the Wrong Tool
Unexplained fever, a history of cancer with new spine pain, or a recent major injury that has not been medically cleared should be checked in a medical setting first. Severe osteoporosis and some fusions change what the chiropractor is willing to move, and the answer may be rehab or laser instead.
Step by step
How an Adjustment Visit Runs
Four steps, every time. The retest at the end is what tells the chiropractor whether to keep going.
- 1The chiropractor rechecks the joints the exam marked as restricted
- 2You are positioned so the target joint takes the tension
- 3A short, specific contact is applied by hand or by instrument
- 4Motion is retested so you both see what actually changed
Get Medical Care Before an Adjustment
These findings belong with a physician first. Call the clinic once serious causes have been ruled out.
- Fever or feeling ill alongside new spine pain
- A history of cancer with new back pain that rest does not ease
- A fall or crash that has not been medically cleared
- Weakness in an arm or leg that is clearly worse each day
- Any change in bladder or bowel control
Where
Available at all four clinics
Austin
4601 Southwest Pkwy, Suite 101, Austin, TX 78735
Mon–Thu 8am–6pm · Fri 8am–12pm
Austin clinicBee Cave
11614 Bee Caves Rd, Suite 110, Bee Cave, TX 78738
Mon–Thu 8am–6pm · Fri 8am–12pm
Bee Cave clinicBuda
181 Cimarron Park Loop, Suite D, Buda, TX 78610
Mon–Thu 9am–6pm · Fri 8am–12pm
Buda clinicDripping Springs / Belterra
13341 W US-290, Suite 102, Austin, TX 78737
Mon–Thu 8am–6pm · Fri 8am–12pm
Dripping Springs / Belterra clinic
First visit
What the $98 New-Patient Visit Includes
- 1
Consultation
You tell the chiropractor what hurts, what you want to get back to, and which clinic you are visiting.
- 2
Exam
A neuro-musculo-skeletal exam looks for the source: the joint, the muscle, and the nerve.
- 3
Trial Treatment
One session of spinal decompression, cold laser, or spot cryotherapy, chosen from the exam. That session is included in the visit.
- 4
Findings Review
Your Chiropractor will go over the results of the exam and discuss a plan of care.
Questions
Common Questions
Will I hear a pop?
Sometimes. A pop can be gas leaving the joint. A useful adjustment does not require that sound.
Is this the same as stretching at home?
No. Stretching changes muscle length. An adjustment is aimed at a joint the exam found restricted.
Can I ask for the instrument instead of a manual thrust?
Yes. Say so during the exam. Activator and similar instrument work is a normal option, not a downgrade, and the chiropractor will tell you if the joint still needs something else.
How many visits will I need?
There is no set number. The chiropractor recommends a short trial, retests, and adjusts from there. Anyone quoting a year of visits before examining you is guessing.
Is it normal to feel sore afterward?
Mild soreness for a day happens, similar to after unfamiliar exercise. Sharp pain, new numbness, or symptoms travelling further down a limb is not expected and should be reported.
Do I need an x-ray first?
Not automatically. The chiropractor orders imaging of one area when it would change the plan, and says why before it is taken.
Keep reading
Related Pages
Neck Pain
Desk and driving stiffness, and what separates it from arm symptoms.
Lower Back Pain
The complaint the clinics hear most, and how the exam sorts it.
Physical Rehab
The strength and posture work that often runs alongside adjustments.
Founder
Dr. Michael P. Henry, DC
Dr. Henry founded TexStar Chiropractic in 2011. He grew up in Manchaca, studied kinesiology at The University of Texas, and was appointed to the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Your visit is with the chiropractor at the clinic you choose.
Find out if you are a candidate
The consultation, the exam, one trial treatment, and a review of the findings, in a single appointment. Mention the $98 offer when you book. Restrictions may apply.