Seeing the chiropractor is a wise move for anyone with back pain or neck pain. Some patients see the chiropractor regularly to prevent and proactively treat back problems, while others visit for active, serious back pain. Regardless of your personal reasons for seeking chiropractic care, you may have some questions about this field of medicine and what it entails. With any luck, you'll find the answers below.

Are all chiropractic adjustments the same?

Sometimes patients wonder if the chiropractor performs the same routine on all patients. Are they just cracking everyone's back the same way regardless of the patient's problems? The short answer to this question is "no." 

Chiropractic adjustments are all performed in the same general way. Your chiropractor will apply pressure to parts of your spine in an effort to reposition your vertebrae and relieve pressure on certain areas. But the areas they focus on depend on the nature of your discomfort. If you have lower back pain, they'll adjust you to take pressure off your lower back. If you have neck pain, they'll adjust you to take pressure off the vertebrae in your neck. In short, they do customize the adjustment to suit your needs.

Are there any side effects involved with chiropractic care?

There are some possible side effects, but they are mild. As your chiropractor adjusts your spine, they are changing the pressure or tension being placed on muscles and tendons associated with your spine. This can lead to some achiness or soreness after your adjustment. The good news is that this soreness is generally mild, and it should go away in a day or two. If it bothers you, then you could take some NSAIDs to ease it, but that is rarely necessary.

Is chiropractic care addictive?

There is a common myth that once you start getting chiropractic adjustments, you have to keep getting them. This is not true. Many patients do keep getting adjustments because they realize how beneficial they are, and because they come to see it as a preventative measure that keeps them comfortable and healthy. But there is nothing truly addictive about chiropractic care, and if you stop feeling that adjustments are benefitting you, then you can stop getting them.

Hopefully, the answers to these three questions have given you greater insight into chiropractic care and its utility. If you have additional quandaries, don't hesitate to ask your chiropractor in person. Many of them love talking about their profession with patients.