The risk of amateur adjustments 

It’s an unfortunate but not uncommon occurrence: sometimes our office sees cases of patients coming in admitting that they have been treated by someone who is not technically qualified to provide adjustments or spinal manipulation. 

Casual “fixes” like asking a friend to bear hug them until their back “pops,” having someone step on their back, or in even worse cases, letting non-qualified individuals treat the spine; these instances all fail to address the root cause of back pain issues at best. At worst, they can be downright dangerous.

We recently saw a patient—young, healthy, athletic, with an established history at our office—come in unusually nervous and weary of having her neck adjusted. A frank discussion revealed that she had recently blacked out at a nail salon during an intense “neck massage” from one of the salon techs.

To be clear, this salon tech didn’t just give a gentle shoulder rub as our patient sat and dried her nails: this person, perhaps discussing how our patient’s neck was sore and tight, attempted to provide manual medical treatment.

Then everything went black.

Recognizing the Trend

Our patient was lucky: although receiving a neck adjustment from an unqualified professional caused her to faint, she came to and did not have to be hospitalized. Still, the result left her understandably nervous about continuing treatment, even when she came back to Accelerated Care Chiropractic. The conversation brought back a question we are faced with more and more often: why are people without proper certification and licensing even trying to perform medical procedures?

There are countless Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram videos that might suggest learning to “crack” or “pop” the spine is easy and brings instant relief, but like plenty of other online trends, it’s not grounded in sound medical fact. Performing a spinal manipulation—on the neck or lower down on the spine—requires years of medical studies and hands-on practice. A skilled, licensed chiropractor can perform a manipulation quickly and make it seem effortless. That doesn’t mean that anyone can just pick up the technique after watching videos or “cracking” a friend’s back.

Our patient talked with our staff and agreed to be adjusted. She felt good after treatment, and informed us that only our staff would be allowed to adjust her neck going forward.

Certified Care Matters!

This recent experience from our patient is not the only case we’ve encountered at Accelerated Care Chiropractic. Years ago, another patient asked her son to adjust her back because it felt tight right between her shoulder blades. He gave her a bear hug, lifting her off of her feet. She too blacked out, losing consciousness right in her living room. This patient was so shaken by the experience that she remains deeply afraid of letting anyone, professional or otherwise, work on her back.

Remember: the spine is loaded with nerves and vital arteries and veins run alongside it. Pressure in the wrong places, or too much force on a sensitive area, can be dangerous. In the same way that you wouldn’t ask a friend to diagnose you with a heart condition, or ask a trusted family member to perform surgery on you, spinal manipulation is another treatment technique that needs to be left to the professionals. 

The trendiness of good posture and wholistic wellness are pushing the idea online that anyone can put a stop to their back pain with a few “secret tricks.” From an office that has been providing intense care for over 20 years, take our advice: the spine is complex. Leave it to the professionals!

Advocate For Yourself

Think twice before you let someone—trusted friend, unlicensed worker, or otherwise—manipulate your spine. Addressing the root causes of back pain and prescribing care for musculoskeletal issues, along with soft tissue and neurological care is what our office is dedicated to. Whatever has caused your pain, and whether it’s chronic or acute, we have dozens of treatment options in our toolbox from cupping to taping to massage to active release technique (ART). Additionally, we network with a wide array of other experts, so if something is out of the scope of our office, we make a point to connect you with the right specialist for you.

Decades of honing our skill at diagnosing and prescribing the hundreds of unique cases that walk through our doors have giving us the confidence and skills needed to address your back problems safely and effectively, and if you feel you’d like to discuss your treatment options and their outcomes before an adjustment, simply let us know!

Don’t gamble: trust the experts!

Experiencing neck or back pain? Contact our office by call or text at 646-546-5550, or email our team at [email protected]. Your safety matters. Help us accelerate your care, so you can exhilarate your life!