Beyond traditional spinal care, extremity adjusting addresses joint issues throughout the body to enhance alignment, function, and overall wellness. This specialized chiropractic technique targets shoulders, knees, wrists, ankles, and other non-spinal joints to help reduce pain and improve mobility.
At Silverstein Family Chiropractic in Langhorne, PA, our team provides comprehensive extremity adjusting as part of our whole-body approach to care. Visit our office today to discover how these specialized adjustments can help restore your body’s natural function and support your health goals.
What is extremity adjusting?
Extremity adjusting is a specialized chiropractic technique that focuses on joints outside the spine, including shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. While traditional chiropractic care centers on spinal adjustments, extremity adjusting recognizes that proper alignment throughout the entire skeletal system is crucial for optimal health and function.
Who can benefit from extremity adjusting?
- Athletes – Improves performance and enhances recovery by optimizing movement mechanics. Athletes experience reduced injury risk and better functional capacity.
- Office workers – Addresses repetitive strain injuries and poor posture from prolonged desk work. Regular adjustments help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome and tech neck.
- Manual laborers – Helps maintain joint health despite repetitive movements and heavy lifting. These adjustments support optimal function in physically demanding occupations.
- Seniors – Maintains joint mobility and improves balance for better quality of life. Extremity adjusting helps address age-related stiffness and supports independence.
- Accident victims – Speeds recovery and reduces pain from trauma-related injuries. Proper alignment helps the body heal more efficiently after falls, collisions, or other accidents.
- Children and teens – Supports proper musculoskeletal development during crucial growth periods. Young athletes particularly benefit from adjustments that promote symmetrical development.
- People with chronic conditions – Provides natural relief for arthritis, fibromyalgia, and similar ongoing issues. These adjustments complement other treatments for comprehensive care.
How Long Does It Take for Chiropractic Adjustments to Work
The timeline for experiencing results from extremity adjusting varies based on several factors, including the severity and duration of the problem, your overall health, and how consistently you follow treatment recommendations. Some patients notice immediate improvement in range of motion and pain levels after their first session. For acute conditions, significant improvement often occurs within 2-4 weeks of regular treatment. Chronic conditions typically require more extended care, with progressive improvements over 8-12 weeks or longer. Your chiropractor will develop a personalized treatment plan and set realistic expectations for your particular situation, adjusting the approach as needed based on your body’s response to care.
5 Conditions Treated with Extremity Adjusting
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the palm, becomes compressed at the wrist. This painful condition causes numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and wrist. Extremity adjusting helps by realigning the small bones of the wrist, reducing pressure on the nerve and supporting surrounding structures.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is characterized by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot. This condition causes stabbing pain, typically with the first steps after awakening. Extremity adjusting targets misalignments in the foot and ankle that contribute to abnormal stress on the plantar fascia.
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow results from overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons around the elbow joint, causing pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow. Despite its name, this condition affects many people who don’t play tennis but perform repetitive arm movements. Extremity adjusting techniques address misalignments in the elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints that may contribute to abnormal mechanics and tissue strain.
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Frozen shoulder involves stiffness, pain, and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint, typically developing gradually and worsening over time. The condition occurs when the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint thickens and contracts. Extremity adjusting helps mobilize the shoulder complex, including the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joints. These adjustments can help break up adhesions, improve joint mobility, and restore proper biomechanical function to the entire shoulder region.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ)
TMJ disorders affect the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, causing pain, clicking, locking, and difficulty chewing. These disorders can result from trauma, teeth grinding, stress, or arthritis. Extremity adjusting for TMJ focuses on realigning the temporomandibular joint and addressing imbalances in surrounding structures. Gentle adjustments help restore proper movement patterns, reduce muscle tension, and improve overall function of this complex joint system that we use constantly for speaking and eating.
What Happens During Extremity Adjusting
- Initial Consultation and Assessment: Your chiropractor will begin by discussing your health history, current symptoms, and treatment goals. This conversation helps establish the foundation for your personalized care plan.
- Physical Examination: A thorough examination follows, including range of motion testing, palpation of joints and surrounding tissues, and observation of how you move. Your chiropractor may also check your posture and evaluate how problems in one area might affect other parts of your body.
- Diagnostic Testing: In some cases, X-rays or spinal screening may be recommended to get a clearer picture of joint alignment and rule out other conditions. These images help your chiropractor develop the most effective approach for your specific situation.
- Treatment Plan Development: Based on examination findings, your chiropractor will create a customized treatment plan addressing your unique needs. This plan typically includes the frequency of visits, specific adjustment techniques to be used, and complementary therapies if needed.
- The Adjustment Procedure: During the actual extremity adjustment, you’ll be positioned comfortably, often seated or lying down. Your chiropractor will use precise, controlled pressure to move the joint in specific directions to restore proper alignment and function.
- Post-Adjustment Assessment: After the adjustment, your chiropractor will reassess to confirm improvement in joint mobility and function. This might include rechecking your range of motion or having you perform simple movements to experience the difference.
- Home Care Instructions: You’ll receive guidance on activities, exercises, or stretches to perform at home to maintain the benefits of your adjustment. These recommendations help support lasting improvement between visits.
- Follow-up Planning: Your chiropractor will schedule appropriate follow-up care based on your condition and response to treatment. The frequency of visits typically decreases as your condition improves.
3 Benefits of Extremity Adjusting
Improved Range of Motion
Extremity adjusting significantly enhances joint mobility by addressing restrictions that limit movement. When joints are properly aligned, they can move through their full natural range without pain or catching. This improved mobility benefits everyday activities like reaching, bending, and walking, making routine tasks easier and more comfortable. Athletes particularly benefit from optimized range of motion, as it allows for better performance and technique in their sport. Even small improvements in joint mobility can translate to noticeable enhancements in quality of life and physical capability.
Pain Reduction
One of the most immediate benefits of extremity adjusting is pain relief. When joints are misaligned, they can create pressure on surrounding nerves, muscles, and connective tissues, resulting in pain both locally and in seemingly unrelated areas of the body. Extremity adjustments help alleviate this pain by removing the source of irritation rather than just masking symptoms. Many patients report significant pain reduction after just a few treatments, often experiencing relief that medications alone couldn’t provide. This natural approach to pain management works with your body’s inherent healing mechanisms.
Enhanced Athletic Performance
Athletes across all sports and fitness levels can benefit from extremity adjusting as part of their performance enhancement strategy. Proper joint alignment optimizes biomechanics, allowing for more efficient movement patterns and reduced energy waste during activity. This efficiency translates to improved strength, speed, and endurance. Additionally, extremity adjustments help the body recover more quickly from training stress by promoting better circulation and reducing muscle tension. Many professional and amateur athletes incorporate regular extremity adjustments into their training regimen to maintain peak performance and gain a competitive edge.
Conclusion
Extremity adjusting offers a comprehensive approach to addressing joint problems beyond the spine, providing benefits that extend throughout the entire body. From improved mobility and reduced pain to enhanced performance and prevention of future issues, these specialized adjustments support your body’s natural ability to function optimally and heal itself.
Ready to experience the benefits of extremity adjusting for yourself? Contact Silverstein Family Chiropractic in Langhorne, PA, today to schedule your appointment with our experienced team. For more health tips and updates, follow us on Facebook and X to stay connected with our community and learn more about how chiropractic care can support your wellness journey.