“Can the doctor just crack my back?” Or “ I just need an adjustment.”

Sure just answer a few questions about yourself first:

1. Which of the 23 segments in your vertebral column would you like the doctor to adjust?

2. Which direction is it out of alignment?

3. Is there a lateral flexion or rotational component to your spinal misalignment?

4. Do you have a spondylolisthesis at that segment?

5. Do you have an anterolisthesis at that segment?

6. Do you have any disc space narrowing adjacent to that segment?

7. Do you have agenesis of the dens?

8. Do you have a loss of motion segment integrity at that segment? 

9. In the region of the spine that needs help do you have a reversal of the lordosis or kyphosis?

10. Do you have a leg length discrepancy?

11. Do you have ankylosing spondylitis?

12. Do you have DISH?

13. Do you have facet tropism in the segment that needs to be adjusted?

14. Do you have normal bone density?

15. Do you have a pars defect at the segment that needs to be adjusted?

16. Do you have a disc herniation?

17. Do you have a disc bulge?

18. Do you have normal sensory ability in all of your dermatomes?

19. Do you have normal myotomes?

20. Do you have normal and symmetrical deep tendon reflexes?

21. Do you have normal range of motion in the involved area? 

22. Do you have a transitional segment?

23. Do you have congenital fusion?

24. Do you have a dorsal hemivertebra?

25. Have you checked yourself for pathological reflexes recently?

Unless you know the answers to the above questions with 100% accuracy you will need an examination and x-rays prior to your first treatment .