You finally went to see Dr. Horst to get your first chiropractic adjustment after hearing from friends and family that chiropractic care did wonders for their pain. They may have mentioned that you would probably hear and feel a cracking sensation as your joint was being adjusted, which might seem odd at first. Nevertheless, they all swore that the results they got were worth the initial disconcerting sensation, and that you would soon not even notice it.

After some hesitation, you finally decided to make an appointment to see if chiropractic care could help. After taking both your medical history and some x-rays, Dr. Horst will explain some of the theory behind chiropractic care, as well as some of what you might expect from your first adjustment. When Dr. Horst did the chiropractic adjustment, you heard the cracking sound, but you were not worried because you were prepared for it in advance. In fact, you were pleasantly surprised to discover that the pain you had been suffering was significantly reduced.

However, you may discover the following day that you are somewhat stiff in the area where you had the adjustment. Does this mean that the adjustment didn’t work? Is chiropractic care not the answer? Before you write it off, read on to find out why that stiffness may actually be a good sign that your body is on the mend.

A First Workout for Your Joints

If you do a hard workout after not having exercised for a long time, you often find that your muscles are somewhat sore and stiff the following day. Obviously, exercising your muscles is a good thing, by getting them moving. That muscle stiffness is due to microfractures that occur as a result of engaging in a new activity. Over time, as you exercise more often, you will not feel as stiff afterward. Your muscles are learning how to move in a new way.

The same principle applies to your joints and vertebrae following your first chiropractic adjustment. After the first time that your spine or joint structure is shifted into proper alignment, the surrounding ligaments, tendons, and muscles must adjust to this new position. As a result, you will experience a certain amount of stiffness for the first day or two after your first chiropractic adjustment. Over time, particularly if you keep up a routine of regular adjustments, your body will adjust to being in proper alignment and will no longer feel stiff or sore.

In fact, a 2004 study from the journal Manual Therapy found that almost 61 percent of 465 patients reported at least one type of mild side effect from chiropractic care. Slightly more than 19 percent of the patients reported stiffness following an adjustment. In almost all cases, the symptoms passed within four to 24 hours.

The important thing to remember is that your body will quickly adjust to being in proper alignment. In fact, you should expect to reach a point at which you will feel sore and stiff only when your body is actually out of proper alignment. That’s when you will know it is time to get another chiropractic adjustment from Dr. Horst.