Beyond the Back: Chiropractic Care Is More Than Just Adjustments
Updated: Aug 13
When people think of chiropractic care, they often think of spinal adjustments ("the cracking")—and while adjustments can certainly be part of treatment, chiropractic care can involve much more than that.
At Heal Health and Performance, we look at how your joints, muscles, and movement patterns may be contributing to your symptoms. Depending on what we find during your assessment, treatment may include adjustments or joint mobilizations, soft tissue therapy, exercises, education, and recommendations for other types of care when appropriate.
Here are a few examples of what that can look like.
1. More Than Just the Joints
Muscles, tendons, joints, and other soft tissues all work together to create movement. That's why treatment often includes addressing both joint mobility and the surrounding muscles and soft tissues.
Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy: Techniques such as Graston use specialized instruments to work on areas of muscle and soft tissue that may be painful, tight, or limiting movement.
Myofascial and Muscle Release: Hands-on techniques like Active Release Technique can also be used to address areas of muscle tension and improve comfort and movement.
These techniques may be combined with adjustments, joint mobilizations, stretching, or exercises depending on your individual needs.
2. Jaw Pain and TMJ
Jaw pain isn't always just about the jaw.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), muscles of the jaw and face, and the neck can all contribute to symptoms. For people experiencing jaw pain, tension, clicking, or certain types of headaches, we can assess the jaw as well as the surrounding muscles and neck to determine what may be contributing to the problem.
Treatment may include hands-on therapy, exercises, and strategies you can use at home. When appropriate, we may also recommend working alongside your dentist or another healthcare provider.
3. Chiropractic Care Isn't Just for the Spine
Chiropractors are trained to assess and treat many musculoskeletal concerns involving the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and feet—not just the neck and back.
For example:
Plantar Fasciitis: Treatment may include working on the muscles and soft tissues of the foot and lower leg, assessing ankle and foot mobility, and prescribing exercises to gradually improve strength and load tolerance.
Carpal Tunnel and Other Nerve Symptoms: Symptoms in the hand or wrist sometimes require looking beyond the area where you're experiencing them. An assessment may also include the elbow, shoulder, and neck to help determine where the nerve may be irritated.
Shoulder Pain: Treatment can involve assessing shoulder mobility and strength as well as how the shoulder blade, upper back, and surrounding muscles are functioning. Hands-on treatment and specific exercises can then be used to help restore comfortable movement and get you back to the activities you enjoy.
4. A Collaborative Approach to Performance
What sets Heal Health and Performance apart is our team-based approach to care. We believe the best results often come from looking at the whole picture and bringing the right professionals into your care when needed.
Collaborative Care: Your chiropractor can work alongside other members of your healthcare team to make sure your treatment is coordinated and focused on your goals.
Connecting You With the Right Provider: Sometimes chiropractic care is only one piece of the puzzle. When appropriate, we may recommend or refer you to another provider—whether that's a physiotherapist, massage therapist, naturopathic doctor, psychotherapist, osteopath, physician, or another healthcare professional inside or outside of our clinic.
Our goal isn't to keep you coming back indefinitely—it's to help you get the right care, from the right providers, so you can achieve your goals and get back to doing what you love.
The Bottom Line
Chiropractic care at Heal Health and Performance is about more than just adjustments. We look at how your body is moving and functioning as a whole, and use a combination of adjustments, soft tissue therapy, exercises, and collaborative care to address what may be contributing to the problem—not just where you’re feeling the pain.
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