Most people look for a chiropractor in Frederick, MD for some kind of neck or back pain, specifically, because it’s starting to limit their ability to live an active life. Often, they quickly learn that chiropractic care is about much more than back pain and headaches.
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to help you move better and feel better. Chiropractic adjustments (which don’t always involve popping and cracking!) help relieve muscle spasm, nerve pain, and increase joint mobility and strength.
What an Adjustment Does — and How It Works
You may have heard that chiropractors push bones back into alignment. That isn’t accurate. Your vertebrae are held and moved by strong ligaments, discs, and muscles — they don’t ‘slip out’ and need shoving back. What changes after an adjustment is how the joint moves, and how your brain responds to that movement.
An adjustment, when done in the right place and at the right time, works in three linked ways. First, it helps a stiff joint move again by quickly stretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to improve range of motion. Second, it sends your brain a strong, clear burst of movement information, so the brain can turn down pain signals and ease the protective tightening that was holding you stiff. Studies show people can tolerate more pressure after an adjustment, and that effect shows up throughout the body, not just at the spot treated (Aspinall et al., 2019). Third, that calmer, freer movement creates a window for rehab and targeted exercise to make the gains last.
In short: an adjustment helps a joint move better, helps your brain feel safer about moving it, and helps your body let go of the tightening that was protecting it.
So What’s That Popping Sound?
It’s not bones cracking, and nothing is breaking. When an adjustment gently separates the joint surfaces, the pressure in the lubricating fluid around the joint drops and a small gas pocket forms. That’s the pop — the same thing that happens when you crack your knuckles. Researchers filmed it happening with real-time MRI (Kawchuk et al., 2015).
No pop doesn’t mean it didn’t work. The sound is a side effect, not the goal, and some techniques never make a sound at all.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe?
Yes — for most people, chiropractic adjustments are a low-risk form of care. The most common reaction is mild soreness or stiffness for a day or two, like after a new workout. A 2023 review of 154 clinical trials found no serious adverse events among more than 7,500 people who received adjustments (Gorrell et al., 2023). The American College of Physicians recommends trying non-drug treatments first for low back pain, and adjustments are on that list (ACP, 2017).
A tear in a neck artery is very rare, and the largest study to date, published in 2026, matched more than 862,000 adults with new neck pain or headache and found no added risk from chiropractic neck care (Trager et al., 2026).
Every new patient starts with a thorough history and exam. We screen for osteoporosis, blood thinners, inflammatory arthritis, surgical history and warning signs that point to a medical referral. If an adjustment isn’t the right tool for you, we’ll tell you — we also offer instrument adjusting, soft tissue work, FSM, laser, PEMF, and targeted rehab.
Chiropractic care can be beneficial for anyone, regardless of their age, even infants and children.
Do I Need X-rays or an MRI?
Not necessarily! If you have X-rays or an MRI already, please bring them.
When we do your exam, we will rule out what we call “yellow or red flags” that might need further testing. In many cases imaging doesn’t change the plan, because most non-traumatic back and joint pain comes from muscle strain, joint stiffness, nerve sensitivity, or movement patterns that don’t show clearly on a scan. Imaging is more likely right away for red flags — recent trauma, sudden or worsening weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer with new back pain, signs of infection, or osteoporosis with new severe pain. Yellow flags, like pain lasting more than 4–6 weeks despite care or pain that wakes you at night, may mean imaging is needed if symptoms persist.
Read more: Do I Need an X-Ray or MRI?
How Adjustments Fit Into Your Care at Frederick Chiropractic Wellness Center
An adjustment is one tool, not the whole plan. Your care is built around you and usually combines adjustments matched to your body and comfort level, advanced therapies (FSM, laser, red light, and PEMF), and targeted rehab and movement to help the improved mobility and strength from each visit last. The goal isn’t to keep you coming back forever — it’s to help you move and feel better, and build the strength and know-how to stay that way.