WHY DO CHIROPRACTORS MANIPULATE JOINTS?
Prolonged rest and/or immobilization have been shown to cause a variety of adverse biomechanical and biochemical changes in injured joint tissues. In regards to these adverse effects, medical orthopedist Cyriax states, “When non-bacterial inflammation attacks the soft tissues that move, treatment by rest has been found to result in chronic disability later, although the symptoms may temporarily diminish. Hence, during the past century, treatment by rest has given way to therapeutic movement in many soft tissue lesions. Movement may be applied in various ways: the three main categories are, 1) active and resistive exercises; 2) passive, especially forced movement; and 3) deep massage (7).” Doctors of chiropractic have always advocated therapeutic movement as a means to limit these adverse effects and to promote health. Although practicing for many years without research to validate what chiropractors believed to be true, recent research has been accumulating that confirms the clinical e
