The Role of Chiropractic Care in Supporting Functional Movement
Getting through the day is difficult without good functional movement. Chiropractic treatments support functional movement by keeping your spine and joints properly aligned, improving range of motion, and easing muscle tension.
What Are Functional Movements?
Functional movements involve bending, reaching, twisting, and lifting. You use functional movements when you squat to tie your shoe, bend to pick up a dropped quarter, or reach for the highest item on the supermarket shelf. Full, painless range of motion in a joint is the key to good functional movement.
Your joints, muscles, nerves and tissues are all connected. A tight or inflexible spot in one part of the body can cause changes far from the problem area. A subluxation in your back may cause or worsen pain in the hips or legs. Subluxations happen when one or more vertebrae in your spine become misaligned. Vertebrae are the small, interlocking bones that protect the spinal cord and provide flexibility.
People of all ages, including children, may experience functional movement problems. Worldwide, 1.7 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions that affect movement and dexterity, according to the World Health Organization. Poor functional movement can be particularly dangerous in older people and may limit independence or lead to falls.
Poor functional movement can be caused by:
- Injuries
- Subluxations
- Joint Misalignments
- Poor Posture
- Performing Repetitive Motions
- Not Moving Enough
- Age-Related Conditions, Like Arthritis
Functional movement problems affect every aspect of your life and can lead to reduced mobility, injuries and chronic pain without treatment. Heating pads and pain medication may improve symptoms temporarily, but movement problems will linger if the source of the problem isn't addressed and corrected.
How Can Chiropractic Care Improve Functional Movement?
Your chiropractor performs a comprehensive examination that involves evaluating your posture, walking patterns, and your ability to move the various parts of your body. If pain, stiffness, or restrictions are noted, your chiropractor determines the source and creates a treatment plan designed to restore functional movement. Your visit may involve tests, such as X-rays, to confirm the diagnosis.
Helpful chiropractic treatments include:
- Spinal Manipulation and Joint Mobilization. This popular chiropractic treatment is commonly known as an adjustment. It involves restoring the normal alignment of vertebrae with quick movements of the hands or a device called an activator. Spinal manipulation improves range of motion, restores normal joint function, and reduces nerve irritation. Your chiropractor may also use joint mobilization, a gentle technique that involves slow, controlled movements to realign joints. These treatments may offer long-term benefits, particularly if you schedule regular follow-up visits. Low-back pain patients who received spinal manipulative therapy saw modest improvements in pain and function for as long as six weeks after treatment, according to a research study published in JAMA in 2017.
- Soft Tissue Therapy. Muscle and soft tissue tension increases when you have a misaligned joint or vertebrae. Stiff tissues prevent joints from moving through their full range of motion. Chiropractors use massage, soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, and other treatments to loosen muscles and tissues, break up scar tissue, ease trigger points (muscle knots), improve blood flow, and restore normal movement.
- Exercise. Your chiropractor can show you exercises that will keep your muscles strong and stable and improve your posture. In addition to strengthening the muscles that support joints, exercise improves flexibility and helps you avoid movement problems and pain in the future.
- Lifestyle Recommendations. Your chiropractor considers your lifestyle and occupation when treating your functional movement issues. During your visit, you might receive helpful advice on proper lifting techniques, ergonomic workstation tips, or suggestions to improve your sleep posture.
Are you struggling with pain and stiffness due to a functional movement problem? Chiropractic care offers a natural solution. Contact our office to schedule your appointment with the chiropractor.
Sources:
Southern California University of Health Sciences: Treating Sports Injuries: 5 Methods Chiropractors Use, 1/7/2025
https://www.scuhs.edu/dc-article/treating-sports-injuries-5-methods-chiropractors-use/
Cleveland Clinic: Chiropractic Adjustment, 4/25/2022
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21033-chiropractic-adjustment
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Hip Extension Ability and Running Velocity Among Young Male Running Athletes, 5/27/2008
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2682941/
JAMA: Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy with Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, 4/11/2017
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2616395
World Health Organization: Musculoskeletal Health, 7/14/2022
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions