Before your first adjustment
If you’ve never seen a chiropractor before, the word “adjustment” can sound more dramatic than it actually is. At Next Phase Injury Therapy in Yagoona, every visit starts the same way: a conversation. Your AHPRA-registered chiropractor will ask about your symptoms, your general health, your work and daily activities, and what you’re hoping to achieve — whether that’s less pain, better movement, or simply understanding what’s going on.
From there, a physical assessment looks at how your spine and joints move, where movement feels restricted or provokes symptoms, and how your posture and muscle tone look overall. This assessment is what guides the treatment plan, rather than jumping straight into hands-on care.
What the adjustment itself involves
A chiropractic adjustment is a controlled, targeted movement applied to a joint — most commonly in the spine — to encourage better movement and reduce restriction. Your chiropractor will explain what they’re about to do and why, and you’re always free to ask questions or pause at any point.
- You may hear a clicking or popping sound — this is simply gas releasing from the joint fluid and is not a sign of anything breaking or moving out of place.
- The pressure applied is generally quick and light, not forceful.
- Some techniques use gentle, sustained pressure rather than a quick thrust, particularly for people who prefer a lower-force approach.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe an adjustment as feeling like pressure or a stretch rather than pain. It’s common to feel looser or lighter afterwards, though mild soreness for a day or so afterwards — similar to how muscles can feel after new exercise — is also normal and usually settles quickly.
Quick tip
Wear comfortable, flexible clothing to your appointment so your chiropractor can assess your movement properly and apply treatment without restriction.
After your adjustment
Your chiropractor may suggest simple exercises, stretches or activity modifications to support the changes made during your session. Chiropractic care is rarely a one-off — a short course of visits, spaced out and reviewed as you progress, is typically how a management plan is structured. How many sessions you need depends on your condition, your goals, and how your body responds, and your chiropractor will talk you through what to expect at your first visit.
Understanding what’s about to happen is often the biggest step toward feeling comfortable with chiropractic care.
If you’re nervous about your first session, it’s completely reasonable to say so — a good chiropractor will slow down, explain more, and adjust their approach so you feel in control of your own care.
How chiropractors decide on technique
Not every joint or every person responds the same way, so your chiropractor selects technique based on your assessment findings, your comfort, and how your body responds to previous treatment. Some sessions might focus on the spine, while others address the hips, shoulders or extremities, depending on what’s contributing to your symptoms.
It’s also common for a treatment plan to evolve over a course of visits. Early sessions might focus on reducing irritability and restoring basic movement, while later sessions shift toward strengthening and prevention as your symptoms settle. Your chiropractor will explain this progression as you go, so you always understand why the approach on a given day might look slightly different from the last.
Bringing questions to your appointment
Many people feel more comfortable once they understand the reasoning behind a particular technique, so don’t hesitate to ask your chiropractor to explain what they’re doing and why at any point in your treatment. A good chiropractor will welcome this and adjust their explanations to whatever level of detail you find helpful.
Learn more from independent sources: the Chiropractic Australia and healthdirect Australia. Information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for individualised advice from a registered health practitioner.
Information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for individualised advice from a registered health practitioner. Our practitioners are registered with AHPRA.