The Gonstead Chiropractor goes beyond what many chiropractors consider a spinal assessment by conducting a thorough analysis of your spine using five criteria to detect the presence of the vertebral subluxation complex.

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• Visualization – Visualization is a way to cross reference all the other findings. Your chiropractor is an expert in looking for subtle changes in your posture and movement which could indicate any problems.

• Instrumentation – The instrument of choice in the Gonstead System is the Nervoscope. The Nervoscope detects uneven distributions of heat along the spine which can be indicative of inflammation and nerve pressure. This instrument is guided down the length of your back and feels like two fingers gliding down each side of your spine.

• Static Palpation – This is simply the process of feeling (or palpating) your spine in a stationary (or static) position. the Chiropractor will feel for the presence of swelling (or edema), tenderness and any abnormal texture or tightness in the muscles and other tissues of your back.

• Motion Palpation – This process involves feeling the spine while moving and bending it at various angles. This enables the chiropractor to determine how easily or difficult each segment in your spine moves in different directions.

• X-Ray Analysis – x-ray films enable your doctor to visualize the entire structure of your spine. This is helpful in evaluating posture, joint and disc integrity, vertebral misalignments and ruling out any pathologies, or recent fractures that may be present or contributing to the patient’s condition. These full-spine radiographs are taken in the standing, weight-bearing position to fully substantiate the examination findings.

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The Treatment

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After the initial assessment of your spine using the five criteria, we provide adjustments that address the problem areas:

• Adjustments – The Gonstead system only addresses specific problem areas, which typically will be only a couple of segments. Adjustments deal with only one vertebra at a time instead of several regions, increasing our ability to correctly adjust your spine. Also, there are no “twisting” in our adjustments. “No twisting” means that the Gonstead system tries to deal with only the affected discs and no other places, which help the nerves function better. This can help with more severe cases like disc herniation, disc bulges, etc.

• The Result – Gonstead chiropractic has good results across all cases and ages of patients. As you get Gonstead care, you will notice why so many patients get well and stay well. You will not need as many adjustments as you get better and in order to stay at “optimum health.” This is because the Gonstead System of Chiropractic is very specific, gentle, and effective on your body.

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