Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy that bases its care on the relationship between the nervous system and the rest of the body. Yes, we work on the spine, but at the root of it, we are working on the nervous system.
As chiropractors, we go beyond just treating your symptoms. We go above and beyond to determine the root cause of your problems and that’s where our treatments start.
The Gonstead Technique is a specific technique that focuses on utilizing five criteria to determine the presence of nerve interference. When there is nerve interference present in the body, this is where health and overall well being suffer. Your brain no longer has the ability to properly communicate with the rest of your body, leaving your body to function at suboptimal levels.
Gonstead’s Five Criteria:
- *Visualization:* This starts the moment you enter the office. We analyze your posture and movement for subtle changes that indicate problems.
- *Instrumentation:* We utilize a thermocouple tool that detects uneven distribution of heat along the spine. In a healthy spine with no nerve interference, heat distribution would be even on both sides. However, when there is nerve interference, the heat in that region unevenly distributes. Think of this tool like a little stud finder for your nerve interference!
- *Static Palpation:* This is the process of feeling your spine as you sit still. We are searching for presence of any swelling, tenderness or tightness of muscles and tissue to further lead us towards the area of nerve interference.
- *Motion Palpation:* This is the process of feeling your spine as your move. We are searching for areas where the joint is fixated, or lacking movement.
- *X-Ray Analysis:* This is a very important piece of the puzzle. X-rays allow the doctor to see the entire structure of your spine. It helps to further determine the root cause of your issue. Using x-rays we evaluate posture, disc integrity, misalignments and rule out pathologies. Chiropractic x-rays are special because they are taken standing up, or in the weight-bearing position, allowing us to see what your spine looks like in a natural way.
Through the use of our 5 criteria, we are able to provide very specific and precise adjustments. We don’t guess with your health and we don’t adjust anything more than we need to.
