Since chiropractic is clearly not the practice of medicine, and is probably new to you, it is essential that we let you know some of the principles that are used in our office. These principles are used when evaluating you and making decisions on your management plan for chiropractic care. The following are the basic principles of chiropractic:

1. The body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism.
2. The nervous system is the master system of the body, coordinating all function. This is the system that we focus on in Chiropractic.
3. Subluxations, (subtle misalignments of the spine) interfere with the function of the nervous system creating dis-ease, therefore increasing stress within your body.
4. Chiropractic adjustments remove this interference, allowing for the maximum expression of health, creating ease, therefore stress within your body.
   

We focus on the correction of spinal misalignments (subluxations). This not only provides you relief from symptoms, but also allows your body to function at 100% of your God-given potential!

 

The Gonstead Technique

There are many chiropractic techniques that are available to patients seeking out chiropractic care as part of their health care needs. Although there have been many valuable techniques (the manner in which we adjust you) developed in the chiropractic profession, the Gonstead System is considered a "gold standard" for chiropractic techniques because of its record for safety and effectiveness in correcting subluxations.

In the early 1960's word was spreading throughout the world that there was a healer in a small farming community in Wisconsin to whom people of all ages, and walks of life, were flocking.

This healer was Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead. He became a chiropractor in 1923, following a personal experience with chiropractic that had helped his body heal from a painful, crippling episode of rheumatoid arthritis. With a background in mechanical engineering, he would apply the principles of this discipline to the evaluation of the spine.

Based on his studies, he developed the "foundation theory" to explain how a fixation in one area of the spine created compensatory bio-mechanical changes and symptoms in another. He was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession, developing equipment and a method of analysis that used more that one criteria to verify the precise location of a subluxation (spinal misalignment resulting in pressure on your nerves).

Considering his system in light of current knowledge, it is surprising that the concept of adjusting the spine only if and when there is a fixation with nerve pressure has not been universally accepted. Gonstead stated in the 1940's "Therein lies the uniqueness of my work - The Gonstead Technique has a specific application on the affected segment or segments only." His approach is often summarized by the phrase he coined, "Find the subluxation, accept it where you find it, correct it and leave it alone." The common sense, evident in his work, is further summarized in another phrase that he often used: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

It is also interesting to note that because of his detailed study of the spine, he taught that rotation or twisting of the spine during the chiropractic adjustment was harmful to the patient. Current Chiropractic, Osteopathic and Medical Literature links twisting of the spine to accelerated degeneration of the cushion pad, or disc, located between the spinal bones. The twisting motion associated with crude forms of "manipulating" the neck or cervical spine has also been implicated in the rare incidence of stroke associated with chiropractic "treatment". This tragic occurrence, occasionally reported in scientific literature and the popular press, has diverted attention away from the enormous benefits of properly administered chiropractic care.

One hallmark of the Gonstead Technique is adjustment of the neck with a very specific maneuver that is completed with the patient seated. The neck is adjusted in this manner to eliminate the twisting or rotation aspect of the adjusting procedure.