What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a philosophy, science and art of things natural; a system of adjusting the segments of the spinal column by hand only, for the correction of the cause of disease – B.J. Palmer. Chiropractic is a combination of science, art and philosophy.
Your nervous system controls and co-ordinates the function of every single cell, tissue and organ in your body, and the spine protects and allows this system to function normally. Therefore, a healthy spine and nervous system is crucial for the maintenance of optimal whole body health. Mal-positioned vertebra can cause pressure to spinal nerves that exit from the spinal cord that is encased within the vertebral column resulting in interference. These areas of mal-position are called subluxations. Your brain communicates with every part of your body through the spinal cord and the rest of your nerves. Hindrance to the vital nerve links between your brain and body can lead to ill health.
Chiropractic involves the specific detection and correction of subluxations that are causing nerve interference and symptoms of ill health, whether they may be back pain, headaches, migraine, allergies or indigestion.
What is Gonstead?
History
The Gonstead system of chiropractic was founded and developed by Dr. Clarence Gonstead who graduated a chiropractor in 1923 after a career in mechanical engineering. His devotion and commitment to getting sick people well, led him in his desire to establish a system of finding the major problem and then giving it a specific chiropractic adjustment to restore normal function.
It was this approach that enabled him to achieve outstanding results. His reputation as the Chiropractor’s Chiropractor and “Miracle Man” of chiropractic grew as his work was validated with thousands of spinal cases, clinical studies and personal research. His idea of what a chiropractor should do: “Find the subluxation, accept it where you find it, correct it, and leave it alone.”
The system
The Gonstead System is a method of chiropractic used to analyze and care for the spine that has been around for over 50 years and has stood the test of time. It is a safe and effective technique system that is suited to everyone from infants to grandparents.
The method of analysis involves:
Comprehensive and detailed health history
Visualization of your posture and movement
Measuring the difference in skin temperature on either side of your spine by way of instrumentation at the level where the nerves exit
Feeling your spine (static palpation) and surrounding tissue for local tenderness, swelling and muscle activity
Assessing the motion (motion palpation) between individual spinal segments
Meticulous study of your x-rays performing a thorough biomechanical analysis and for signs of disease, fracture and anomaly.
Correction vs. manipulation
Correction involves adjusting a subluxation, with the primary purpose of restoring it to its normal resting position and state of function. There is a vast difference between an adjustment and a manipulation. A manipulation involves twisting (rotation) of the spine. Tension is developed in the region and a further force allows for a release within the joints that are under torsion. The aim of a manipulation is to mobilize the spinal region by freeing restriction in the associated joints. However, this does not have an affect on the individual segmental position of a malpositioned vertebra.
A correction on the other hand, is delivered to a previously determined malpositioned vertebra following a thorough assessment of the spine and subsequent diagnosis. The correction is a highly specific, manual adjustment applied in a precise direction delivered through the hands of a skilled chiropractor. The adjustment is a quick, shallow sustained thrust with the intent of correcting, not manipulating the subluxation.