Chiropractic Method
The Gonstead Method.
The most specific, thorough, and evidence-based chiropractic analysis system available. We use Gonstead because precision matters — and because patients deserve a structural evaluation that actually identifies what's wrong before any correction is attempted.
Background
What Is the Gonstead Method?
The Gonstead Method was developed by Dr. Clarence Gonstead in the mid-20th century — a mechanical engineer turned chiropractor whose engineering mindset led him to approach spinal analysis with a precision that was far ahead of its time. His system remains the gold standard for specific chiropractic analysis today.
Most chiropractic techniques adjust broadly — working on regions of the spine with generalized manipulation. Gonstead is different. It identifies specific segments, determines the exact nature and direction of the dysfunction, and delivers a precise correction to that specific location. Nothing more, nothing less.
This level of specificity requires a more thorough diagnostic process — and that's exactly what Gonstead delivers. The analysis involves five components working together to build a complete picture of the structural problem before any correction is made.
"Find the subluxation, accept it where you find it, correct it, and leave it alone."
Five-Criteria Analysis
How We Find the Problem
Gonstead analysis uses five distinct assessment criteria — each providing different information about the structural problem. A finding is only significant when multiple criteria converge on the same segment. This convergence is what makes Gonstead specific.
Visualization
Postural and gait analysis to identify asymmetries, compensatory patterns, and visible structural distortions. The body reveals its structural problems in posture — to a trained eye. Observation informs which segments to investigate more closely with other criteria.
Instrumentation
The nervoscope — a dual-probe heat-sensing instrument — is run down the spine to detect temperature asymmetry on each side. Inflammation and nerve interference generate heat. Temperature differentials at specific segments are an objective indicator of subluxation that doesn't rely on patient-reported pain.
Static Palpation
Manual assessment of the spine in a stationary position to identify edema (tissue swelling), changes in tissue texture, and tenderness at specific segments. The presence of edema is a reliable indicator of active inflammation and subluxation — helping to narrow the location of dysfunction further.
Motion Palpation
Assessment of each spinal segment through movement — evaluating the quality and range of motion at the joint. A subluxated segment moves abnormally: restricted, hypermobile, or moving in the wrong plane. Motion palpation reveals which specific direction of the misalignment needs to be corrected.
X-Ray Analysis
When clinically indicated, full-spine X-rays provide visualization of structural alignment in weight-bearing position. Gonstead X-ray analysis uses precise mensuration — measuring actual angular relationships between vertebrae — to confirm the direction, magnitude, and nature of the subluxation. This is what allows corrections to be precisely specific rather than estimated.
Why Specificity Matters
Precise Analysis. Precise Correction.
General spinal manipulation has value. But when a patient has a specific subluxation at a specific segment — misaligned in a specific direction — adjusting the wrong segment or in the wrong direction doesn't correct the problem. It can actually reinforce dysfunction by introducing motion at the wrong level.
Gonstead analysis identifies the problem with the same precision that the correction requires. The five criteria work as a convergence system: when visualization, instrumentation, static palpation, motion palpation, and X-ray all point to the same segment and the same direction — that's where we adjust. And that's what we adjust.
This is why patients who've been through generalized chiropractic care — sometimes for years — often respond differently to Gonstead care. The analysis is more thorough, the correction is more targeted, and the results hold because the right problem is being addressed.
General Chiropractic
- Regional analysis — broad areas
- Adjustment based on region of pain
- Manipulation of multiple segments
- No objective heat differential data
- X-ray rarely used or analyzed precisely
Gonstead Method
- Segment-specific analysis
- Adjustment based on five-criteria convergence
- Only subluxated segments adjusted
- Objective nervoscope instrumentation
- Precise mensuration X-ray analysis
Common Questions
About the Gonstead Method
- Is Gonstead chiropractic safe?
- Yes. The specificity of Gonstead is part of what makes it safe — only segments identified as subluxated through the five-criteria analysis are adjusted. Healthy segments aren't unnecessarily manipulated. The analysis also ensures the adjustment vector is correct before delivery, reducing the risk of inappropriate force direction.
- Does Gonstead care hurt?
- Adjustments are specific and controlled. Some patients experience mild soreness for 24–48 hours after early adjustments — this is a normal response as the body adapts to structural correction. Most patients find care comfortable and many report immediate relief of tension and stiffness following adjustments.
- Why don't more chiropractors use Gonstead?
- Gonstead is more demanding than generalized manipulation — the full analysis takes more time, requires more diagnostic skill, and demands a higher level of specificity in the adjustment delivery. Many practitioners prefer higher-volume, lower-intensity approaches. We chose Gonstead because our patients deserve the most thorough and specific analysis available.
- Do you always take X-rays?
- Only when clinically indicated. We follow conservative radiation principles — X-rays are taken when they will provide clinically significant information that changes care decisions. If recent imaging exists, we'll review what you have before recommending new X-rays.
Experience the Difference
A Structural Evaluation That Actually Tells You Something.
The Gonstead evaluation gives you an objective picture of your structural health — not just a description of where it hurts. Schedule your new patient visit and find out exactly what's going on and what can be done about it.