Gonstead Chiropractic

Gonstead Chiropractic

Until now, you may have thought that all chiropractors are created equal and “adjust the same way.” This is not the truth and we are here to tell you why. Please explore the tremendous benefits of seeking a gonstead chiropractor.

The Gonstead Method is one of the most well-known and highly respected techniques in chiropractic. The Gonstead Method is a safe and effective technique that uses a five-step process to analyze your spine and ensure that we are getting a complete picture about your health.

Dr. Clarence Gonstead

The Gonstead Method was named after Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead (1898-1978).

Before becoming a chiropractor, Dr. Gonstead worked in the field of engineering. His background gave him a unique perspective when studying and analyzing the human frame.

His unparalleled work ethic, combined with his desire for constant improvement and understanding of spinal mechanics in relation to the nervous system, led to the development of one of the most sought after chiropractic techniques in the world. While this may not have been his intent, he redefined the very nature of chiropractic.

What Makes the Gonstead Technique Different?

A Gonstead doctor takes all of the tools to put together the puzzle that is each individual patient. The Gonstead Technique takes a lot of practice and education. The more we can understand about your spine, the better able we are to serve you and your healthcare needs. The more we can understand, the more efficiently we can correctly find and eliminate structural shifts in the spine.

5 step process

Before we adjust your spine, we take the time to analyze and investigate how your spine works and what it needs to work most efficiently. This is where the five step process helps us to identify and remove structural shifts, or subluxations. Structure determines function. When our spines are free of structural shifts, our bodies can function to their peak potential.

  • How does the patient in front of me look today? Visualization starts the moment a patient walks in the door. Is there a difference in height of shoulders or hips? Does their skin or muscles show and swelling, redness, edema? Are they in pain, are they sitting in a certain way to try to avoid pain? Is their posture or gait different from last visit? This is all important information and can change each and every visit.

  • Gonstead doctors always use a Nervoscope, every single visit. This is a fancy word that describes a dual probe thermometer that detects inflammation by reading nerve inflammation from left side of the spine to the right side of your spine. When there is a significant difference in temperature this suggests there is a structure shift in your spine causing inflammation. This inflammation tells us you may need to be adjusted in that area. This nervoscope helps us to pin point exactly which vertebra is causing your symptoms, and helps us to be as specific as possible with your care.

  • This is the process of feeling your spine in a stationary (or static) position. We feel for swelling (or edema or inflammation), and any abnormalities or tightness in the muscles and other tissues of your back.

  • Opposite of static palpation, motion palpation is feeling your spine while moving. How are your bones moving (or not moving) TODAY. Each joint in the back should have some degree of movement, if there is no movement this is another indication that specific spot needs to be adjusted.

  • “To see is to know, not to see is to guess” and at Peak Potential Chiropractic we will never guess when it comes to your health. A full spine x-ray allows us to analyze the structure of your spine. This also allows us to rule out any pathologies or abnormalities. X-ray films allow another layer of specificity to ensure you are getting the best possible care.