Have you ever wondered exactly what you Chiropractor is doing? Well, here’s a few of the basic techniques commonly used, as well as a few details about what they do!
1. Gonstead technique
This hands-on technique often involves adjusting the low back or pelvis as the patient lies on his side. Chiropractors use it to realign joints, reduce pain and stiffness, and increase mobility. “This adjusting technique is virtually universal in chiropractic education and is taught to students early in their learning process,” Hayden says.
2. Activator technique
A handheld adjusting instrument delivers a gentle impulse into the vertebral segments of the spine, or the extremities. The force feels like a light thumping sensation when used to treat everything from low back pain to certain types of headaches, like migraines. “It is very comfortable to the patient and an excellent choice for seniors,” Hayden says.
3. Flexion distraction
Also called Cox Technic or decompression manipulation, it’s used in more than half of all chiropractic clinics, and a method of choice when treating disc herniations, facet joint pain, scoliosis and other conditions, Hayden says. “Patients should expect to feel a gentle stretching motion,” he says of the technique that requires a specially designed adjusting table.
4. Thompson, or drop table, technique
This involves a specially adapted table with padded platforms designed to drop a fraction of an inch when the chiropractor applies a quick thrust to make an adjustment. The subtle dropping motion, which patients feel as vibration, makes it very comfortable for most patients, Hayden says. It can be used for the spine or extremities.
5. Diversified technique
Also employed to adjust the spine and extremities, this feels similar to the Gonstead technique. It’s considered the most widely used technique involving very precise hands-on thrusts aimed at restoring proper movement and alignment to the spine.
So, if you find yourself suffering from any of the common ailments listed above, be sure to contact us at LifeQuest!
