5 Components of the Gonstead technique

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Why settle for anything less than a comprehensive understanding of your health? At our chiropractic care center in Lakewood Ranch, FL, we believe that every patient deserves a thorough analysis of their clinical picture to ensure the highest quality of care. It's all about providing specific and personalized chiropractic treatment that instills confidence in our patients.

In the realm of uncertainty, we utilize a combination of Visualization, Instrumentation, Palpation, X-Ray, and patient symptoms to pinpoint the exact area that needs adjustment. By correlating all these factors, we increase the likelihood of delivering a precise and effective adjustment tailored to the individual. The more specific the adjustment, the more noticeable the positive changes in the patient's health.

Dr. Gonstead, a pioneer in chiropractic care, emphasized the importance of precision by highlighting that three adjustments on the wrong vertebral segment could lead to a Subluxation. This underscores the significance of being as specific as possible in our approach to ensure optimal results for our patients.


  • X-RAYS

    Within the Gonstead System, comprehensive Full Spine X-Rays encompass both A-P (anterior-posterior) and Lateral views. These X-rays utilize a film size of 14” x 36”, capturing the patient's anatomy from ischium to occiput. The strategic placement provides a holistic perspective.

    Full Spine films, a hallmark of the Gonstead approach, offer distinct advantages. They involve lower radiation exposure compared to sectional X-rays, ensuring patient safety. Additionally, these films deliver an accurate vertebral count, offer a complete spinal contour for posture analysis under axial weight-bearing conditions, and unveil issues beyond the chief complaint—features not achievable through sectional films.

    The significance of Full Spine X-Rays in Gonstead Chiropractic cannot be overstated. They serve as an indispensable tool, enabling practitioners to comprehensively assess and address patients through thorough analysis and corrective procedures.

  • PALPATION

    Gonstead Chiropractic employs both Static and Motion Palpation techniques to accurately identify areas of concern. In the examination process, Static Palpation constitutes the hands-on aspect, revealing changes in contour, tone, texture, and temperature on the patient. Meanwhile, Motion Palpation serves the purpose of discerning a subluxation and its specific listing. These dual approaches play a crucial role in the precision and effectiveness of the Gonstead Chiropractic methodology.

  • INSTRUMENTATION

    Traditionally, a dual probe instrument such as the Nervoscope or Delta-T is employed to conduct a bilateral temperature comparison of the spine, aiming to identify areas of inflammation. The data gathered through these instruments offers insights into the presence of subluxations, whether they are currently undergoing correction, and when the correction has been successfully achieved. This instrumental approach provides valuable information in assessing and monitoring the progress of chiropractic interventions.

  • VISUALIZATION

    In our approach, we meticulously observe and gather information from the patient, starting the moment they walk through the door. In the Gonstead System, Visualization extends beyond mere visual inspection, encompassing subtle details such as variations in ear, shoulder, and hip height, as well as an assessment of posture and gait. This comprehensive observation complements X-Ray and Palpation findings, providing valuable confirmation and enhancing the precision of our diagnostic process.

  • CASE MANAGEMENT (Symptomatology)

    While we don't approach patient care in a rigid, one-size-fits-all manner, understanding a patient's health issues plays a pivotal role in guiding our adjustment strategies. Symptoms become crucial in delineating between the two branches of the Autonomic Nervous System—Sympathetic and Parasympathetic—and assist us in tailoring specific adjustments.

    In the Gonstead System, we integrate insights gathered from various modes of analysis, correlating our findings to pinpoint the probable cause of a patient's health concerns. Once Subluxations are identified, we employ the appropriate Gonstead techniques to effectively address these problematic areas.

    At the core of the Gonstead System is a focus on the dynamics of intervertebral discs as the root cause of subluxations and subsequent neurological dysfunction. This emphasis positions Gonstead practitioners as specialists, often colloquially referred to as "disc doctors."

Dr. Gonstead theorized that when vertebral misalignment disrupts the Parallel Disc relationship, the pivot point of the nucleus pulposus undergoes compression, exerting pressure on the surrounding annular fibers and causing damage.

This tissue damage triggers an inflammatory response, leading to the expansion of the disc. It is this expansion that, in turn, exerts pressure on the nerves within a specific intervertebral foramen, resulting in neurological dysfunction.

According to the Gonstead system, subluxations originate at the disc. Understanding the stages of degeneration becomes crucial in visualizing the corrective approach. This insight guides the determination of the adjusting direction and force necessary for correction in order to address the root cause of the issue.

Within the spine, intervertebral discs play a dual role: serving as protective cushions for flexibility and providing a supportive connection between vertebral bodies to maintain a normal and healthy range of motion.

The Nucleus Pulposus, situated at the core, serves as a dense central mass responsible for holding fluids and nutrients. Functioning as a pivot point or "ball bearing," it facilitates the movement of a vertebral couple. Surrounding this nucleus is the Annulus Fibrosis, comprised of outlying layers of fibrocartilage and collagenous fibers, reminiscent of the rings seen in a cross-section of a tree trunk. The Annulus securely attaches to the cartilaginous endplates of adjacent vertebral bodies.

Dr. Gonstead's Level Disc Theory posits that "anatomically and physiologically normal discs enable vertebral bodies to assume their optimum relationships." This observation manifests when the vertical height of a vertebral couple is consistently uniform 360º around, with the vertebral bodies aligned. This state, termed "Parallel Discs," ensures equal weight-bearing, sufficient nutrient supply, and optimal joint function and movement throughout the spine.

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Trilogy Chiropractic

887 62nd St Cir E #101
Bradenton, FL 34208

(941) 404-7684