CHIROPRACTIC
TECHNIQUES
For the prospective
chiropractic patient, one of the most important things to consider
is that not all chiropractic treatment is the same. In fact, there
are over thirty (30) techniques in existence. However, there is
a core group of techniques that encompass most chiropractic practices;
these are the ones that will be discussed.
Chiropractic,
by nature, does not easily conform to a single set of empirical
standards. It is grounded on the theory that structure influences
function (i.e,.spinal structure influences bodily function), and
that correction of abnormal spinal structure can lead to improved
bodily function; i.e., health. It is this second phrase that accounts
for chiropractic's diverse approaches. As more was learned about
the body and how it reacts to manual (hand-delivered) forces,
different approaches for detecting and correcting spinal abnormaliites
emerged over the course of the last 50 years. For example, one
technique involves treating just the atlas-- the first vertebrae
in the spine under the skull; while another technique uses a small
hand-held instrument to "tap" specific vertebrae to
elicit a reflex that helps to correct the spinal abnormality.
Despite the
many chiropractic techniques, they all have the same goal: to
detect structural deviations or restrictions in the spine and
correct them. The word "correct" can mean improving
the spinal joint's range of motion and/or restore it's normal
alignment relative to the rest of the spine, with the hope that
pain is reduced and health is improved as a consequence.
The main chiropractic
techniques are named as follows:
(1) Diversified
(2) Gonstead
(3) Chiropractic Biophysics
(4) Activator Method