What Is the Gonstead Method?
Dr. Clarence Gonstead, a pioneer in chiropractic care, reshaped the profession by establishing a chiropractic hub in small-town Wisconsin, leaving an enduring legacy. Born in 1898, Gonstead's journey from a farm in Primrose, Wisconsin, to developing groundbreaking chiropractic theories was marked by personal transformation after overcoming rheumatoid arthritis through chiropractic adjustments. His innovative Level Disc Theory challenged prevailing ideas about subluxation, leading to the creation of a new method for detecting and correcting vertebral misalignments, known as the Gonstead System. Gonstead's dedication to his craft and patient care made his clinic in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, internationally renowned, solidifying his influence on chiropractic excellence.
The Gonstead Technique
The Gonstead Technique, a chiropractic approach, emphasizes a comprehensive analysis using five components: Visualization, Instrumentation, Palpation, X-Ray, and patient symptoms.
The goal is to ensure precise adjustments, promoting specificity and patient confidence.
- X-rays are crucial, employing Full Spine views for accurate analysis, vertebral count, posture assessment, and identification of issues beyond the chief complaint.
- Palpation involves Static and Motion techniques to pinpoint areas of concern.
- Instrumentation, utilizing a dual probe instrument, gauges spinal temperature differences, indicating subluxations and their correction progress.
- Visualization observes patient characteristics, height differences, posture, and gait to complement X-Ray and Palpation findings.
- Case Management considers patient symptoms, aiding in understanding the Autonomic Nervous System and guiding specific adjustments.
The Gonstead system focuses on intervertebral disc dynamics as the root cause of subluxations and neurological dysfunction. Specificity in adjustments is emphasized to prevent inadvertent subluxations.
