The Spinal Manipulation Technique

If we’ve not convinced you to try chiropractic care with all our recent posts, maybe this one will! We focus on discussing the spinal manipulation technique, just one of the  100 types of spinal adjustments used by chiropractors worldwide.

What are it’s uses? Historically, spinal manipulative therapy for acute low back pain has been regarded as the best example of evidence-based care routinely offered by the chiropractic profession. So there you go, it has been proven to be effective even in the past.

Some chiropractors use more gentle techniques such as spinal mobilization. On the other hand, some also use ice and heat therapy, electric stimulation, traction devices that stretch the spine, and ultrasound for deep tissue heating. But here we focus on spinal manipulation, also called the high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust technique.

Manipulation of the cervical spine or neck region is a common technique used by chiropractors for many patients complaining of neck pain, back pain, and headaches.  It is among the oldest and most frequently used chiropractic techniques. There are actually three types:

This diversified technique is the form of high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust that is traditionally associated with chiropractic manual adjustments. Chiropractors apply a short and quick thrust over restricted joints with the goal of restoring normal range of motion in the joint. The patient’s body is positioned in specific ways to optimize the adjustment of the spine.

The Gonstead adjustment is another type.  It is quite similar to the diversified technique, but different in terms of the evaluation of  the problematic joint and the specificity of body positioning. This technique uses specially designed chairs and tables to position the patient, such as the cervical chair or the chest-knee table.

Yet another type of spinal manipulation technique is the Thompson Terminal Point which involves the use of specialized treatment tables. Each table used has parts which drop a short distance whenever the chiropractor performs a HVLA thrust on the patient, facilitating the movement of the joint. This type of manipulation may also be considered as a more gentle adjustment approach.