Gonstead is a system of chiropractic analysis and adjusting developed by the chiropractor Clarence Gonstead. People often know it as a style of adjustment, but the method also includes a structured evaluation before any adjustment, to decide whether to adjust, where, and in which direction.

This article explains what that evaluation involves, what the adjustment itself is like, and when the right answer is no adjustment at all.

Evaluation first, then a decision

The idea at the center of Gonstead care is specificity. Rather than adjusting the whole spine, the evaluation looks for the particular joints that are not moving or functioning as they should, and only those are adjusted.

At Spine & Joint Clinic of Orange County, Dr. Nick Deliberato, D.C., makes a correction only when the evaluation identifies joint dysfunction. He does not perform general manipulations, and a sore area is not automatically the area that gets adjusted.

What the evaluation includes

Plan for at least 60 minutes for your first chiropractic visit. The evaluation brings several kinds of information together:

  • Your case history: what you feel, when it started, what makes it better or worse, previous injuries and your health history.
  • Static palpation: feeling the spine and surrounding tissues while you are still.
  • Motion palpation, including weight-bearing: feeling how each segment moves as you move.
  • Thermal analysis of the spine: an instrument that compares temperature readings on each side of the spine.
  • Orthopedic and neurological tests, such as specific movements, strength, reflexes and sensation.

No single test decides

Each of these tells part of the story. Together, these assessments help Dr. Nick understand the problem and how your body has adapted around it, and they inform whether an adjustment is indicated and where.

Where X-rays fit in

Gonstead practitioners have traditionally used X-rays to study the spine. X-rays are not taken at this office. If imaging would help answer a specific question, Dr. Nick refers you to a nearby imaging provider. If you already have imaging or reports, you can upload them through the patient portal before your visit.

What the adjustment is like

When the evaluation identifies joint dysfunction, Dr. Nick adjusts that area specifically and adds hands-on soft-tissue work where it helps. The spine is not twisted or rotated as a whole, and general manipulations are not performed.

You leave knowing what Dr. Nick found, why he did what he did, and what you can work on between visits.

When an adjustment is not the answer

Dr. Nick only makes an adjustment when the evaluation identifies joint dysfunction. If findings suggest something that needs medical assessment, such as imaging or blood work, Dr. Nick will tell you and refer you.

Some symptoms need medical care before any chiropractic visit. The warning signs are on the back and joint pain page, linked under Related reading.

Questions worth asking

  • What did the evaluation find, and which joint are you adjusting?
  • Why that joint, and not the one that hurts?
  • Would imaging change the decision in my case?
  • What can I work on between visits?

This article is general education, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Individual needs and outcomes vary.