Chiropractic is the science, art and philosophy with the unique approach of looking to the CAUSE of disease not just the treatment of symptoms. A chiropractor examines the spine and nervous system with a detailed "hands on" assessment of the vertebral column and its contiguous structures for the diagnosis of subluxation.

This diagnosis can only be made by functional examination of the spine to determine specific areas of restriction. It is this loss of normal spinal biomechanics that impacts the nervous system in such a way that it prevents normal nerve function locally at the site of the lesion and potentially to many other areas of the body such as the viscera. With the presence of subluxation, the body cannot be healthy.

The Gonstead Method of chiropractic care was developed by Clarence S. Gonstead of Mt Horeb, Wisconsin beginning in 1923. He refined his unique system over a 55 year period.  The Gonstead Method focuses on being as specific as possible with the examination and treatment of the subluxation. The examination includes taking a detailed history, instrumentation, static and motion palpation, neurological testing and full spine xrays taken in the standing, weight bearing position.

It is the functional examination that determines whether or not a patient has a subluxation and the information of the assessment is then applied to the xray to determine the best manner in which to treat the condition. Treatment is done by administering a very specific manipulation called an adjustment.

The goal of the Gonstead practitioner is to "do the least to achieve the most". That is to say, the least amount of segments to be adjusted with the least amount of force the least amount of times. This is case specific to each patient. The Gonstead chiropractor does NOT treat every patient with the same manipulative procedure of twisting the neck and lower back from both the right and the left and the middle back from top to bottom.

Every patient is a unique case with specific subluxations and must not be given the same course of manipulation. That type of approach could potentially harm individuals with too much impact to the joints of the spinal column and result in neurological insult. The Gonstead chiropractor believes that chiropractic care is not scientific unless the manipulation is specific (the adjustment).

This system has hundreds of years of combined clinical experience and has been tried and tested. Through the process of deductive science, the Gonstead chiropractor is confident that if subluxations are found during the functional examination, he or she has a specific protocol for treatment with an expected result. Furthermore, if a need for additional evaluation is found necessary, he or she will refer the patient to the appropriate doctor or therapist to insure that the needs of each patient are properly met.