The Fear That Keeps People from Getting Help
Last month, a patient, a surfer from Bondi in his early forties, came in after more than a year of managing lower back pain on his own. He’d had chiropractic care once before, found the experience uncomfortable, and decided not to go back. He’d been stretching, doing yoga, trying to manage through movement. When I asked what had put him off the first time, he described exactly what most people picture: lying on his side, spine rotated into a loaded position, and a loud crack that left him sore for two days. He’d assumed that was simply what chiropractic was. He had no idea a different approach existed.
What the Gonstead Adjustment Actually Involves
The Gonstead System uses a positioning and contact approach that specifically avoids rotation of the spine. Rather than twisting the lumbar spine or neck before applying a thrust, the Gonstead adjustment places the patient in a neutral or slightly extended position and applies a precise, directional force to the specific vertebra being targeted.
For the lower back, this often involves the patient seated on a pelvic bench or lying prone (face-down). For the neck, the patient sits upright. The chiropractor makes a specific, controlled contact on the affected vertebral segment and delivers a short, precise adjustment in a single plane of movement — no rotation, no twisting.
Who Benefits Most from a No-Twisting Approach?
- Patients with acute disc injuries or herniations — rotational forces on a bulging disc can aggravate the injury
- Neck injury patients — Gonstead cervical adjustments are performed seated and without rotation into extreme ranges
- Post-surgical patients — a specific, non-rotational approach is far more appropriate than broad manipulation
- Elderly patients — osteoporosis and degenerative disc disease make high-force rotational manipulation less appropriate
- Anxious patients — knowing the approach does not involve twisting can make the decision to come in much easier
- People who have had a bad experience elsewhere — the absence of rotational loading typically means far less post-treatment soreness
What a Session at Gordon Chiropractic Feels Like
At your first appointment, the focus is on thorough assessment before any treatment. I use the full Gonstead five-step analysis process to identify exactly what needs to be corrected and why. The clinic has access to bulk-billed 3D EOS Digital X-ray, which provides detailed structural information while keeping radiation dose low.
When treatment begins, you will be positioned in a way that feels supported and stable. The adjustment itself is brief and precise — most patients describe it as surprisingly comfortable. There is no general “cracking of the whole back.” Only the specific vertebral segment identified as the problem is adjusted. The surfer from Bondi was back surfing the following weekend. He’s now a regular.
Book with Dr Gordon: Call Gordon Chiropractic & Exercise Physiology in Rose Bay on (02) 9371 7774 or book online at gordonchiropractic.com.au.