The method
The Gonstead System
A deliberate, specific way of analysing and adjusting the spine, and the one every visit here is built on. The examination is discussed before any care is proposed; X-rays are considered only when clinically indicated.
The Gonstead System is a way of analysing and adjusting the spine, developed by Dr Clarence Gonstead across a working lifetime in practice. It is the technique used at Advanced Chiropractic in Mulgrave, and it is the reason a first visit here takes as long as it does.
What the Gonstead System is
Gonstead looks at the spine as a whole. The chiropractor works out which joint has changed in position or movement, and whether that joint accounts for the symptoms you came in with. The analysis uses five separate criteria, and no single finding is acted on by itself.[1]
The point of all five is specificity. One level of the spine, adjusted by hand, with the rest of the spine left alone.
Who was Dr Gonstead
Clarence Gonstead built the system out of a long practice at Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, developing his own approach to spinal analysis, X-ray and adjusting from what he saw in front of him. The technique is taught today by the Gonstead Clinical Studies Society, a non-profit body that also funds research into it.[1]
The five criteria
A Gonstead assessment works through the same set of criteria, each a different way of reading the same spine and each used to cross reference the others.[1] The first four are hands-on and part of every examination. Imaging is the fifth, and it is used only where the examination indicates it.
Visualisation
Posture and movement, watched closely. Small changes in how you stand, sit and turn are a cross reference for everything else the examination turns up.
Instrumentation
A handheld instrument called the Nervoscope is guided down either side of the spine to compare skin temperature side to side. In the Gonstead method this is one of five cross checks, not a diagnosis on its own. It feels like two fingers gliding down your back.
Static palpation
The spine is felt at rest, level by level, for swelling, tenderness, and changes in the tone and texture of the muscles and other tissues around it.
Motion palpation
The same joints are then felt while the spine is moved and bent at different angles, so the chiropractor can tell how easily each segment moves in each direction.
X-ray analysis
Where imaging is indicated, films are taken standing and weight bearing. They show the structure of the spine, joint and disc integrity, alignment, and anything such as a recent fracture that would change the plan. X-rays are taken only when the examination calls for them, and any fee is explained before a film is taken.
The Gonstead adjustment
The adjustment is a specific, controlled movement at one level of the spine, delivered by hand with you positioned so the rest of the spine is not twisted. Dr Arthur explains what he has found and what he is about to do before he does it.
What that looks like at your visit
The five criteria are not a separate service. They are what a first appointment here consists of: your history, the full examination, X-rays if they are clinically indicated, and a report of findings in plain language. That is the $99 New Patient Visit, and you can read the whole appointment step by step before you book.
New to chiropractic altogether? Start with what chiropractic is, or look through the problems people bring in.
Why the examination takes the time it does
Your first visit includes time for the history, examination and discussion of findings. You can ask about the proposed next steps, risks and alternatives before deciding.
Sources
- 1. Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. What makes us so special?, 2025. View source
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for individual care. The guideline and regulatory positions above are drawn from the cited sources.
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Discuss the examination and your options
Book the $99 New Patient Visit in Mulgrave and discuss the next steps.