By: Gardner Schofield Chiropractic

Embrace Your Inner Wisdom

Chiropractors have a unique skill in the world of health care. Unique in that it is not found in any other area of health care or practitioner.

Practitioners of all sorts may assess movement, strength, and pain, but there is one thing they do not do. Outside of chiropractors, that is.

And that skill is to determine, by hand, and also through other valuable tests, together what exact segments of the spine need help. And which ones are great just the way that they are. In other words, are best left alone.

An old research paper describes fascinating details of this in a large group of patients with cervical spine pain and/or radiating symptoms, referred from different areas of the neck.

And what they found, after months of thorough research, speaks perfectly to this specialty unique to chiropractic. Firstly, they noted how important a very detailed and specific exam was to precisely determine the source of the problem.

They used an exam of the spine, specific types of x-rays and other tests. And found that the detailed exam was highly necessary, stating:

“In attempting to find the disk level and the nerve root involved, a careful physical examination is essential.”1

And one of the reasons why a detailed evaluation is so critical, and relates to chiropractors’ unique ability and training, is this - they found that often the bony segment of the spine that needed help, that wasn’t moving, was right next to one that was already moving too much.

Meaning, when someone is having trouble, and could really use some help getting better, you can see how helpful and important this skill really is.

About this finding, these researchers noted: “A very interesting combination is a hypermobile vertebra,” ie, one that is moving too much already, found “proximal to a fixed segment.” And they used specific x-rays to find these right next to each.

Thank goodness for old research - and the combo of specific exams and uniquely skilled hands.