Specific vs. General Adjustments: What "Specific" Really Means in Gonstead Care

Chiropractic technique varies a lot from office to office, and the word "specific" gets used loosely sometimes. In Gonstead chiropractic, it has a concrete meaning: an adjustment delivered to one particular vertebral segment, in a particular direction, based on findings from visualization, instrumentation, palpation, and X-ray analysis that all point to that same segment.

That's different from an adjustment style that moves through a broader region of the spine as a matter of routine — for example, a general mobilization of the whole neck or low back regardless of which individual segment the exam identified as the actual problem. Both approaches have a place in chiropractic care broadly, but they're not the same thing, and it's worth understanding which one you're receiving.

The Gonstead approach requires the exam to agree across multiple methods before an adjustment is delivered to a specific segment. If the findings don't line up — say, instrumentation suggests one level but palpation suggests another — that discrepancy gets worked through rather than adjusted anyway. This is part of why the exam takes real time, and why an adjustment isn't given "just in case."

For patients who've had general or regional adjustments elsewhere without full relief, a specific, segment-based approach can surface something that a broader technique wasn't built to isolate.

Read more: the Gonstead exam process, Dr. Will Bartlett's background.

Frequently asked questions

Does a specific adjustment feel different from a general one?

Many patients describe it as more targeted and less broadly forceful, since it's directed at one segment rather than a wider region.

Is a general adjustment technique ineffective?

Not necessarily — different techniques suit different cases. The point of a specific approach is precision, not that other methods have no value.

How do you confirm which segment needs the adjustment?

By requiring agreement across visualization, instrumentation, palpation, and X-ray analysis — not any single finding on its own.

[Book An Appointment](https://mainestreamhealthco.janeapp.com/) — Mainestream Health Co., 15 Main Street, Gray, ME. Call or text (207) 317-6770.