How does a chiropractor know which vertebra to adjust?
A chiropractor conducts a very careful assessment, which includes a thorough discussion of past and present medical history of the patient, a comprehensive examination, and x-ray analysis. During the medical history, the doctor is able to identify areas of the patient’s body that are not functioning at their optimal level and are producing noticeable symptoms. During the examination, the doctor is able to identify areas of the spine that are out of alignment by looking at the skin, and noticing postural imbalances and walking patterns (visualization), feeling for the contours of the muscle tone and bony structures below the skin (static palpation), checking for altered motion of spinal segments (motion palpation), detecting temperature differences at different levels of the spine (instrumentation using a Nervoscope tool). While evaluating x-rays, the doctor is looking at the alignment of the vertebrae, the disc height between each consecutive vertebra, whether there is osteoarthritis p
