Chiropractic is a separate and distinct science, not an alternative to medicine, based on the premise that the body self-heals. Displacements of the spinal bones, known as vertebral subluxation, can cause stress to the spinal cord and are the cause of many unwanted health conditions. Although there have been many valuable techniques that have been developed in the chiropractic profession, the Gonstead System is considered a "gold standard" for chiropractic techniques because of safety and effectiveness in correcting spinal problems due to skeletal misalignments.

The Gonstead Technique is to be as specific, precise and accurate as possible when dealing with areas of misalignment. The chiropractor takes greatest care to ensure a correct position and thrust, providing the most accurate and painless adjustment he can accomplish. The goal of Dr. Chandless is to restore and maintain your optimal health, locating and correcting problems encountered by your nervous system because of sublaxation.

The Gonstead System is comprised of five major elements in the diagnosis and treatment of vetebral sublaxation: x-ray analysis, instrumentation, static palpation, motion palpation and visualization.

To enable Dr. Chandless to correctly diagnose the source of your problem, he takes a set of x-rays of the entire structure of your spine. These x-rays help in evaluating any disease that might be present, fractures, posture, joint and disc integrity and spinal misalignments. Once the x-rays are completed, an instrument called the Nervocope is used. The Nervocope can detect heat along the spine. Uneven temperatures can be indicative of inflammation and nerve pressure at certain points along the spinal column. Static palpatation is the process of feeling your spine when your are seated in a stationery position. This process is used to diagnose swelling, tenderness, or any other abnormal tenderness and tightness along your spinal column. Dr. Chandless uses motion palpation to determine how each segment in your spine moves in different directions, by feeling the spine as it moves at various angles. The last major category of analysis is visualization, cross-referencing all the findings and visualizing changes in posture and movement indicating problems with the alignment of your spine.

Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead became a chiropractor in 1923 after his own experience with chiropractic that had helped his body heal from rheumatoid arthritis. His background in mechanical engineering laid the groundwork for using engineering principles to evaluate the spine. At Lincoln Chiropractic College in Indianapolis he dissected, studied, stained, photographed and reconstructed cadaver spines. Based on his studies, he developed the "foundation principle" to explain how a misalignment or problem area in one part of the spine could create changes in another part. He was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession, developing equipment and a method of analysis that used more than one criteria to verify the precise location of vertebral misalignment. His methods brought him national renown and his patients came from all parts of the world to his clinic In Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. His techniques are now practiced by chiropractic healers all over the world.