Newton's Laws of Physics Applied to Chiropractic Adjustment Utilizing Motion Adjusting
TECHNIQUE
Gary Huddleston
As chiropractors, we should always be looking for better, simpler, and easier ways to adjust our patients. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the adjustment is often more difficult to perform, or more compelling to the patient. These factors include, but are not limited to, age, degenerative joint disease, old injuries, subluxation, past surgeries, and vertebral fixation just to name a few.
No matter what anyone says, no one technique applies to everyone or produces the results both the doctor and patient want every time.
As a graduate of CCC in 1981 and an inventor and manufacturer of chiropractic equipment for more than 30 years, I have been privy to research, techniques, and various forms of treatment devised by some of the best chiropractors who have ever practiced. Many of these methods have withstood the sands of time, and many have just been fads or passing fancies. Whatever or whenever a new idea, product, or gimmick is introduced to the chiropractic profession, we always come back to the correction of the subluxation and fixation complex as our professional mainstay.
“The motion of the table falls in line with many of Newton’s laws of physics, which helps make the adjustment easier and more beneficial. The reason for this continued growth for the use of these tables is three simple reasons—simplicity, accuracy and results. 5 5
Using a table that produces continuous passive motion produces many satisfactory benefits to the doctor and patient. The motion of the table falls in line with many of Newton’s laws of physics, which helps make the adjustment easier and more beneficial. The reason for this continued growth for the use of these tables is three simple reasons—simplicity, accuracy and results.
Newton’s first law of physics states, “Everything continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
Applying this law to the chiropractic adjustment in the simplest terms means a vertebra will stay at rest, or subluxated or fixated, until an outside force of sufficient magnitude is applied to put that segment into motion—that force being the chiropractic adjustment.
Newton’s second law of physics states, “The acceleration produced by particular force acting on a body is directly proportional to the magnitude of the force and inversely
proportional to the mass of the body.”
The second law more or less states that a force of substantial means or velocity is needed to produce the desired result. If a doctor tries to administer the adjustment without enough force, or without the proper line of drive or velocity, then failure will follow.
We all have encountered the situation of trying to adjust a patient when the optimum adjustment wasn’t obtained due to muscle tension, fixation, or other biomechanical factors that kept the segment locked into place, which also plays back to physics law number one.
Finally, Newton’s third law of physics says, “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction, or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and directed to contrary parts.”
When applied to the chiropractic adjustment, the third law means that whatever force you exert on the vertebrae, there will be an equal force of resistance. So what you are doing with the speed, direction, and force of your adjustment is counteracting or superseding the three laws of physics.
We all have been adjusting patients for years, and our results speak for themselves. However, wouldn’t it be a benefit to both you and your patient if you could deliver an adjust-
ment with more precision and with less force, as well as have simple defined protocols that even allow you to treat more patients per day with less wear and tear on you, the doctor?
When a specific adjustment is performed, we do two things. First of all, we must give the vertebra motion in order to correct or move the subluxation, misalignment, or fixation. Secondly, once the vertebra is in motion, and at the same time, we have to give it direction. These two factors must be accomplished in order to correct the vertebral subluxationfixation complex. It is not any more complicated or simpler then what has been stated.
However, to accomplish these two goals, you must overcome the first law of physics; an object will remain at rest until sufficient energy has been exerted to put that object in motion. You are also trying to counteract tight muscles and other mechanical factors, which play into the other two laws of physics.
Adjusting in motion on an electric flexion table removes nearly 50% of the first law of physics. The electric flexion table was often thought of as only a low-back treating tool for flexion therapy, but one of its biggest advantages is to make the adjustment easier. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Huddleston has used the electric flexion table to make all adjustments easier for both the doctor and patient, as well as doing flexion distraction techniques for disc injuries. It should be noted that there are several very good electric flexion tables on the market that will help the doctor accomplish his or her goal of motion adjusting.
The initial concept is simple—put the spine in motion first and then give it specific direction or line of drive.
The patient is placed prone on the electric flexion table, and the table is set for a comfortable speed setting of approximately 12 to 14 flexion strokes per minute. Both leg lengths should be checked for pelvic categories as well as determining any cervical category that needs to be addressed.
While the table is moving and in the flexing down cycle, the doctor makes the adjustment. The author uses drop pieces to make this procedure quick and painless, but drops are not necessary. The different categories are then checked. If the categories are balanced, then more subluxation or fixation can be treated. Various stretches can also be done before or after balancing as well and are easily accomplished during the flexion-extension cycles of the table. The stretches feel very good to the patient and help remove tension in the muscular system.
What you have done by using a passive motion flexion table is to eliminate nearly 50% of the adjusting equation. By putting the spine in controlled bio-flexion, you no longer have to address the movement faction of the adjustment, and thus counterbalance physics law number one. Now, all you need to do is give the adjustment direction.
Once you understand motion adjusting and how it works, you will find yourself adjusting with close to 40% less thrust or force. Not only is this a benefit to the patient, but over the long term, it saves the doctor’s own physical well-being by requiring much less stress as well on his or her structure, as well as hundreds of hours in time during his or her career.
One thing we can never get back is time. Once it is spent, it is gone forever. Motion adjusting does help the doctor by not only making the treatment easier as mentioned, but also speeds the adjustment up tremendously by addressing areas that need to be treated and bypassing ones that don’t. Often, the balancing phase alone will bring about tremendous results for the patient. As an example, while at a national seminar, the author once treated more than 200 patients on a Friday, 383 on a Saturday, and over 125 on a Sunday. Every patient was balanced and treated to their tolerance based on information given at the seminar.
Finally, there is one other aspect that makes motion adjusting such a viable tool—the price. You can purchase an electric adjusting-flexion table from less than $3,000 to whatever you want to pay. There are no recurring franchise fees, no ongoing consulting or coaching fees, and you only pay for the table once. You then have that piece of equipment for years and thousands of patients to come. Remember, the fastest way to build or grow your practice is to get more sick people well.
There is no treatment that fits everyone, or any one chiropractic method perfect for every condition. However, motion adjusting has shown to be a wonderful mainstay and proven chiropractic component for more than three decades, and maybe that new tool in your tool chest needed to get the extra results you want.
Dr. Gary Huddleston is a certified instructor for motion adjusting, flexion-distraction methods, and spinal decompression. He has worked for decades in the professional sports, film, and entertainment industry. He also owns Accuflex Tables and maintains a practice, www. accuflextables. com
