Jeff Langmaid (presenter) argues that spinal adjustments provide benefits beyond pain relief, including improving movement patterns, increasing joint stability and control, reducing Cobb angles, decreasing lower-limb stress, and retraining motor patterns. He emphasizes assessing gait and movement (not only X-rays) in scoliosis patients and combining adjustments with movement-based exercises to reinforce stability and symmetry over time.
Chapters
This study confirms what probably you listening have observed firsthand that spinal adjustments is about more than just pain relief. You can enhance and improve movement patterns. You can decrease cob angles, you can increase joint stability and control. You can reduce the stress on the lower limb. And if you're taking care of scoliosis patients, which pretty much all of us are, it's important to consider make sure you're assessing those gait and movement patterns, not just those X rays, but really with a fine tooth comb. Look at the walking patterns, understand the balance and joint mobility. It could matter just as much, if not more, than the Cobb angle itself. Keep in mind that the adjustments you deliver can retrain movement. It's not just all about the joint position. It's also about resetting motor patterns, which can lead to better long term function for every one of those individuals coming into your practice and encouraging movement based care. I always say we're movement based healthcare professionals at our core. Regardless of how you approach the technique in your practice and when, you can combine the adjustments that you provide with guidance on exercises, whether the patient's doing it at home or in your practice, this can help reinforce force, improving stability and symmetry over time.
