The Buxton Technological Course in Painless Chiropractic
A. G. A. Buxton, D.C.
1926

CHAPTER VIII

PREPARING TO ADJUST THE DORSALS, LUMBARS, SACRUM AND ILIUM

    EVERY care should be taken by the adjuster to have his body directly over the patient in the manner shown in illustration No. 7, the sternum centered directly over the patient’s spine.

    In steppin toward the patient to give an adjustment, place the hand immediately upon the back of the  patient and at the same time push the loose tissue of the body toward the superior and hold it there until the other hand is in position opposite.  See illustration No. 6.  One hand is used as a pressure hand and the other free to make the adjustment.

    Always put the pressure needed on the high side, as though attempting to pry, then make the thrust by the opposite hand on the low side, as shown by illustration No. 7.

    Never give the thrust on the high side since the prominence of the transverse  process at the subluxated vertebra would receive the greater force of the thrust with little support of the adjacent processes, while if the thrust is given on the low side you have the immediate support of the adjacent transverse processes together with the subluxated transverse coming into alignment, which makes injury impossible, but most probable in giving the thrust on the high side.

    Therefore, always remember to give the thrust on the low side using the pressure hand on the hige side.

    You will observe that your pressure or prying hand at first covers only the one subluxated transverse process, while the opposite or thrust hand rests upon two transverse  processes adjacent to the subluxated point.

    When pressure is put upon the high side this pushes the subluxated transverse down to a level with the adjacent transverse processes and pries or lifts the opposite rotated transverse  process up toward a level with its adjacent ones, hence presenting, or nearly so, three transverse  processes to receive the blow of the thrust against the probability of only one on the opposite side.

    The irregularity of the processes in scoliosis, lordosis and kyphotic conditions creates a low and high side, vice versa along the median line.  In such cases, reverse the thrust and prying or pressure hand accordingly.  See illustration No. 4.