The method
The Gonstead System. The gold standard.
The most specific and demanding technique in chiropractic, and the one our care is built on. Dr Arthur Kaganovitch (Chiropractor) is Gonstead trained. It is a method that refuses to guess, and it is why care at Aura is as precise as it is.
How the analysis works
Five readings, one picture
The Gonstead System uses five separate ways of assessing the spine. Each is a different lens, and nothing is adjusted until they agree on where and why.
Visualisation
01Care begins by watching. How you stand, how you move and how you hold yourself reveal a great deal, and the subtle asymmetries point to where the spine deserves a closer look.
Instrumentation
02A handheld instrument is guided along the spine to read the small differences in skin temperature either side of it. Those differences can signal where a nerve is irritated, an objective reading rather than a guess.
Static palpation
03The spine is felt at rest, vertebra by vertebra, for tenderness, swelling, muscle tone and position. It is the sense of touch doing what no image on its own can.
Motion palpation
04The same joints are then felt in motion, to find the ones that have lost their normal range. A spine that has stopped moving freely is often the source of the problem.
X-ray analysis
05Where it is clinically indicated, full-spine imaging shows the structure, alignment and disc integrity beneath the surface, so the adjustment is planned on what is actually there.
The origin
A lifetime spent making chiropractic exact
Dr Clarence Gonstead, a Palmer graduate, spent his career refining a specific and scientific way to analyse and adjust the spine.[1] What grew from it became one of the most respected systems in the profession, used by chiropractors around the world. Its principle is the one Aura is built on. The nervous system is the master system of the body, and when the spine loses its proper position or movement it can interfere with the signals that system carries. The work is to find that interference and correct it, so the body can do what it does best.
“Find it, be specific, and leave the rest alone.”
Specific, not general. The Gonstead adjustment is aimed at a single vertebra at a time, by hand, with intention. Only what needs to move is moved, and nothing else is disturbed.
Measured, not assumed. Five separate readings have to agree before an adjustment is made. It is one of the most demanding techniques to learn, and one of the most precise to receive.
Understood, not mysterious. You are shown what was found and why it matters, so you can take an informed part in your own care. The five criteria come together at your $99 Initial Assessment, alongside our own heart rate variability and thermographic measurements. New to chiropractic? Start with the basics.
- Developed by
- Dr Clarence Gonstead, a Palmer graduate, over a career spent making chiropractic exact
- The principle
- Find it, be specific, and leave the rest alone
- The analysis
- Five separate readings of the spine, which have to agree before an adjustment is made
- The adjustment
- By hand, aimed at a single vertebra at a time, with intention
- At Aura
- Dr Arthur Kaganovitch (Chiropractor) is Gonstead trained
Your first visit
$99 Initial Assessment, ordinarily $189
Everything below is included. New patients only, one per person, no obligation to continue.
- Full case history
- Spinal examination
- Posture analysis
- Neurological examination
- Heart rate variability (HRV) measurement
- Thermographic (skin-temperature) scans
- Referral for spinal imaging (X-ray) if clinically indicated
Your first visit is a full assessment. We take a complete case history, examine your spine, analyse your posture, and run a neurological examination. We also measure your nervous system with heart rate variability and thermographic scans. If imaging is clinically indicated, we will refer you for an X-ray. You leave with a clear picture of what is going on.
The first visit is $99, ordinarily $189. It is for new patients only, one per person, as a one-off payment, with no obligation to continue. Any imaging is charged by the imaging provider and is not included in the $99.
No. Chiropractic is a primary contact profession in Australia, so you can book directly, with no referral needed.
Chiropractic sessions are claimable under most extras cover, and we provide item-coded receipts. The DNA profiling and the HRV and thermographic scans are generally not claimable. It is worth checking your level of cover with your fund.
Sources
- 1. Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. The Gonstead System, 2024. View source
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for individual care. The population figures and guideline positions above are drawn from the cited sources. Observations attributed to Dr Arthur Kaganovitch (Chiropractor) reflect his clinical experience at Aura and are not claims of guaranteed outcomes.
Written by Dr Arthur Kaganovitch (Chiropractor). Last reviewed 8 September 2026.
Nothing is adjusted until five readings agree
Start with the $99 Initial Assessment, ordinarily $189, new patients only, no obligation to continue.