Coronal plane-
In order to understand the basic elements of the Grostic/NUCCA adjustment,
one must picture and consider the adjustor’s skeletal framework from a strictly
mechanical perspective. One must consider the adjustor’s spine as the handle of
a hammer, the basic lever from which the adjusting force is delivered. The
adjustor’s spine is the handle of the hammer; the adjustor’s arms are the head
of the hammer. See figures 1 and 2,
1) Straight hammer handle with the handle horizontal
2) Adjustor settled back with spine straight and horizontal
When the adjustor is positioned in the above manner with the arms at 90 degrees
to the spine, the force delivered will tend to have a much greater degree of
rectilinearity and therefore be far more effective than when the adjustor is
positioned as depicted below. See figures 3 and 4.
3) Curved hammer handle
4) Adjustor’s spine is curved
Why is the rectilinearity of the thrust
important?
Visualize trying to drive a nail with the hammer that is depicted above.
Regardless of how much force is used, the nail (subluxation) will not be moved
in the intended manner and will tend to bend and become unmanageable. This same
mechanical principle applies to the positioning of the adjustor in the delivery
of the hand adjustment regardless of the UC adjusting technique that is used.
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Why is rectilinearity important in the adjustment?
Let’s use the example of the concession at an amusement park – the one in which a person is supposed to hit a mechanical stake with a large mallet to see if he or she can deliver enough force to drive a piece of metal high enough along a vertical track to ring a bell. A big muscular man steps up, a heavy hitter – six foot, 300 pounds or more. He is going to impress his girlfriend. He swings the mallet, and delivers a fearsome blow to the stake. But, strangely enough, the metal piece only goes about halfway up the track. No cigar! He swings again, harder. Still no cigar! He swings again and again, but as he swings harder, the metal piece moves no further up the track, sometimes it moves even less. Now the man who runs the concession who weighs in at a wiry 140 pounds, but understands the mechanics of the mechanism, takes the mallet and hits the stake with what looks like a light stroke and the metal piece shoots straight up the track and rings the bell.
Why? |
