What is the Pettibon Technique?

What is the Pettibon Cervical Technique?

You’ve probably heard of chiropractic techniques like manipulations, adjustments, and spinal decompressions. You may even be familiar with the Graston technique or the active release technique.

The Pettibon cervical technique is another one worth considering, especially if you have upper back and neck pain. Through upper cervical adjusting, your chiropractor can provide the pain relief you need.
 

What Is the Pettibon Cervical Technique?

The Pettibon cervical technique was created and named after the late Dr. Burl Pettibon. Dr. Pettibon believed that the spine can be affected by gravity, which can lead to long-term pain. “The nervous system always wants us to hold our heads upright. And the nervous system will do this at the expense of displacing the lower spine,” he said.

The Pettibon technique seeks to find the proper postural positioning for the spine that complements gravity. This is done through chiropractic spinal realignments.

First, the patient is x-rayed so that the chiropractor can determine the patient’s spinal displacements.

Then specific adjustments are made to the spine and corrective exercises are prescribed to help the muscles achieve better balance, endurance, and strength.
 

How Does This Technique Offer Pain Relief?

The Pettibon technique also focuses on the spine’s soft tissue damage, such as whiplash. This technique can lessen pain from the following kinds of soft tissue damage:
 

• Creep damage, which occurs long-term due to excessive visco-elastic material load. This can also damage the tendons, discs, and ligaments.

• Plasticity damage, where the tissue extends past its means, often from an auto accident injury like whiplash.

• Visco-elastic stretch damage, which lessens the chances that soft tissue will bounce back from injury.
   

Contact Your Salem Chiropractor

If you’re interested in learning more about the Pettibon technique or other means of upper cervical work, come see us at The Spine Clinic Doctors of Chiropractic. As your Salem Oregon chiropractor, we specialize in treating osteoarthritis and auto accident pain, including whiplash.

To set up an appointment today, please call (503) 362-5555 or stop by The Spine Clinic Doctors of Chiropractic at 1281 Lancaster Drive Northeast (across from The Olive Garden).