The Toggle adjustment is a gentle low force technique that can be performed on a patient without having to turn the neck or apply the type of force that results in a “clicking or cracking” noise. This technique is very beneficial for patients who prefer to avoid the high velocity manipulation but still require the benefit of spinal adjustment. There is no twisting or cracking of the neck, only a firm pressure on the atlas as the head piece of the table gently “drops”. Many patients feel as though very little or nothing has happened, although correction of the atlas has many far reaching benefits. When looking for causal structural mechanisms which may lead to human dysfunction it is important to examine the upper cervical spine. Whether it is spinal cord pressure or pressure on cranial nerves or blood vessels at the skull base or other contributing factors there has been a long history of chiropractors looking at the atlas or 1st cervical vertebra as a primary factor in many conditions. Many practices are based upon the premise that the upper cervical spine in a sick person should be checked for atlas subluxation first, something which is rarely carried out. Many positive health benefits have occurred from this approach.

Developed originally by Dr. Clay Thompson and fully patented in 1957, the Thompson Drop Table facilitates a full spine technique by the use of an adjusting table with a pneumatically driven, segmented drop system, which quickly lowers the section of the patient’s body corresponding with the spinal region being adjusted, whether in the dorsal, lumber or pelvic area. By means of this widely used device your practitioner thrusts at high speed, using minimal force, because while the thrust initiates movement, the fast drop carries the joint through the remainder of its range of motion.