Different Types of Adjusted Thrusts - Part B

 Adjustive Intent — What Makes a Thrust Therapeutic 

There’s a difference between a manipulation and an adjustment. 

One might make noise. 

The other makes a change. 

What separates the two isn’t just contact, setup, or direction — it’s intent. 

What Is Adjustive Intent? 

Adjustive intent is the focused clarity behind your hands. It’s the clinical certainty — even if quiet — that: 

      •     You’ve found the restriction 

      •     You understand the direction 

      •     You know what needs to change 

It is the difference between “doing a move” and resolving dysfunction. 

Intent is rooted in: 

      •     Assessment 

      •     Touch 

      •     Experience 

      •     Trust in what your body is telling you 

A significant adjustment is delivered by a clinician who is not only confident in the technique but also grounded in its rationale. 

Where Intent Comes From 

Adjustive intent is not something you can borrow. It’s not taught in a single seminar. It is earned through: 

      •     Repetition 

      •     Mistakes 

      •     Listening 

      •     Pattern recognition 

      •     Re-testing 

      •     Humility 

You learn what works and what doesn’t. And then you refine. You let the result of each thrust educate your next one. 

You stop pushing to make something “go” — and start adjusting with a purpose. You adjust to create a neurological event. Not a cavitation. 

The best adjusters don’t look for noise — they look for change. 

Clinical Confidence vs Adjustive Ego 

Intent should never come from arrogance. It’s not about proving how good you are. It’s about being suitable for the patient. 

Some of the worst adjustments I’ve seen have come from practitioners trying to show off their force, and some of the best have come from those who say little, feel deeply, and deliver quietly. 

Intent is not about the sound. 

It’s not about the show. 

It’s about the effect. 

How You Build It 

You build adjustive intent by: 

      •     Becoming palpably literate 

      •     Learning motion with your own hands 

      •     Re-testing your work — not just hoping it “went” 

      •     Asking yourself, what exactly am I trying to change? 

When you begin each contact with that clarity, you trust the thrust. You’re no longer adjusting reactively — you’re adjusting purposefully. 

Even if imperfect, a well-intended adjustment will do more than a perfect setup with no conviction. 

Aidan - Enchiridion Chiropractic Training

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