Function First, Always - Why Specificity Beats Sound - Part B

There’s a saying I often return to when training chiropractors: 

“If you don’t know what you’ve changed, you didn’t change anything.” 

The rise of social media has, unfortunately, rewarded spectacle over specificity. A high-volume pop performed on camera — whether by practitioner, patient, or posture-impaired influencer — might look impressive. But without pre- and post-assessment, without intention, without neurological literacy, it’s just a noise. 

And if all you’ve got is a noise, all you’re doing is theatre. 

What Makes an Adjustment Therapeutic? 

Let’s simplify. 

      •     You test. 

      •     You identify the restriction. 

      •     You adjust in a precise vector. 

      •     You retest. 

      •     You observe a measurable change in function. 

That is a therapeutic intervention. 

Without it, you’re doing what a knuckle popper does at their desk. Without it, you are reinforcing dysfunction — or worse, creating new ones. 

What I do isn’t based on tradition for its own sake, or theatrics, or trying to “sound impressive.” It’s based on reproducible outcomes. This is why I insist that every adjustment be part of a broader clinical process, not a standalone party trick. 

The Power of Specificity 

Here’s a clinical truth that separates professionals from performers: 

The more specific the contact, the less force is needed. 

Specificity reduces effort. It raises confidence. It reduces patient discomfort. It improves outcome predictability. It also makes you a better, safer chiropractor. 

When you don’t know where or how to adjust, you start applying a generalised force. That’s when the hands slip. That’s when the patient feels pounded rather than helped. That’s when trust begins to fade — in both the patient’s eyes and the chiropractor’s mind. 

We’re Not Just Making Joints Move — We’re Shaping Neurology 

Every adjustment has a downstream effect on proprioception, interoception, and autonomic tone. That’s why we must be deliberate. 

The cavitation might feel good for 10 minutes, like scratching an itch. But unless we are changing afferent input, reducing neurological load, and helping the nervous system find a new, healthier resting state… we haven’t done our job. 

We are not treating bones. 

We are not treating noise. 

We are treating people, and people are their nervous systems. 

Don’t Sell Chiropractic Short 

You are not a YouTuber. 

You are not a chiro influencer. 

You are a chiropractor. 

You’re not here to impress. 

You’re here to correct. 

That’s why the term “chiro” — though popular — doesn’t cut it for me. It reduces the profession to something casual, performative, and disposable. But chiropractic isn’t a sideshow. It’s a clinical discipline. And it deserves to be treated as such — by us first, and then by the world. 

Test. Treat. Retest. Repeat. 

That’s the real sequence. 

That’s the real magic. 

That’s the real reason why, when someone says, 

“But I can crack it myself” — 

You respond with calm, confident clarity: 

“Yes, but can you change your function?” 

Aidan - Enchiridion Chiropractic Training

Essential skills- Proficient clinicians

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