Fundamentals of HVLA Thrusting - Part B
- Aug 31
- 1 min read
Velocity, Neurology, and Why It Works
The HVLA (High Velocity, Low Amplitude) thrust is not about force but speed, specificity, and control. Think Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch.
Energy stored throughout the kinetic chain is released in a short, explosive movement that achieves depth not by distance, but by timing.
A well-delivered thrust is:
• Fast
• Short
• Specific
• Grounded in full-body integration
The best adjusters don’t use their arms — they use their whole body. Feet, hips, trunk, shoulders — all coordinated into a single, crisp event
What Are We Affecting?
There are several proposed mechanisms for why an HVLA adjustment works:
• Joint gapping — creating movement in a fixated articulation
• Stretching muscle spindles — reducing protective spasm
• Neurological pattern interruption — a “CTRL + ALT + DELETE” to dysfunctional reflex arcs
• Postural reset — altering tone via cerebellar and spinal tract inputs
While we may not fully understand the mechanism, what matters most is this: a well-delivered thrust resets the system. It reorganises the segment and reorients the nervous system toward function.
An HVLA thrust should never feel violent or random. It should feel like a resolution.
Aidan - Enchiridion Chiropractic Training
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