What Is the Diversified Technique Chiropractors Use? A Plain Answer

The popping sound you hear during a chiropractic adjustment is not bone grinding on bone: a 2015 study that filmed ten finger joints cracking inside an MRI scanner showed the noise comes from a gas cavity forming inside the joint fluid, not from anything hard rubbing together. That sound is the most recognizable part of the most common adjustment in the profession, so it is a fair place to start when someone asks what is the diversified technique chiropractors use. In short, it is a hands-on, high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust applied to a specific joint that is not moving the way it should. At Care Family Chiropractic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is the core adjusting method Dr. Curtis Smith uses, and this post explains what it is, what it feels like, and how it compares to other methods you may have read about.

What Is the Diversified Technique Chiropractors Use, Exactly?

Diversified is a manual adjusting method. The chiropractor positions your body, places a hand contact on a specific vertebra or joint, takes up the slack in the surrounding tissue, and delivers a short, quick thrust in a precise direction. The word “diversified” reflects its history as a collection of adjusting moves gathered from several early chiropractic approaches rather than one founder’s single system.

Palmer College of Chiropractic describes Diversified as one of the most widely used chiropractic methods, known for precise high-velocity, low-amplitude manual adjustments that help restore joint motion, and notes its versatility allows it to be used on the full spine across many patient presentations. That description matches how the technique is used in practice: neck, mid-back, low back, pelvis, and sometimes extremity joints like shoulders, hips, and ankles.

The numbers back up how standard it is. According to Northwestern Health Sciences University, citing the 2014 National Board of Chiropractic Examiners practice analysis, 96% of chiropractors used the Diversified Technique, and 71.5% of patients were treated with it. The same source notes practitioners typically use 5 to 6 different adjusting techniques in practice, so a doctor who adjusts with Diversified will often blend in other methods as needed. If you have ever been adjusted by hand and heard a pop, you have almost certainly received a diversified adjustment, whether it was in Tulsa, Oklahoma or anywhere else in the country.

How a Diversified Adjustment Works Step by Step

Before any thrust happens, the visit starts with assessment. Palmer College lists the pieces: history, examination, palpation, orthopedic and neurological testing, and sometimes imaging. The chiropractor is looking for segments that are restricted, tender, or not moving in one direction compared with the segment above or below.

Once a target joint is identified, positioning is the next step. For a low back adjustment you might lie on your side with one knee bent. For the neck you may lie on your back with your head cradled in the doctor’s hands. For the mid-back you may lie face down. The doctor then applies light pressure until the joint reaches the end of its comfortable range, which is called taking out the slack.

The thrust itself is where the name comes from. High velocity means fast. Low amplitude means the joint moves only a few millimeters. The whole thrust lasts a fraction of a second. It is the speed, not the force, that allows the joint to move slightly past its restricted range and produce the cavitation sound.

That sound is worth explaining properly, because most people assume it means something is snapping. The cavitation study published in 2015 used real-time cine MRI at 3.2 frames per second on ten metacarpophalangeal joints and found that joint cracking is associated with cavity inception rather than the collapse of a pre-existing bubble. The Cleveland Clinic explains it in everyday terms: the noises are gases, like oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, released from your joints. A pop is not required for an adjustment to work, and Dr. Smith does not chase the sound for its own sake.

Diversified vs Gonstead vs Activator vs Thompson Drop

Patients in Tulsa often ask how Diversified differs from the other names they see online. All four methods below aim to restore motion to a restricted joint, but they get there differently. The table compares them on force, tool, sound, and typical use, and every point is also spelled out in the paragraphs that follow.

Diversified uses a high-velocity, low-amplitude manual thrust delivered with the hands only on a standard table. An audible pop is common, and its typical use is the full spine and extremities, which is why it is the most common method.

Gonstead also uses a high-velocity, low-amplitude manual thrust, and it also produces an audible pop. The difference is in the tools and the analysis: Gonstead practitioners rely on hands plus X-ray analysis and specific seated or side-lying positions, and the typical use is targeted single-segment spinal correction rather than adjusting several regions in one visit.

Activator is different in force and tool. It uses a low-force, high-speed instrument impulse from a handheld spring-loaded instrument, there is usually no pop, and its typical use is older adults and patients who prefer a gentler approach.

Thompson drop uses a light thrust assisted by a dropping table section on a segmented drop table. The table makes a thud when the section drops, and a joint pop is less common. Its typical use is the pelvis and low back, and patients who need less twisting.

None of these is “the best” for everyone. A doctor trained in several methods can match the technique to the patient, which is one reason the 5 to 6 techniques figure from Northwestern Health Sciences University matters.

Ready to find out if a diversified adjustment fits your situation? Care Family Chiropractic offers a complimentary first consultation and examination.

Is the Diversified Technique Safe, and What Does It Feel Like Afterward?

Spinal manipulation has been studied more than most hands-on treatments. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which publishes a spinal manipulation fact sheet, notes that most spinal manipulations are done by chiropractors and that use is growing: 11.0 percent of U.S. adults received chiropractic care in the past year as of 2022, compared with 7.4 percent in 2002.

On safety, the NCCIH reports that transient mild-to-moderate side effects, most commonly increased pain or discomfort, stiffness, or headache, often occur and typically resolve within 24 hours. Serious complications such as stroke are described as very rare, though neck manipulation has been linked to rare artery tears, which is exactly why the exam before the adjustment matters. The Cleveland Clinic’s adjustment page lists the same short-term soreness and mild headache as the common temporary effects.

For most patients, then, the day after a diversified adjustment feels like the day after a good stretch or a new workout. Some soreness is normal and usually fades within a day. Sharp pain, numbness, or symptoms that get worse are not normal and should be reported to the doctor right away.

On effectiveness, the NCCIH summarizes that for acute low back pain, spinal manipulation produces modest improvements comparable to anti-inflammatory drugs, and for chronic low back pain the results are similar to other recommended therapies like exercise. For neck pain it appears helpful, though the evidence quality is rated low to moderate. That is an honest picture: diversified adjustments may help many patients, and they work best as part of a plan rather than as the whole plan.

Who Diversified Adjustments Are Often Used For

Because the method can be applied to the full spine, Dr. Smith uses diversified adjusting across a wide range of presentations at the Tulsa clinic. Common reasons patients receive it include:

• Neck and upper back stiffness after a rear-end collision, once fractures and disc injuries have been ruled out
• Low back pain with a joint that is restricted on one side
• Headaches that trace back to the upper neck
• Mid-back tightness from long hours at a desk or behind the wheel
• Hip, shoulder, or ankle joints that lost motion after a sprain

Each of these is a judgment call based on the exam. A patient with a fresh whiplash injury, for example, may start with soft tissue work and gentler methods before any high-velocity thrust to the neck. A patient with osteoporosis may be better served by an instrument or drop table. The technique is a tool, and the exam decides whether it is the right one that day.

Why Choose Care Family Chiropractic

Dr. Smith does not use diversified adjustments in isolation. The clinic’s own service page describes pairing high-velocity, low-amplitude thrusts with acupuncture or corrective exercises, and the reason is practical: an adjustment restores motion, but the muscles and habits that pulled the joint out of its normal pattern are still there the next morning. Corrective exercise and acupuncture address that side of the problem so the correction has a better chance of holding.

Dr. Smith is a graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College and is board certified by the American Academy of Pain Management, along with board certification in Manipulation Under Anesthesia. For a Tulsa, Oklahoma patient, that background means the person delivering the thrust also understands pain management beyond the adjustment itself, including when a case needs the clinic’s Medical Director, trigger point injections, or nerve conduction studies rather than more adjusting.

The stated goal at the clinic is resolving pain without surgery or drugs and treating the whole person rather than the symptom. First-time patients receive a complimentary consultation and examination, which is where the decision about diversified versus another method gets made. The clinic serves Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Owasso, and Jenks.

Conclusion

So, what is the diversified technique chiropractors use? It is a hands-on, high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust applied to a specific restricted joint, used by 96% of chiropractors according to the NBCE data cited by Northwestern Health Sciences University. The pop you hear is gas forming a cavity in the joint fluid, not bones grinding, and it is not required for the adjustment to help. Diversified shares its manual thrust with Gonstead, while Activator and Thompson drop trade that thrust for an instrument or a dropping table. Side effects are usually mild and short-lived, and the method works best when combined with exercise, soft tissue care, or acupuncture.

Book a complimentary consultation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Reach Care Family Chiropractic or request a consultation online to have Dr. Smith evaluate whether a diversified adjustment fits your case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions people search alongside this topic.

What is the diversified technique in chiropractic?

Diversified is a manual adjusting method in which the chiropractor delivers a quick, short thrust by hand to a specific joint that is not moving well. It is called high-velocity, low-amplitude because the movement is fast but very small. It can be used on the neck, back, pelvis, and extremity joints.

What is the difference between Gonstead and Diversified technique?

Both use a hands-on, high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust and both often produce a pop. Gonstead adds a specific analysis system, typically including X-rays and set seated or side-lying positions, and usually targets one segment at a time. Diversified is more flexible and is applied across the full spine.

Does the popping sound mean the adjustment worked?

No. The sound comes from a gas cavity forming inside the joint fluid when the joint surfaces separate quickly. An adjustment can restore motion without a pop, and a pop can occur without any meaningful change, so the sound is not a measure of success.

Is the diversified technique safe?

For most people, spinal manipulation is considered low risk when performed by a licensed provider after a proper exam. Mild soreness, stiffness, or headache may follow and usually resolves within a day. Serious complications are very rare, and the pre-adjustment screening exists to identify patients who should receive a gentler method.

What conditions can be treated using the diversified chiropractic technique?

It is commonly used for neck pain, low back pain, mid-back stiffness, and headaches that originate in the upper neck. It is also applied to restricted extremity joints such as the shoulder, hip, and ankle. Whether it is appropriate depends on the exam findings for each patient.