The technique:

KST uses the three C’s:  challenge, check and correct.  The challenge involves placing the patient in the position of stress or asking the patient to think about the stressor.  This means emotional complaints, physical complaints, or allergies can be detected and treated by asking the patient to think of them.  It also has the benefit of not requiring a traditional chiropractic table, and patients who have specific complaints such as when they sit on a bike or during their golf swing can be checked and adjusted in situ.

Checking involves the use of a phenomenon called Occipital Drop (OD).  This is an ideo-motor response where the left side of the occiput will appear lower than the other when a subluxation is present.  To detect these a chiropractor will place his hands on either side of the patient’s head and either run his fingers down to the occiput or tap on it to determine the relative position.

Once a subluxation has been discovered/located the chiropractor adjusts it using the AthroStim.  Dr. Koren states this is not the only technique, just the one that provides the best results.

  This device provides point application of pressure and vibration specifically at 12 Hertz (the “low beta somatomotor rhythm”).  This is supposed to be optimal for stimulating proprioceptors and mechanoreceptors around trigger points.  One selling point of the ArthroStim is being more comfortable for the practitioner.  It also doesn’t involve any of the twisting, cracking, or popping of more traditional techniques.  Dr. Koren states that both patients and practitioners appreciate this difference.

Video of KST being performed

More on OD...

According to The American Chiropractor, the Occipital Drop is a mechanism in which one can measure the body’s wisdom.

“Simply stated, in response to a challenge, a muscle goes weak (AK), the leg shortens (DNFT), the skin sweats (Toftness) and the occipital bone (along with the mastoid process of the temporal) appears to drop or lower on the left side (KST).  These are all binary systems, yes-no indicators, by which we can easily access the body’s wisdom.  Although the mechanism of action remains unknown, these are amazing, highly accurate tools that we can use to great advantage in helping patients.”