The Remarkable Dr. C.S. Gonstead
Before he became renowned as the “chiropractor’s chiropractor,” Dr. Clarence S. Gonstead was a chiropractic patient himself. At age 19, Dr. Gonstead suffered a painful, crippling episode of rheumatoid arthritis. After conventional treatments failed, he finally found relief through intensive chiropractic adjustments. Within a few days he was able to get out of bed, and after a couple of years of regular adjustments, he was completely cured.
That personal experience made Dr. Gonstead later decide to help others through chiropractic care. Using his background as a mechanical engineer, he conducted extensive research on the human skeletal structure. This led to the development of the Gonstead System, a unique approach for analyzing and treating the spine.
Dr. Gonstead strongly believed the vast majority of illnesses were caused by pressure on one or more of the nerves that exited the spine. And his results were remarkable. A dedicated “workaholic,” he treated over 1 million patients in his lifetime (1923-1978). They came all hours of the day and into the night, from all over the country and from other countries, to be treated by this "miracle worker", Dr. Gonstead.
In 1964, he built the 19,000-square-foot Gonstead Clinic in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. In addition, a hotel was built and attached to the Clinic, and a small plane landing strip built next to his home to accommodate distant patients. Today, Dr. Gonstead’s advanced techniques are still taught there to doctors of chiropractic from throughout the world.
"If there is no nerve pressure to any gland or organ, the body can produce any drug it needs...Find the subluxation, fix it, and leave it alone."
- C. S. Gonstead, D.C.
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