Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment (Video Guide)

By Yama Zafer, D.C.

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Rotatory vs non-rotatory adjustment is the choice this two-minute video shows on a patient, because it is the question patients ask me most about a joint or a disc problem. In a non-rotatory adjustment, such as with the Activator, the contact goes directly to one segment, with no twisting and no cracking. In a rotatory adjustment, given in side posture, the spine is tilted and rotated, the patient is rolled toward the chiropractor, and a thrust often produces a cracking sound. I am not against the rotatory method, but I do not use it for joints with degenerative changes or for a damaged disc.

This page, Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment: Which Suits a Disc?, is published by Chiropractic Specialty Center, Bukit Damansara (KL) main center: WhatsApp +60 17 269 1873 Call +603 2093 1000

The sections below cover the key moments, what each method is, why I keep rotation away from discs, the transcript, booking and common questions.

Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment: Key Takeaways

  • A non-rotatory adjustment, such as the Activator, is direct contact on one segment, with no twisting and no cracking.
  • A rotatory adjustment is given in side posture: the spine is tilted and rotated, then given a thrust.
  • The thrust may produce an audible crack, a cavitation, which can feel good.
  • For a basic mechanical problem, rotatory can be fine; with degenerative joint changes or torn disc fibers, I do not use it.
  • Feeling good after a twist does not mean it was good for the disc.

Key Moments in the Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Video

  • 0:00 The question: which chiropractic care suits a joint issue or a disc issue.
  • 0:14 The non-rotatory method, with the patient face down.
  • 0:22 The Activator: direct contact on the segment, no twisting, no cracking.
  • 0:37 The rotatory method, with the patient on his side.
  • 0:45 Why I do not use rotatory for joint or disc issues.
  • 0:57 Side posture: the spine tilted and rotated.
  • 1:09 The roll toward the chiropractor, and the thrust.
  • 1:22 The cracking sound, a cavitation.
  • 1:34 Degenerative changes, annular tears and the disc.

Rotatory and Non-Rotatory Adjustment: What Each One Is

In the first half of the video, Rizman lies face down and I use the Activator, an instrument that delivers a small, quick impulse to one segment of the spine. Nothing is twisted, nothing is cracked, and the contact is gentle and specific to the segment being treated. That is what non-rotatory means: the spine is not turned to deliver the adjustment.

In the second half, he lies on his side for the rotatory method, known as side posture. The lower leg stays straight and the upper knee comes up toward the chest. The chiropractor turns the shoulder one way and the pelvis the other, which tilts and rotates the spine, rolls the patient toward them and delivers a thrust. The diagram on my slipped disc chiropractor page, listed below, shows the same position step by step.

Why I Keep Rotation Away From Joints and Discs With Damage

The rotatory thrust often produces a crack, which is cavitation, a release of gas from the joint, and it can feel nice. For a basic mechanical problem in a spine without degenerative changes or disc damage, that is fine. The trouble starts when the problem involves degenerative changes in the joints, or a disc whose outer fibers, the annulus, are torn.

Every slipped disc has those tears: either frank tears that can be seen on an MRI, or submillimeter tears from degeneration that become frank tears later. Turning the spine under load pulls on those fibers, so a twist can feel good and still have a negative effect on the disc. That is why, for a damaged disc, I use gentle, highly specific non-rotatory methods, combined with physiotherapy, rather than a twist.

Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Video: Edited Transcript

The transcript follows the video, with each part's start time.

0:00 Many of you have asked me what type of chiropractic care is good for a joint issue or for a disc issue. Well, wonder no more. I'm here to explain with Rizman, who's accepted my invitation to demonstrate on him so you can understand.

0:14 I have him right now, as you can see, on his tummy. First, I'm going to show the non-rotatory method using an Activator, and I have the model, as you can see, here. The benefit of a non-rotatory method, like using an Activator, is direct contact on the segment: no twisting, no cracking. Very gentle, segment-specific. That is one option.

0:37 The second option, Rizman, can I have you lie down on your side, is the rotatory method, which is fine. Not that I'm against rotatory; I just don't like to use rotatory for patients who have joint or disc issues.

0:51 And the reason why, let me use this again, is that when we chiropractors position patients for the side posture, as it's known, the rotatory method, the spine is going to have to be tilted and rotated, as you can see. Often how it's done is that the chiropractor will position you in such a position, rotate you, roll you toward them, and then deliver a thrust.

1:22 And that thrust may produce an audible cracking, a cavitation, which will feel nice, which is fine for a basic mechanical spinal issue. But if that mechanical spine issue involves degenerative changes in your joints, or spinal disc issues with tears of the annular fibers, it could, while feeling good, produce negative impacts on the disc. And I hope that answers the question.

Arranging an Assessment

Which method suits your spine is decided by the examination, not by preference, so the first visit is an assessment: your history, how the spine moves, the joints and muscles and, where symptoms travel, the nerves. Both Kuala Lumpur centers see new patients by appointment, so call or send a WhatsApp message first, and bring any scans you already have.

Is the Rotatory Method Wrong?

No. As I say in the video, I am not against it. It can suit a basic mechanical problem in a spine without degenerative changes or disc damage. I do not use it when there are joint changes or a damaged disc.

Does a Non-Rotatory Adjustment Crack?

The Activator method shown in the video does not twist the spine and does not produce the cracking sound. The contact goes directly to one segment.

Is the Cracking Sound a Bone Going Back Into Place?

No. The sound is cavitation, a release of gas from the joint. It can feel good, but the sound itself says nothing about whether the adjustment suited your spine.

Can I Ask for Non-Rotatory Care Only?

Tell the chiropractor at the first visit. At CSC, a spine with disc damage or degenerative joint changes is never twisted.

Related Reading

The Author of Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment: Which Suits a Disc?

Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment: Which Suits a Disc? was written by Yama Zafer, D.C., Chiropractor in Kuala Lumpur Since 1996, who founded Chiropractic Specialty Center in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.

Last Updated: Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment (Video Guide)

Rotatory vs Non-Rotatory Adjustment (Video Guide) was last reviewed and updated on October 27, 2026.