Adjusting the Body: The Hermeneutics of Chiropractic Care

This paper positions chiropractic care within a hermeneutic framework, drawing on several concepts of Hans-Georg Gadamer (1960/1997) including the fusion of horizons, dialogue, and interpretation to conceptualize the clinical encounter as an interpretive dialogue between practitioner and patient. Building on patient-centered chiropractic models that emphasize vitalism, holism, and partnership (Coulter & Khorsan, 2011; Russell, 2012; Villanueva-Russell, 1998), we also argue that the body can be understood as a living text—shaped by both biomechanical structure, neuromechanics, experience, and history—requiring skilled interpretation as well as manual adjustment. A narrative vignette illustrates how meaning emerges in practice when bodily signs are read in relation to the patient’s broader life context, allowing both symptom relief and the reframing of self-understanding. Methodologically, we demonstrate the value of hermeneutic approaches in chiropractic research, highlighting the interpretive act as central to both diagnosis and healing. In this view, every adjustment becomes not only a mechanical intervention but also an adjustment of meaning, realigning the patient’s capacity for movement, health, and engagement with the world. Keywords  Hermeneutics, chiropractic care, Hans-Georg Gadamer, dialogue, interpretation, fusion of horizons