Chiropractic Adjusting Mastery: Why Analysis, Indicators, and Timing Matter More Than Force | Dr. Peter Kevorkian
In this episode of The Informed Chiropractor Podcast, Dr. Don MacDonald sits down with Dr. Peter Kevorkian, one of the most technically versatile and philosophically grounded chiropractors in the profession. This conversation goes far beyond technique and force application. Dr. Kevorkian walks us through how chiropractic analysis evolves over time, why what you assess matters just as much as how you adjust, and how real mastery is built through experience, indicators, and nervous system awareness. Drawing from his early background in engineering and biomechanics, Dr. Kevorkian shares how measurements, angles, and structural reasoning shaped his early clinical lens, and why that lens eventually expanded. He discusses his deep exploration of multiple chiropractic systems, including upper cervical, SOT, and indicator-based approaches, and how each system views the same spine through a different analytical window. This episode also explores some of the most important and least-discussed aspects of adjusting mastery: when not to adjust, how timing affects outcomes, and why the relationship between the doctor and the practice member directly affects results. As the conversation unfolds, technique is reframed not as a perfect application of force, but as an informed, moment-to-moment decision guided by indicators, perception, and connection. If you care about chiropractic artistry, neurological relevance, and developing real depth in your adjusting, this episode is required listening.
In this episode, we cover:
- Dr. Kevorkian’s early head start in chiropractic through engineering, measurement, angles, and biomechanical reasoning What initially drew him toward upper cervical and indicator-based adjusting approaches
- How exposure to non-biomechanical techniques expanded his view beyond purely structural models
- The influence of SOT and algorithm-driven indicators on real-time clinical decision-making
- How meeting Dr. Donny Epstein reframed technique as relationship and nervous system engagement
- Why technique eventually became, in Dr. Kevorkian’s words, a “best-guess application of force” The distinction between prioritizing biomechanical change versus neurophysiological change
- How every chiropractic technique reflects a specific analytical window and force strategy
- The shift in chiropractic education toward force application at the expense of analytical development
- What true artistry in adjusting looks like beyond rigid protocols
- How repetition, experience, and body awareness shape long-term adjusting proficiency
- The limits of technology and data in replacing human perception and connection in care
- Future plans for campus partnerships, relocation, and expanded educational sites
The WAVE Chiropractic Conference (Life West): https://wave.lifewest.edu
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Free Training – Intro to Chiropractic Through the Polyvagal Lens (For Chiropractors): https://www.theinformedchiropractor.com/introduction-to-chiropractic-through-a-polyvagal-lens
