What is CMRT? The Chiropractic Visceral Adjusting Technique | San Antonio TX

What if your stomach pain, acid reflux, or digestive complaints were not actually a stomach problem — but a spine problem?

This is the premise of CMRT: Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Technique. It is a method of adjusting organs and their function by working with precise points on the spine and the surrounding tissue. In 23 years of practice as a Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT) and CMRT specialist, I have seen conditions that did not respond to any other form of care transform once we applied CMRT to address the underlying spinal-organ connection.

And here is the thing: no other chiropractor in San Antonio offers this. Not one. It is Dr. Dan Foss's uncontested moat, and it changes lives.

Let me walk you through what CMRT is, where it came from, how it works, and why it matters.

The History: Who Invented CMRT?

CMRT was created in the 1920s and 1930s by Major Bertrand DeJarnette, D.C. DeJarnette was the founder of Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT), and as he refined SOT over decades, he discovered something remarkable: specific locations on the spine held reflex connections to organs throughout the body.

Through clinical observation and anatomical study, DeJarnette mapped out which vertebral levels corresponded to which organs. He found that misalignments (subluxations) at these points created not just musculoskeletal pain, but also dysfunction in the organ itself.

This was not mystical. It was rooted in anatomy: nerve roots exit the spine at each level, and those nerves innervate organs, blood vessels, and glandular tissue. When a vertebra is misaligned, the nerve gets irritated. When the nerve is irritated, the organ downstream receives garbled signals. The organ then malfunctions.

DeJarnette's genius was to recognize that you could reverse this process. By adjusting the spine at the right location, in the right way, you could restore proper nerve signal to the organ — and the organ would begin to function normally again.

That innovation is CMRT. It has been refined over a century, and today it is one of the most powerful — and least known — tools in chiropractic care.

How CMRT Works: The Spinal-Organ Map

The human spine is not just a support beam for your skeleton. It is a control panel for your entire body.

Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves exit the spine between vertebrae. Each pair of nerves travels to a specific region of the body and innervates (supplies nerve function to) the organs, glands, and tissues in that region.

Here is the map:

• Cervical spine (neck, C1-C7): head, eyes, ears, sinuses, thyroid, throat
• Thoracic spine (mid-back, T1-T12): heart, lungs, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, adrenal glands, kidneys
• Lumbar spine (lower back, L1-L5): small intestine, large intestine, reproductive organs, bladder, prostate
• Sacral spine (base of spine, S1-S5): colon, pelvic organs, legs

When a vertebra at any of these levels becomes subluxated (misaligned), the nerve root at that level gets compressed or irritated. The irritated nerve cannot send proper signals to the organ. The organ then struggles to do its job.

For example:

• T5-T6 subluxation → stomach nerve irritation → reflux, heartburn, poor digestion
• T7-T12 subluxation → small intestine and colon nerve irritation → IBS, constipation, bloating
• L2-L5 and sacral subluxation → reproductive organ nerve irritation → period pain, infertility, hormonal imbalance
• T9-T11 subluxation → adrenal nerve irritation → chronic fatigue, low stress resilience, cortisol dysregulation

CMRT targets these specific locations and uses precise, gentle adjustments to restore proper alignment and nerve flow. Once the nerve is no longer irritated, the organ begins to receive clear signals again. Function normalizes.

This is not about "fixing" the organ itself. The organ was never broken. It was being starved of proper nerve input. Restore the input, and the organ self-corrects.

What Conditions Does CMRT Help?

CMRT has an incredibly broad scope because every organ and gland in your body depends on nerve function. Here are the conditions I see most often:

Digestive & GI:

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• GERD / Acid reflux
• Constipation
• Bloating and gas
• Heartburn
• Ileocecal valve syndrome
• Crohn's and ulcerative colitis (alongside medical care)

Women's Health:

• Period pain (dysmenorrhea)
• Irregular cycles
• Infertility
• PCOS
• Hormonal mood swings and anxiety
• PMS

Metabolic & Endocrine:

• Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's
• Adrenal fatigue
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Blood sugar dysregulation
• Slow metabolism

Infant & Pediatric:

• Infant reflux and colic
• Feeding difficulty and latching issues
• Poor sleep in newborns
• Constipation in children

Neurological & Behavioral:

• Anxiety without obvious cause
• Depression (alongside mental health care)
• Brain fog
• Poor immune function
• Chronic inflammation

The thread that ties all of these together: they involve an organ or gland that is not receiving proper nerve signal.

Why Nobody Else in San Antonio Does This

CMRT requires specialized training beyond standard chiropractic school. Most chiropractors learn basic spinal manipulation. Very few learn the specific protocols of CMRT. Even fewer master it to the point where they can apply it confidently to complex cases.

In San Antonio, I am the only chiropractor who specializes in both SOT and CMRT at this depth. This is not a coincidence. It took me 23 years, thousands of hours of postgraduate training, and hundreds of case studies to develop the expertise to apply CMRT safely and effectively.

This also means that if you are struggling with a condition that has not responded to standard care — whether that is conventional medicine, physical therapy, or generic chiropractic — CMRT may be exactly what your body has been waiting for.

What to Expect During a CMRT Adjustment

A CMRT session looks different from a typical chiropractic visit.

First visit:

1. Comprehensive history. I ask not just about your main complaint, but also about your digestion, energy, mood, sleep, hormonal patterns, and stress levels. These details tell me which organs are struggling and which spinal segments need attention.
2. Orthopedic and neurological exam. I perform specific tests to assess spinal alignment, nerve function, and organ reflex points.
3. Assessment. I explain what I find and which organs are likely involved. We design a care plan together.

During the adjustment:

• Gentle palpation of specific spinal and abdominal reflex points
• Precise, low-force adjustments at the vertebral levels that control the target organ
• Often the use of SOT blocks to help restore proper alignment
• Sometimes gentle visceral massage or reflex point work
• You may feel the adjustment, or it may feel subtle — both are normal

After the adjustment:

• Many patients feel immediate relief or improved function
• Others notice changes over the next 24-48 hours as the nervous system recalibrates
• It is common to feel tired after the first few adjustments as your body begins to heal
• Results build over time — one adjustment helps, but a series of adjustments creates lasting change

The Science Behind It

This is not guesswork or intuition. CMRT is grounded in anatomy and neurology:

1. Nerve anatomy. Each spinal nerve root innervates specific organs. When that root is irritated by a subluxation, the organ loses proper signal.
2. Autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system (the part you do not consciously control) uses the spinal nerves to manage heart rate, digestion, hormone release, immune function, and more. Spinal misalignment disrupts this communication.
3. Viscerosomatic and somatovisceral reflex. These are documented neurological pathways where organ dysfunction creates spinal misalignment (viscerosomatic), and spinal misalignment creates organ dysfunction (somatovisceral). CMRT interrupts the latter pattern.
4. Neuroplasticity. Once we remove the irritation from the nerve, the organ's nervous system can recalibrate and function normally again.

This is why CMRT works. Not because it is magic, but because it addresses the root cause: the nerve-organ connection.

CMRT vs. Conventional Treatment

Let's say you have GERD. Here is what typically happens:

• Conventional medicine: You get a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to reduce stomach acid. The symptom (heartburn) improves. But the underlying cause — poor stomach innervation — is never addressed. You stay on the PPI indefinitely, and your body loses the ability to produce stomach acid (which you actually need). When you stop the PPI, the reflux returns.

• CMRT: We identify that your T5-T6 vertebrae are subluxated, creating stomach nerve irritation. We adjust those vertebrae, restore nerve signal, and your stomach begins to produce acid at the right pH and volume again. You digest properly. The reflux resolves. You do not need to take medication forever.

Both approaches suppress the symptom. CMRT also addresses the cause.

This is why CMRT is so powerful, and why people who have tried everything else often come to me as a last resort — only to find it is exactly what they needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CMRT sessions will I need? It depends on how long the condition has been present and how severe the spinal misalignment is. Acute cases may resolve in 4-6 visits. Chronic cases often need 8-12 visits over 3-4 months. We reassess every few visits and adjust the plan based on your progress.

Is CMRT painful? No. CMRT adjustments are gentle and low-force. Most patients find them very comfortable, especially compared to high-velocity spinal manipulation. You may feel mild pressure or mobilization, but not pain.

Can CMRT replace my medications? CMRT can often reduce the need for medications, especially for digestive, hormonal, and pain-related conditions. However, I always work alongside your medical doctor. If you are on medications, we discuss this openly at your free consultation. Never stop medications without your doctor's approval.

How long do results last? Results improve and deepen with consistent care. After the initial series of adjustments, many patients maintain their improvement with once-monthly or once-quarterly visits. This is similar to physical therapy or any form of skilled bodywork.

Can children and pregnant women receive CMRT? Yes. CMRT for infants and children uses even gentler techniques tailored to their developing spines. Pregnant women benefit enormously from CMRT for reflux, digestive discomfort, and pelvic balance. I have 23 years of experience adjusting both populations safely.

The Bottom Line

CMRT is a bridge between the world of chiropractic care and the world of organ function. It recognizes that your spine is not just a stack of bones — it is the master control center for every system in your body.

If you have struggled with a condition that has not responded to conventional care, physical therapy, or generic chiropractic, CMRT may be exactly what you need.

You are bilingual practice based in San Antonio, serving patients from Stone Oak to the South Side. Our office is at 2318 NW Military Hwy Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78231. We are open Mon, Tue, Thu 7am-4pm.

Ready to Explore CMRT?

Call (210) 685-1994 or book your free consultation. During that consultation, we will talk through your health history, explain what we think is happening with your spine and organs, and discuss whether CMRT is the right next step for you.

There is no charge for this visit. No obligation to treatment. Just a conversation about how to help your body work the way it was designed to.

Your body is smarter than you think. Sometimes it just needs the right signal.