What Is CMRT? The Chiropractic Technique That Adjusts Organs

Most people who walk into a chiropractic office expect to have their back adjusted. Maybe their neck. If they're lucky, they'll get some soft tissue work on tight muscles. What they don't expect is to hear that their chiropractor is going to work on their gallbladder.

That's an understandable reaction. But it's exactly what CMRT does — and there's solid neurological reasoning behind every bit of it.

What CMRT Stands For

CMRT stands for Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Technique. It's an advanced method within the Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) system of chiropractic, and it was developed by one of the most influential figures in the history of the profession.

Dr. M.B. DeJarnette was both a chiropractor and an osteopath — a rare combination that gave him a uniquely broad view of how the body's structure and its organ systems relate to each other. Over decades of clinical observation and research, he mapped out specific relationships between spinal vertebrae and internal organs, and developed protocols for addressing both simultaneously.

DeJarnette published extensively on these relationships starting in the 1930s and continued refining the work through the 1980s. CMRT is not fringe theory — it's the culmination of a lifetime of careful clinical documentation, built on the very real anatomy of the autonomic nervous system.

The Core Concept: Vertebrae and Organs Are Linked

The foundation of CMRT is the same basic neuroanatomy that underlies all chiropractic — but taken one important step further.

We know that spinal nerves branch off at every vertebral level, and that these nerves carry both somatic signals (to muscles and joints) and autonomic signals (to organs and glands). When a vertebra subluxates — shifts out of alignment in a way that creates nerve irritation — it doesn't just affect the muscles around it. It affects the organ that the autonomic fibers at that level serve.

DeJarnette identified which organs correspond to which vertebral levels and developed a system of assessment using reflex points — areas of soft tissue tenderness found on the front of the body that correspond to particular organ systems. These are sometimes called Chapman's reflex points, named for Dr. Frank Chapman, an osteopath who documented them in the early 20th century.

When a reflex point is tender or shows abnormal tissue texture, it's a signal that the corresponding organ is under neurological stress. CMRT uses both the vertebral adjustment and the reflex point work together to break what's called the viscero-somatic loop — the cycle where a stressed organ keeps pulling its corresponding vertebra back into misalignment.

How CMRT Differs From Standard Chiropractic

Standard chiropractic is primarily concerned with the structural alignment of the spine and the restoration of normal joint motion. That's valuable — and it's the foundation of everything we do at Pura Vida. But it addresses the problem from one direction: adjust the spine, restore nerve flow, let the body heal.

CMRT adds a second direction. It says: what if the organ itself is feeding the spinal problem? What if the stomach, or the liver, or the adrenal gland is in chronic neurological stress and is actively pulling the vertebra back out of alignment?

In that case, adjusting the spine alone is like bailing water from a boat without plugging the hole. You can keep bailing — and the patient keeps feeling better for a few weeks — but the same problem returns because the underlying visceral driver hasn't been addressed.

CMRT plugs the hole. It combines:

• Spinal adjustment of the corresponding vertebral segment
• Soft tissue work on the Chapman's reflex points associated with that organ
• Visceral contacts in some cases, working directly with organ reflex tissue
• Assessment of tissue response at each stage to confirm the reflex has released

Who Can Perform CMRT?

Not every chiropractor is trained in CMRT. It requires completion of the Advanced SOT certification curriculum through SORSI — the Sacro Occipital Research Society International. This is a post-graduate certification that goes significantly beyond standard chiropractic training.

I completed this certification and have been applying CMRT in clinical practice for over two decades. In the San Antonio area, this level of advanced SOT training is uncommon, which means patients who need this approach often don't know it's available to them.

Conditions That Can Respond to CMRT

DeJarnette's clinical work — and my own experience at Pura Vida — suggests that CMRT can be a meaningful part of care for a wide range of conditions that have both a visceral and a spinal component:

Digestive conditions:

• GERD and chronic acid reflux
• Constipation or alternating bowel function
• Gallbladder symptoms and sluggish bile flow
• Liver congestion
• Hypoglycemia with blood sugar instability

Hormonal and reproductive conditions:

• PMS and menstrual cramps
• Menopausal symptoms including hot flashes
• Fertility challenges
• Adrenal fatigue and chronic exhaustion

Respiratory and immune conditions:

• Allergies and chronic sinus issues
• Asthma with an autonomic component
• Immune system dysregulation

Other:

• Conditions that keep returning despite treatment
• Chronic fatigue without a clear cause
• Symptoms that correlate with emotional stress

This is not a list of conditions that chiropractic can "cure." It's a list of conditions where the autonomic nervous system plays a documented role, and where restoring normal nerve flow through the spine and visceral reflexes may provide significant relief — particularly in cases where standard medical management hasn't produced lasting results.

What a CMRT Session Feels Like

Patients are often surprised by how gentle CMRT is. It doesn't look anything like a dramatic spinal manipulation. Most of the work involves:

• Palpating reflex points on the front of the abdomen and ribs while monitoring tissue tension
• Light contacts on specific points that soften and release as the reflex normalizes
• A spinal adjustment at the corresponding vertebral level — which may or may not involve an audible release
• Reassessment to confirm the reflex has cleared

Most patients find it deeply relaxing. Some notice immediate changes in the area being worked — a sense of warmth, reduced tension in the abdomen, or a shift in how their mid-back feels. Changes in the associated symptoms typically develop over several sessions as the nervous system recalibrates.

Key Takeaways

• CMRT stands for Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Technique, developed by Dr. M.B. DeJarnette
• It's based on the documented neurological connections between specific vertebrae and specific organs
• CMRT addresses both the spinal subluxation and the organ reflex — breaking the cycle that causes the same problem to keep returning
• Only doctors with Advanced SOT certification through SORSI are trained to perform CMRT
• Conditions that may respond include GERD, PMS, menstrual cramps, menopausal symptoms, adrenal fatigue, constipation, gallbladder issues, allergies, asthma, and more
• CMRT is gentle, non-forceful, and suitable for a wide range of patients

If you're dealing with chronic health conditions that seem to have both a spinal and a visceral component — or if you've been told your symptoms are "just something you have to manage" — CMRT may offer a different perspective. I'd be glad to talk through whether this approach makes sense for you.

Call us at Pura Vida Chiropractic: (210) 685-1994. We're located at 2318 NW Military Hwy #103, San Antonio, TX 78231, and we offer bilingual care in English and Spanish.