History
What brought you in, what makes it worse, what you have already tried, and any imaging or ACC claim already on file. This is also where we screen for anything that belongs with your GP or a specialist rather than with us.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jun, Clinic Director
ACC Registered · No GP Referral Needed
Spinal and Posture Assessment in Auckland
What we measure before we treat anything: a PostureScreen capture in millimetres and degrees, range of motion tested on both sides, direct referral for X-ray or ultrasound where it is clinically indicated, and a written baseline you can be re-measured against.
PostureScreen Assessment
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Direct X-Ray & Ultrasound Referral
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No GP Referral Required
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Rosedale & Milford, North Shore
Quick Answer
What happens in a spinal and posture assessment?
At Auckland Wellness Centre on the North Shore, a spinal and posture assessment records your standing posture with PostureScreen, measures range of motion in degrees on both sides, runs orthopaedic and neurological testing, and refers you directly for X-ray or ultrasound where it is clinically indicated. You leave with written numbers and a re-measurement date, not an impression. No GP referral is required, and where findings belong with a specialist we refer you on.
The Measurements
What we measure, and in what units
Not every line applies to every patient. What is measured depends on where the symptoms are and what the history points at.
| What | Unit | How | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward head translation | Millimetres | PostureScreen, side view | How far the head sits in front of the shoulders |
| Head tilt and rotation | Degrees | PostureScreen, front view | Whether the head is level and square |
| Shoulder height difference | Millimetres | PostureScreen, front view | Uneven shoulder carriage |
| Pelvic level | Millimetres | PostureScreen, front view | Whether the pelvis sits level side to side |
| Weight distribution | Percentage, left and right | Standing assessment | Which side you load when standing |
| Cervical curve | Degrees | Lateral cervical X-ray, on referral | The shape of the neck curve, measured rather than estimated |
| Lumbar curve | Degrees | Lateral lumbar X-ray, on referral | The shape of the lower back curve |
| Cervical range of motion | Degrees, both sides | In-clinic testing | Rotation, side bending, flexion and extension |
| Lumbar range of motion | Degrees | In-clinic testing | Available movement before symptoms start |
| Straight leg raise | Degrees, both sides | In-clinic testing | Nerve tension when leg symptoms are present |
Curve measurement on X-ray follows the Chiropractic BioPhysics line drawing method, read against the Harrison spinal model.
Your First Visit
Your first visit, step by step
Six steps, in this order. The last one is the one most assessments leave out.
PostureScreen capture
Standing photographs from four views: front, back, left side and right side. The software returns head position in millimetres, tilt in degrees, shoulder and pelvic level, and left to right weight distribution. The output is a report, not an opinion.
Orthopaedic and neurological testing
Range of motion measured in degrees on both sides, orthopaedic tests for the region involved, and where there are leg or arm symptoms, reflexes, muscle strength and sensation.
Imaging referral where indicated
Only where the findings call for it. Our chiropractors refer directly for X-ray and ultrasound, so there is no GP visit in between. See the section below for when we refer and when we do not.
Your numbers, explained
You are shown what was measured and what it means, including the parts that are unremarkable. Findings that need a GP, a specialist or imaging beyond our scope are referred on.
A plan with a review date built in
What we would do, in what order, and when we re-measure to check it. If a plan cannot say when it will be checked, it is not a plan.
Imaging and Referral
When we refer for an X-ray, and when we don't
We refer when the curve itself is the question and posture photographs cannot answer it, when symptoms have not responded to a reasonable course of care, when there is a history of significant trauma, when neurological findings are present, or when a structural condition such as scoliosis is suspected and needs measuring rather than guessing.
We do not refer when the history and examination already explain the problem, when recent imaging is on file and still answers the question, or when the result would not change what we do next. An X-ray that cannot change the plan is not worth the exposure.
Referral is direct, and it is not only X-ray. Our chiropractors refer directly for both X-ray and ultrasound, so there is no GP appointment in between and no waiting for a referral letter to be written for you. Imaging is carried out by an external radiology provider. Where the findings point beyond what we should be treating, we refer you on to a specialist.
Radiation dose is a real consideration and we treat it as one. The question we ask before referring is whether the image will change the plan. Ultrasound, which carries no radiation, is often the right call for soft tissue rather than bone. We have written up what a postural X-ray actually shows, and what it does not, including why a curve angle means little without the measurement method attached.
Three Different Jobs
Adjustment, traction and decompression are not the same thing
They are often used as if they were interchangeable. They target different things, and the assessment is what decides which of them you need. Few Auckland clinics run all three.
| Method | What it targets | What it does | Typical frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiropractic adjustment | A specific joint that tests as restricted | Restores movement at that segment | Every visit in the active phase |
| Denneroll traction | The curve itself, not the movement | Sustained postural loading in the opposite direction to the drift | Daily or near-daily, at home and in clinic |
| Win Trac decompression | A disc under load, usually with leg or arm symptoms | Cyclic axial traction that unloads the disc space | Blocks of sessions, reviewed at the end of each block |
Which of the three you get is decided by your measurements, not by which machine we happen to own. AWC prescribes Denneroll traction orthotics to your own numbers and runs a Win Trac 100 decompression table on site, so the plan is not limited by what has to be referred elsewhere.
More detail on decompression is on our spinal decompression page, and on the correction method on our posture correction page. We have also written up why these three are different jobs in full.
The Review
How we know it changed
A baseline is only useful if something is compared against it later. Review points are set at the start, not decided as you go.
6 and 12 weeks
Posture capture and range of motion repeated and read against your own starting figures. Neck, back and postural plans sit here.
4 and 8 weeks
Earlier review, because straight leg raise and the neurological screen tend to move before posture does. Centralisation is recorded session by session.
End of each block
Reviewed by block of sessions rather than by calendar. The next block is only booked if the measurements justify it.
If the numbers are not moving, the plan changes. That review is part of the plan rather than an optional extra, and how a course of care is structured is set out on our care plans page.
Who Reads Them
Who reads your measurements
Postural and X-ray analysis at Auckland Wellness Centre follows the Chiropractic BioPhysics protocol, which treats posture as geometry that can be measured rather than judged by eye. Dr. Michael Blandy is one of about six CBP-trained chiropractors in New Zealand and reads the CBP line drawings on your images. Research into how closely structural change tracks with symptom change is still developing, so we report what we measure, what we do, and what your own follow-up numbers show.
Honest Answers
Spinal and Posture Assessment FAQ
Is there a posture specialist in Auckland?
Posture specialist is not a protected title in New Zealand, so it is worth asking what a clinic actually measures. At Auckland Wellness Centre, postural assessment is done with PostureScreen and, where clinically indicated, X-ray analysis using the Chiropractic BioPhysics protocol. Dr. Michael Blandy is one of about six CBP-trained chiropractors in New Zealand.
Do I need a GP referral for a postural X-ray?
No. Our chiropractors refer directly for X-ray, and imaging is carried out by an external radiology provider. There is no GP appointment in between.
Can a chiropractor refer me for an ultrasound, or to a specialist?
Yes to both. We refer directly for ultrasound as well as X-ray, which matters when the question is soft tissue rather than bone, and ultrasound carries no radiation. Where an assessment turns up something that belongs with a specialist rather than with us, we refer you on rather than treat around it.
How much does a spinal and posture assessment cost?
It is part of a chiropractic initial consultation: $105 privately, or $40 where an ACC claim covers the visit. If you would rather start smaller, the Free Spinal Check is a shorter screening at no charge. Full rates are on our pricing page.
Is a posture assessment covered by ACC?
ACC covers injury-related care, so an assessment attached to an accepted injury claim is covered at the ACC rate. Postural change with no injury behind it is not an ACC matter and is charged privately. Our chiropractors lodge the claim for you where one applies.
How is this different from the Free Spinal Check?
The Free Spinal Check is a short screening that tells you whether something is worth looking at properly. The full assessment on this page is the measured version: PostureScreen capture, range of motion in degrees, orthopaedic and neurological testing, X-ray referral where indicated, and a written baseline you can be re-measured against.
Do you re-measure, or is it assessed once?
Re-measurement is scheduled, not optional. Posture capture and range of motion are repeated at 6 and 12 weeks for most spinal plans, at 4 and 8 weeks where there are leg symptoms, and at the end of each block where decompression is running. If the measurements are not moving, the plan changes.
Visit Us
Auckland Wellness Centre, Rosedale and Milford
The same assessment runs at both North Shore clinics. Free parking on-site. Wheelchair accessible at Rosedale. EFTPOS, debit, and bank transfer accepted.
Rosedale
E2/27 William Pickering Drive
Rosedale, Auckland 0632
Phone: 09 600 1939
Opening hours
| Monday | 9:00am – 7:00pm |
| Tuesday | 7:00am – 9:00pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00am – 7:00pm |
| Thursday | 7:00am – 7:00pm |
| Friday | 9:00am – 7:00pm |
| Saturday | 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Sunday | 9:00am – 5:00pm |
Milford
177B Shakespeare Road
Milford, Auckland 0620
Phone: 09 281 3687
Open seven days. Hours match Rosedale.
Get directionsFind out what your spine is actually doing
Book a full assessment, or start with a shorter screening if you would rather see what comes up first.