KST was discovered by accident – literally.

Crash!! That's how it began.

It was the summer of 1992, and we were moving into our new home. I didn't notice the large, heavy, sharp-edged 300 lb. laminate furniture precariously balanced behind the door as I closed it.

As I held the doorknob, the laminate toppled onto me with its sharp edges cutting through my fingers. They would have been sliced off, but my head was in the way, taking the brunt of the force.

I saw stars! I was dazed from the concussion and whiplash. If I lost consciousness, it was for a split second, but I mostly remember bleeding and stumbling around in pain. I slept nearly ten hours afterward, but when I awoke, I found my problems had just begun.

Pain. My head, neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, and fingers constantly ache. Moving my thumbs caused severe pain; using scissors was impossible; I was unable to lift my infant son by placing my hands under his arms. I couldn't close my fingers to make a fist; the skin of my hands cracked and bled. I could barely hold anything.

Seeking help

Over the next ten years, I saw nearly 50 different healthcare practitioners, including chiropractors at first, followed by acupuncturists, physical therapists, osteopaths, medical doctors, naturopaths, and a wide range of body workers and massage therapists. Many were gifted, talented healers, but no one seemed to be able to give me more than temporary relief. I continued to worsen.

The constant pain made it impossible to practice, and I was forced to suspend my professional license.

As if that weren't enough, I had been suffering from sciatica off and on for the past twenty years, but now the searing, burning pain was more on than off. It was impossible to walk more than a few feet at a time on some days. I was disabled.

I'll never forget looking at a photo of three of my elderly uncles. They were sitting on a couch surrounded by canes and walkers – all had back and hip operations. "Is that to be my fate? Pain medication, cortisone shots, and surgery?" I wondered.

I was miserable and depressed, despairing of ever getting better. I continued to worsen. This went on for ten long years.

Desperation

During my professional career, I saw so many chiropractic miracles – people given up on by their regular doctors responding to chiropractic adjustments. Why was chiropractic helping so many others but not me?

Finally, in desperation, I did the only thing I could do – I began to experiment on myself.

Discovery

I combined concepts from two marvelous chiropractic techniques: DNFT (Directional Non-Force Technique) developed by Richard Van Rumpt, DC, and Spinal Column Stressology developed by Lowell Ward, DC, and added an adjusting instrument. The synergy was magical. I could locate precisely where I had subluxations, distortions, blockages, stress, and interferences in my body, and using the adjusting instrument, I could specifically correct myself.

In five days of self-care, my ten years of upper extremity pain and limitation cleared up completely and never returned. My 30 years of lumbosacral disc pain and sciatica took about six weeks to completely resolve, also by self-care.

I was the first patient to experience what would later be called Koren Specific Technique (KST).

The second patient was my wife Beth, who had been suffering from migraines ever since our son, Seth, was born 12 years earlier. No one could help her as she moaned in pain and would eventually take painkillers or throw up, or both.

Using my new discovery, it took less than a second to release a stress everyone had missed in her. Her migraines never returned. She also had a hump in her lower neck/upper back that disappeared after a few weeks of care.

What was this?

What was this? Was it really as promising as it appeared? To find out I searched for the most difficult patients I could find: doctors like me who saw lots of different healers but were still not well.

"I'm in more pain than my patients"

As a speaker at chiropractic seminars and colleges, I had a great opportunity to find my ideal patients. Over the next 18 months as I taught in the US, Canada, UK and even Gibraltar, I'd make this announcement before a break:

I think I've discovered a protocol that locates and corrects subluxations and problems other healers miss. If anyone here has a condition that has failed regular care, see me during the break.

I figured one or two doctors might stop by. Instead, the line seemed to go out the door! Nearly everyone had long-standing health problems. I remember one chiropractor whispering into my ear, "Some days I'm in more pain than my patients."

Word spread

The results were dramatic. I watched non-responders respond, people whose care had plateaued begin to make progress, and the worst cases begin to resolve. Word spread. Doctors sought me out and also started sending their spouses, children, office assistants, and patients for care. I reactivated my license.

Could this be taught? Could I teach it?

And then one day in England…

I was invited to speak at the McTimoney Chiropractic College in Abingdon, England. Due to a scheduling error, the school asked if I'd teach a few extra hours. I hadn't prepared for the extra hours, but then I thought, "Let's see if this new work can be taught."

I told my story, explained the basics of this unnamed procedure, gave some demonstrations, and had everyone practice a little. Everyone was polite and seemed interested, but I didn't know.

After I returned home to Pennsylvania, I began receiving e-mails reporting dramatic healing responses from their patients. One doctor wrote about a Down's Syndrome child who could walk for the first time. Some things you never forget.

It was time to teach.

Our first KST seminar

We had our son's bar mitzvah trip to Israel and a lot of other things planned. Beth logically suggested I begin teaching after we returned from our trip to Israel. I could not. It had to be in the spring. Our first KST seminar was in May 2005 in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania. Doctors traveled from five countries and all over the US. One doctor from Connecticut, Jens Korgaard, DC brought a video camera to film it. Watching it years later I'm pleased to see the basics have continued to stand the test of time, how much we've grown and how many jokes I've forgotten. (That video of the first KST seminar is on our website).

Today

I've been traveling the world teaching KST to Doctors of Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Medicine, Dentistry, to Psychologists, Veterinarians, Naturopaths, Homeopaths, CranioSacral therapists, Physical Therapists, and even interested non-professionals. As of this date, over 6,500 people have come to our seminars, and interest still continues to grow.

It's time for a book showing off some of KST's promise and potential.

This book was written for three types of readers.

1. For the general public to inspire people to explore KST by seeking out a practitioner.

2. For healthcare practitioners to inspire them to learn KST.

3. For non-professionals to use KST on themselves and their families.