No lawsuit naming Houston chiropractor Gregory Johnson personally as a defendant appears in available court records, and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners has never imposed disciplinary action against him despite repeated complaints about his signature “Ring Dinger” adjustment. That is the short answer to the question of a Gregory Johnson chiropractor lawsuit. The longer answer involves a decade of dismissed board complaints, a Texas Supreme Court ruling that shored up the legal ground under his practice, and a well-documented medical debate about the risks of high-velocity neck manipulation that applies to the entire profession.
Board Complaints, All Dismissed
Over the past decade, multiple complaints have been filed with the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners alleging that Johnson’s Ring Dinger technique exceeds the lawful scope of chiropractic care in Texas. According to Johnson and his company, Advanced Chiropractic Equipment LLC, every one of those complaints has been dismissed.1Yahoo Finance. Johnson Y-Axis Adjustment Ring Dinger Clarified as In-Scope Care Under Texas Law Patrick Fortner, executive director of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, separately confirmed to Texas Monthly that the agency’s records showed no administrative actions taken against Johnson.2Texas Monthly. Houston Chiropractor’s YouTube Videos Crack Addicts Controversy
Johnson has stated that no patient injuries or malpractice claims have been recorded against him in Texas since he began practicing in 1981.3Newsfile Corp. Johnson Y-Axis Adjustment Ring Dinger Clarified as In-Scope Care Under Texas Law That claim comes from his company’s own statement rather than an independent audit, but no available reporting contradicts it.
The Texas Supreme Court Ruling That Backs His Scope of Practice
Johnson was not a party to the case, but the most consequential legal proceeding shaping his practice environment was the long fight between the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners over what chiropractors are allowed to do.
The medical association sued to invalidate board rules defining the “musculoskeletal system” and “subluxation complex” to include nerves and the nervous system, and authorizing chiropractors to perform vestibular-ocular-nystagmus testing. A trial court struck down the rules, and the Austin Court of Appeals partially affirmed.4Justia. Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners v. Texas Medical Association, No. 18-1223
On January 29, 2021, the Texas Supreme Court reversed. Chief Justice Nathan Hecht wrote that the board’s rules carry a presumption of validity that the medical association failed to overcome, and that “every act that a physician may do is not automatically the unlawful practice of medicine when done by a non-physician.” The court declared all the challenged rules valid.4Justia. Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners v. Texas Medical Association, No. 18-1223
For a practice built on the argument that the Ring Dinger is a lawful chiropractic adjustment rather than a medical procedure, that ruling removed the broadest source of legal risk.
The Safety Debate and Informed Consent
The medical debate around Ring Dinger-style high-velocity cervical adjustments involves documented risks that exist across chiropractic, not just in Johnson’s office. Peer-reviewed literature has identified vertebral artery dissection and stroke as recognized complications of cervical spine manipulation. One case study documented a 38-year-old woman who suffered a cerebellar infarct and acute hydrocephalus after a chiropractic neck adjustment, requiring emergency surgery.5National Institutes of Health (PMC). Vertebral Artery Dissection Following Chiropractic Neck Manipulation A systematic review identified 901 reported cases of cerebral artery dissections related to chiropractic manipulation, with 707 resulting in stroke and at least 26 documented deaths.6National Institutes of Health (PMC). Chiropractic Manipulation and Stroke
Data from the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association places the incidence of arterial dissection following cervical manipulation at roughly one in every eight million office visits.6National Institutes of Health (PMC). Chiropractic Manipulation and Stroke
The Texas Supreme Court addressed this risk directly in a separate 2012 case, Felton v. Lovett, holding that vertebral artery dissection and stroke are “known risks of chiropractic treatment that should be disclosed” and that chiropractors must obtain informed consent before performing neck manipulation.4Justia. Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners v. Texas Medical Association, No. 18-1223 That rule applies to any Texas chiropractor performing cervical adjustments, Johnson included, and it is where the theoretical legal exposure sits even in the absence of a filed case.
No publicly reported injury has been linked specifically to Johnson’s Ring Dinger technique in the available research. Johnson and his company distinguish the Ring Dinger, which they describe as a manual, full-spine adjustment performed on a table that locks the patient’s pelvis, from generic “y-strap cervical traction,” which they say uses different vectors and lacks pelvis stabilization.7The Globe and Mail. Johnson Y-Axis Adjustment Ring Dinger Clarified as In-Scope Care Under Texas Law
Where Johnson Is the One Enforcing
The one area where Johnson’s business does routinely raise legal claims is trademark enforcement. Advanced Chiropractic Equipment LLC holds four federal trademarks: Ring Dinger, Team Ring Dinger, Johnson BioPhysics, and Johnson Y Axis Adjustment.8Advanced Chiropractic Equipment LLC. Federal Trademarks Chiropractors who want to use the techniques and marks commercially must attend a three-day certification seminar in Houston, purchase the Ring Dinger table for $11,999, and pay a monthly licensing fee of $495 under a minimum two-year contract.9PR Newswire. Advanced Chiropractic Equipment LLC Expands Official Team Ring Dinger Provider Network Worldwide
The company has warned that clinics and marketers using its trademarks without a license, or labeling generic y-strap traction a “Ring Dinger,” may face enforcement actions. It says that confusion between the two techniques has prompted inquiries from chiropractic boards in multiple states.1Yahoo Finance. Johnson Y-Axis Adjustment Ring Dinger Clarified as In-Scope Care Under Texas Law
Current Status
As of mid-2026, Johnson remains in active practice at Advanced Chiropractic Relief in Houston and continues to train other chiropractors through his licensing business. In May 2026, he led a clinical seminar at his office in the Woodlands/Tomball area.10Access Newswire. Advanced Chiropractic Equipment and Seminars Announces Venue Change No new regulatory actions, lawsuits, or malpractice claims involving Johnson have been reported in the available research.