Chiropractic Adjusting Instrument for Effective Bone, Joint and Muscle Alignment

Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and primary treatment method that focuses on a range of medical conditions within the human body including the spine, muscles, and joints. It is a hands-on and patient-centered treatment that uses manual manipulation and chiropractic adjusting instrument to help improve patient’s flexibility, mobility, or posture, and most importantly, to alleviate occasional pain and reduce the risk of injuries.

One of the most effective techniques in chiropractic care is the activator method. It is a modern solution and a great complement to traditional chiropractic adjustment techniques. If you are looking to book an appointment, then it’s important to understand what an activator spinal adjustment device is and how it works.

Chiropractic Adjusting Instrument: Activator Technique

The functional assessment tools are used to determine where the problem is on the spine, so the chiropractor can work on it using specialized instrument. This is a device-assisted treatment method of spinal and joint manipulation that uses a small handheld tool called the Activator Adjusting Instrument (AAI), or commonly known as, an Activator.
The device delivers targeted, gentle, and controlled impulse force to the spine as well as the joints that connect individual vertebrae.
Originally, an activator was largely a spring-loaded instrument by design, but over time it has evolved into a mechanical-force delivering electronic tool.

Functions of the Activator Spinal Adjustment Device: Functional assessment tools

Unlike traditional chiropractic adjustments, the Activator technique is considered a softer method because it uses a gentle approach to spinal manipulation. The manual delivery of impulse to the targeted areas by hands is now replaced with mechanical force derived from the impulse generated by the device.

With a chiropractic adjusting instrument, the chiropractor will still have to hold and control the device while it generates impulses targeting the affected areas as opposed to hands. The spine comprises several vertebrae, and when one shifts out and gets misaligned, the bone occupies space in the vertebral canal that’s serves as the primary route for nerve and blood supply in the body.

The misaligned bone creates a blockage that can affect nerve roots, resulting in mild to extreme sensations of pain and numbness. In chiropractic care, this misalignment is referred to as a subluxation, and it’s what the Activator helps to correct without causing further injury.

Administering the Activator Technique

So how does a chiropractor administer the technique and know exactly where to target? First, the chiropractor will have to conduct a thorough assessment of the spine and its structures. A functional leg length test is carried out to uncover the location of the subluxation at that vertebra. Your specialist will assess the entire spine from head to feet, identifying possible problems along with the system.

Activator chiropractic doctors perform a range of motion testing on patients using functional assessment tools such to test the functionality of leg length and automatic strength test. A patient is taken through a series of muscle movements that aim at activating muscles connecting specific vertebrae. This technique is suitable and recommended for people ailing from other medical conditions such as allergies, sleep disorders, low immunity, asthma, stress and anxiety, so it’s limited to addressing chronic pain conditions and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).

Compared to manual chiropractic adjustments, the Activator technique is more gentle and has a limited side effect, especially on patients with low bone density or suffering from osteoporosis. If you are suffering from that it’s best to let your chiropractor know to avoid the risk of bone fracture.