What is an Activator?
Chiropractors often employ special tools to assist in the treatment of clients. There are various adjustable tables and chairs, massage implements, and electrical devices. One special tool that can be used for therapy and adjustment is the Activator. The Activator Method Chiropractic Technique concerns both a chiropractic adjustment method and a special device, developed by Arlan Fuhr. It replaces or complements the manual spine and joint manipulation. The Activator is a “mechanical force manual assisted (MFMA) instrument” used for people who might require a “softer chiropractic treatment technique”. This spring-loaded, hand-held instrument gives off up to “0.3 J of kinetic energy in a 3-millisecond pulse” so that the vertebrae are moved, yet uninjured.
The chiropractor often uses the Activator on the request of the patient, especially newer or nervous patients. It produces a gentler feeling that these types of patients favor. The Activator Method Chiropractic Technique (AMCT) is performed by doing muscle tests on a patient and determining the lengths of the patient’s legs. This is done in order to see where the vertebral problem might be located. Some studies have even suggested that the technique “may be as effective as manual adjustment in treatment of back pain”. This means that patients who choose or need the Activator for adjustment are not losing the effectiveness in their treatment.1
Who Needs the Activator?
Typically, the device might be used to adjust babies, small children, the elderly, the previously mentioned nervous patients, and other people for whom a traditional manipulation might have too much force. Patients who are not strictly advised to follow the Activator method may choose to switch to the traditional style of manipulation as they wish. When it comes time for the adjustment, the patient lies on their belly, and the chiropractor adjusts the tension knob on the tool. The device is applied to the appropriate regions of the body which are in need of adjustment. And the chiropractor squeezes the device to engage the instrument.2
Activator vs. Traditional Adjustment
Research has shown the Activator to be very effective in its use for chiropractic adjustment. It is the “second most-widely used chiropractic technique”, now being an option that’s for use in about 70% of chiropractic offices. Dr. Fuhr has become famous for “bringing instrument adjusting to the chiropractic profession”.3 Activator Methods International, Ltd. (AMI) has provided chiropractic treatment since 1967. AMI has published over 100 papers on their method of treatment, with support from the National Institute of Chiropractic Research. Medicare even covers the technique.4 In terms of research, the Activator has clinical trials and “hundreds of clinical and scientific peer-reviewed papers”. AMI has also received grants from the National Institute of Health.5
Most people may be familiar with the traditional manual spinal manipulation that makes the “popping sound as the bones are realigned”. The Activator tool has not completely replaced this method of manipulation, though it is in the case of some patients, but manual manipulation is instead complemented by the use of the Activator technique. The tool is different from the traditional method in that it makes a “precise adjustment with only a light clicking sound from the instrument”. In manual manipulation, the patient will need to reposition their body several times over the course of the full series of adjustments. With the device, the patient can stay in one face-down position.
Some patients who require a gentler adjustment, or who cannot move into different positions, may prefer or require that their chiropractor uses the Activator methods.6 No one adjustment method is perfect for every person. Nonetheless, the Activator is another helpful tool that is available in chiropractic treatment.
Impulse® Adjusting Instrument
The Impulse® Adjusting Instrument works similarly to the Activator tool. The instrument also delivers to the joints of the spine and extremities gentle and precise chiropractic adjustments, relieving pain and restoring function. The instrument utilizes internal micro-computer circuitry which produces a level of force that is controlled by the chiropractor. There are three force settings for different patients and parts of the body. Like the Activator, the Impulse® Adjusting Instrument produces very little feeling in the patient beyond a light tapping sensation in the area that is receiving treatment.
Most patients tend to report feeling the beginnings of relief from pain, improved mobility, and calm after receiving treatment. However, chronic conditions, inflammation, or muscle spasms may delay some of these positive effects. The instrument is very fast, meaning that it works more quickly than a manual chiropractic adjustment. The gentle thrust that is produced is also faster than the body’s reaction time, manipulating the chosen area before the body’s tendency to tighten up and resist adjustment starts. Unlike the Activator, however, the Impulse® Adjusting Instrument is not wireless.7