Ok! First Blog post here we go! 

Today we are going to talk about the adjusting instruments I implement in my office. They would be the Activator 5 and Impulse IQ adjusting instruments.  Why do I use them? What do they do? How do they work? Do they even do anything? (Short answer yes and you will understand how and why by the end of this post!)

Most commonly referred to as "the clicker", "the thumper", "the drill", and "the gun"(they aren't guns!) etc.  These instruments were designed to create a comfortable and controlled force to establish movement at a joint plus a few extra benefits that we will get into shortly.  You may ask how they can do this when they feel so light as compared to a manual adjustment.  The answer is SPEED. 

FORCE = MASS X ACCELLERATION

The faster something is the more force it can generate with less mass.  These two instruments when engaged create a thrust that is about 100x faster than what we can produce with our hands during a manual adjustment.  Meaning it can accomplish the goal with less "heft" behind it making the adjustment more comfortable.

 

What are the other benefits of speed?  

 

The adjustment is faster than our ability to reflexively tense up.

Because of the Instruments speed the job gets done before you can tense up or guard.  If you ever have had a Manual adjustment you know that being relaxed makes the adjustment much more comfortable. You will normally hear the Chiropractor remind you to relax and un-tense your muscles.  If we don’t give this reminder then we need to be stronger than the muscles that are tensed making the Manual adjustment more forceful and sometimes uncomfortable.  It is kind of like an arm-wrestling match at that point.  Because of the speed implemented that is no longer an issue to attaining movement at the joint and possibly causing undue discomfort.

 

It will reflexively fire the nerves controlling and monitoring the joint

One of the most significant factors now being taken into account is the constant communication between the brain and the joints themselves (This is called Proprioceptive information). Like in a car engine, the computer in the vehicle monitors and adjusts according to the information the sensors in the engine provide.  This is how our brain and the nerves surrounding the joint work. There is a constant communication back and forth maintaining normal motion and normal motion patterns.   If there are faults in this communication, we get improper motion and feel locked up and “out of place” which can lead to pain. 

If we correct this faulty pattern (like switching a fuse in the car) we resume normal motion patterns and less wear on the system happens leading to relief.  So, the question is how do we reset these faulty signals?  That’s where the added speed of the instruments really shines. It has been shown that with a fast enough stimulus to a joint the nerves will fire sending this movement information to the brain to be processed and used.  With enough time and repetition a new pattern will be learned, used and maintained.  With the instruments we exceed this speed to make sure that this reaction happens every time you are adjusted.  The only questions beyond that are how often will someone need to be adjusted to re-establish a proper movement pattern, how long will the wear and tear in the area take to heal, and what is needed to maintain this proper function to avoid potential future problems. These questions are answered through an examination process and how well you respond to care.

 

It will reflexively calm over active muscles

The speed also influences the muscles themselves similarly to the joint’s nerves. It will re-establishing normal tension and tone and let trigger points relax by firing the nerves in the area. Overly tight muscles in an area respond in a way that makes most people surprised. This firing of the nerves makes the muscle lightly contract and relax with each impulse of the instrument. This happens because the nerves are already telling the muscles to contract to a certain extent and when they fire more a temporary stronger contraction occurs, but afterword’s the muscle calms down and becomes looser.

 

Less general soreness after the adjustment and safer for the patient

You will also, typically, not get as sore after an adjustment because there is less “heft” while the adjustment is taking place. Because we no longer have to be as forceful to re-establish motion at the joint, less tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons etc.) are stressed and recovery of the area is faster. It is also safer for the patient because the amount of motion is highly controlled, awkward positions do not need to be used and the amount of overt force being applied to an area is less.

 

In conclusion! (I’ve always wanted to say that)

The whole goal is to bring you back to normal function. When things are functioning normally pain is normally not present.   These instruments have been designed to accomplish this.  But like everything involving the body, consistency and repetition is generally required.  Because we are trying to re-establish proper coordinated motion the rehabilitative process does take time. How much depends on all that is involved in the problems presented.

I have written and re-written this post multiple times trying to be as clear as I could, I hope this gave you some information on the instruments I use. In short, they create motion so you can move and feel better. They do it in a way that is less forcefully making them safe and comfortable. They are not a magic wand though, we need to work with the bodies natural process to heal and change and that involves consistency, and time. I often tell my patients I wish I could just wave my hands over them and they were miraculously better. All I want is for you to feel good and do the things you want to do, and if I ever find something to accomplish that I will definitely be using it!  In the meantime, I’ll work as hard as I can to help you all in any way that I can.

Have a great one everyone!

Matt Maley D.C.