Chiropractic care often includes adjustments to the spine, neck, and other joints. There are more than 100 different techniques for providing an adjustment. Activator adjustments use a handheld instrument to provide an adjustment that is quick, accurate, and gentle. Dr. Tom Rexroth and Dr. Joel Rexroth of Rexroth Chiropractic Center in West Burlington, IA offer a variety of different adjustment techniques and use the one that is appropriate for the individual patient.
The Activator adjustments method has been around for more than 50 years. It is easy for the chiropractor to use, and easier for the patient. Special training for chiropractors is available and they can become certified in the use of the Activator. The device itself has evolved over the years and is now in its 5th iteration, which has been FDA-registered and approved. It is battery-operated and has four different thrust settings to allow more flexibility in treatment.
Chiropractors use adjustments to move joints that are misaligned. When vertebrae are not aligned, the messages from the brain can't get through the way they are supposed to. This causes pain and many other issues that result from the misalignment. How the chiropractor determines where the misalignment is located is determined by the school of chiropractic care that they adhere to. There are a variety of different schools of thought on the best way to test for subluxations.
Many types of adjustment use the high-velocity low amplitude thrust method, and it can be very effective. But, how much thrust is applied depends on the chiropractor. Not every patient is a good candidate for this type of adjustment and other patients are not fans of the cracking sound that it produces. For the elderly, young children, those in extreme pain, and others, the Activator adjustment method allows for gentle and accurate adjustments. The gentle thrust is so quick that the muscles in the body don't have time to tense up and resist.
Activator adjustments along with the Diversified Technique are the most commonly used chiropractic spinal and extremity adjustment techniques.
To learn more about Activator adjustments, contact Dr. Tom Rexroth and Dr. Joel Rexroth of Rexroth Chiropractic Center in West Burlington, IA. We can be reached on the phone at (319) 752-4544 or use the form on our website.