Comparing Chiropractic Adjusting Instruments: Activator vs Arthrostim
Chiropractors have a range of approaches to provide precise, gentle, and effective care for patients of all ages. Among the tools available to modern chiropractors, the Activator and Arthrostim adjusting instruments stand out for their ability to offer targeted, low-force adjustments without “cracking” or “popping” associated with manual techniques. Both tools are excellent for addressing spinal subluxations, yet they achieve their results in distinct ways.
Activator: Precision in a Single Thrust
The Activator Adjusting Instrument is a non-electric device that relies on the practitioner’s grip to deliver its controlled thrust. With a single application, it provides a precise and fast impulse to the targeted area. This one-time thrust is ideal for creating a specific neurological input to the body without overstimulating the surrounding tissues.
Key features of the Activator:
- Non-electric: Portable and easy to use in various settings.
- Single thrust per application: Allows for pinpoint precision and minimal force.
- Neurological focus: Primarily stimulates the nervous system by providing an afferent neurological input.
The Activator is a favourite for patients who prefer a gentle approach, including younger children and older adults, as well as those with conditions requiring a delicate touch.
Pictured above is the Activator adjusting instrument
Arthrostim: Electric, Multiple Thrusts
The Arthrostim Adjusting Instrument, on the other hand, is an electric tool that delivers multiple thrusts per second. Specifically, it operates at a rate of 12 thrusts per second. This rapid percussive action allows the Arthrostim to introduce continuous forces to a specific area, making it especially effective for creating positional and structural changes in the spine.
Key features of the Arthrostim:
- Electric-powered: Provides a consistent and efficient application of force.
- 12 thrusts per second: Offers a rapid yet controlled adjustment.
- Focus on structural change: While it still delivers neurological input, its a more suitable instrument to facilitate structural corrections in the spine.
This instrument excels in addressing misalignments that require gentle but sustained force, avoiding irritation to surrounding muscles and ligaments.
Pictured above is the Arthrostim adjusting instrument
Shared Benefits: Specificity and Comfort
Both the Activator and Arthrostim share an advantage: the ability to deliver force with precision. Unlike manual adjustments, these instruments allow chiropractors to apply force in specific vectors and lines of drive, optimising spinal alignment.
- No cracking or popping: Perfect for patients who feel uneasy about traditional manual adjustments.
- Gentle for all ages: Both instruments are ideal for younger patients, whose spines are still developing, and older patients, who may have fragile or degenerated joints.
- Customisation: These tools allow chiropractors to tailor their approach to the individual needs of each patient.
Conclusion
Both the Activator and Arthrostim are valuable tools in our chiropractors approach. They provide effective, patient-friendly alternatives to manual adjustments, ensuring that patients of all ages and comfort levels can benefit from spinal alignment and the relationship to the nervous system.
Whether through the precision of a single thrust from the Activator or the rapid percussive action of the Arthrostim, these instruments enable chiropractors to address subluxations with specificity and care, promoting optimal spinal health in a way that is gentle, effective, and tailored to individual needs.