The Activator Method: Safe and Effective Chiropractic Treatment
If you experience back pain or neck pain, you may be a candidate for the Activator Method at Schneider Clinic. The Activator Method Chiropractic Technique is ideal for babies, adults and geriatrics because of its low-impact and effective results. This is a method that allows for diagnostic testing and treatments, and it is used by thousands of chiropractors all over the world to treat back and neck pain, as well as chronic and migraine headaches, and a whole host of other conditions.
What is the Activator Method?
The doctors at Schneider Clinic will use a hand-held instrument called an Activator which sends a mild impulse to the spine. The instrument and method of diagnostic analysis to determine where to adjust the patients joint(s) is the most widely used method across the globe. This is a much gentler alternative to other types of chiropractic treatment which involve manually manipulating the spinal column. The Activator Method has extensive studies that show positive results over all other methods. In fact, you will find a lot of research papers on this chiropractic method that discuss how safe, gentle and effective the treatments are.
The Activator Instrument
While the Activator Method is the analysis side, the Activator Instrument allows the doctors at Schneider Clinic to deliver a gentle, low-force, chiropractic adjustment. The hand-held instrument provides a controlled, fast-thrust that is very comfortable to the patient. In fact, the Activator Instrument is 200x faster than the traditional adjustment and delivers a thrust in 3 milliseconds.
Schneider Clinic Patients
Based on patient feedback they prefer the Activator Method over traditional manipulation because there is no "twisting", "popping", or "cracking". By evaluating the cause of your problem, Dr. Schneider is able to determine when and where to adjust and set the Activator Instrument settings accordingly.
"I have had severe headaches and pain in the neck for over twelve years as a result of a fall After the fall I was taking large doses of post-oop pain relievers but with little relief. The pain affected every area of my life because I could not sit up, stand or walk for very long. I saw neurosurgeons, neurologists, internists, general practitioners and even researchers in neurology at Penn University and Mayo clinic, they all agreed that it was a permanent injury and I should just remain in bed and keep taking the pain medication for the rest of my life. I had experience with a Chiropractic doctor before with favorable results. Dr. Schneider gave me a check up while visiting our missionaries in Argentina.
He suggested that I see him when I returned to the U.S. because he could help me to a degree. Before seeing Dr. Schneider I was in a constant "fog" of pain that never let up. Although I have headaches that vary in intensity, they are no where near the severity as before. I am able to sit up for longer periods of time, and I am taking on some of my former responsibilities again. My friends and family have noticed that I am more mobile and feeling better. The painless treatments with Dr Schneider and the Activator have helped me to discontinue my pain relievers. Dr Schneider helped my healing process instead of hiding it with medications. If I had continued taking the medication, I would probably still be in bed with no hope of relief."
Hank A.
How the Activator Works
The Activator Adjusting Instrument is used to identify specific types of dysfunction in the spinal joint, test for differences in leg length, find problems with body mechanics, and test the reflexes. Once the examinations are completed, the Activator chiropractor will then be able to come up with the best plan for treating your pain. This is a gentle and painless treatment, and you will be comfortable during sessions. The adjustments made by this device are fast and measured. This means that they happen so fast that your muscles won’t have time to react and resist the treatment, and the chiropractor is able to provide more precise treatments for pain when using this particular chiropractic technique.
When using the instrument, the chiropractor will apply it to the tissues that are either near or right at the joint in question. It is applied with a small amount of pressure, and then you will experience a fast, thrusting sensation from the instrument. Basically, this feels a lot like having your reflexes tested. You must stay still during the treatment in order for it to be completely effective. Once the adjustment has been made, a re-evaluation of the problem may be done to see what further treatments are needed.
What is Involved in a Treatment Plan?
Once your chiropractor has made the correct diagnosis, they will come up with a treatment plan that includes the Activator instrument. Generally, you will require one to two treatments each week, for approximately four to six weeks. Of course, this will ultimately depend on your condition and the treatment plan that your chiropractor recommends. You may need more or fewer treatments. It may be that you have a lot of pain relief after just a few treatments. If this is the case, the chiropractor will discontinue treatments and do a new evaluation of your condition. At this point, a different type of treatment may be necessary.
Most sessions are about 15 minutes in duration. But, your first session may be longer, because it will involve a discussion with the chiropractor as well as a complete physical examination so they can make their own diagnosis before coming up with a complete treatment plan.
Even after the initial treatment is completed, it may be necessary to have periodic follow-up Activator treatments. This is because the things you do every day can aggravate a condition, even if you do not realize it. After a while, the pain will come back, and it may even be worse. Once the chiropractor has properly aligned your spine using Activator and other treatments, he or she may recommend that you have more adjustments every so often. It is a good idea to get into the habit of seeing your chiropractor once every six months or so, whether you think you need to or not. This way, they can do examinations to find out if there are any other problems that may be small now but need to be taken care of before they become bigger problems.
Benefits of Activator Chiropractic Treatments
This is one of the most highly-researched chiropractic treatments, and it offers many benefits. There are actually a number of conditions that the Activator technique can treat. These include TMJ, herniated discs, neurological conditions, inflammation, and many others. Studies have shown that this treatment is particularly helpful for children and elderly patients. There are few risks involved with this treatment, and it is considered to be low-risk. It is a low-force treatment that is safe and practically painless. There is no actual joint manipulation done, and there will be no stress on the joints.
Is the Activator Treatment Right for You?
Any treatment that is going to relieve your back pain is going to be a good treatment for you. In particular, the Activator chiropractic technique is a treatment that is good for most patients, and for patients of all ages. If you have ever considered going to a chiropractor in the past but were worried about painful manipulation treatments, you need to find a chiropractor who uses the Activator instrument. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of, because there is no pain involved with the treatment at all. This is even a recommended treatment for women who are pregnant, as well as for those who have arthritis, osteoporosis, and similar conditions that weaken the bones and joints and make everyday tasks seem next to impossible because of the pain.
Other doctors also find the effectiveness of the Activator adjusting instrument to be very helpful in their patient's care.
"I recommended that she see Dr. Schneider, a chiropractor in our building who does not do manipulations but instead, uses an Activator. I have been amazed by what he achieves in many of the patients that we have referred, some of whom had severe pain to the point of implanted morphine pumps and while this harmless device does not make a tremendous amount of logical sense to me, I certainly cannot argue with the results."
Donald Freidenberg, D.O.
"The odds of the Palate surgery actually improving her sleep apnea are low to moderate, particularly given her upper airway anatomy.
Finally, there's a chiropractor who does not do manipulations but instead uses an Activator. This device, which is entirely safe and certainly unimpressive to look at, has been of dramatic benefit to a number of the patients we've referred to him and I do think that this may help to reduce her pain by non-pharmacological means."
Robert W. Clark M.D., F.A.AN.
Diplomate, American Board of Sleep Medicine
"15 years with sleep disorders, she states that she not only has trouble falling asleep but cannot maintain sleep and she will wake up after 2 1/2 - 3 hours even with the massive amounts of medication that she is taking.
She does have a history of panic attacks which may be rendering her sleep all the more readily fragmented. I think it is crucial that we do everything that we can to address her problems with less in the way of medications. She also does have some chronic back pain and I recommended a consultation with Dr. Schneider, a chiropractor who uses a rather benign device, an Activator, rather than typical manipulations. I have been extremely impressed by how effective this treatment is."
Robert W. Clark M.D., F.A.AN.
Diplomate, American Board of Sleep Medicine