Types of Chiropractic Treatments

Thinking of getting chiropractic treatment for back pain, neck pain, joint pain, or other symptoms? Then you should probably familiarize yourself with chiropractic adjustments and what they entail before you continue. After all, in this day and age of instant information at your fingertips, no one should have an excuse not to be armed with the right amount of information before venturing into new territory.

Manipulation Of The Spine

The most common method of treatment used by chiropractors is spinal manipulation, which, as the name implies involves manipulation of the spine. This type of chiropractic treatment can actually be traced back to China. Still, a spinal manipulation or adjustment may refer to any number of chiropractic adjustments that involve the manipulation of the spine. There are more specific techniques that you should be aware of.

High Velocity Low Amplitude (HLVA Thrust)

The main technique used in applying chiropractic adjustments is a sudden hand thrust. It is present in all traditional chiropractic techniques. In modern jargon, this hand thrust is referred to as an HLVA thrust or a high velocity low amplitude thrust.

The Toggle-Drop Method (Diversified Technique)

Many chiropractors employ the toggle-drop method when applying chiropractic treatment. This can seem like a violent procedure when viewed by a spectator, but it actually involves the controlled use of force in order to make a spinal adjustment. The toggle drop method is used by licensed chiropractors not only in the US, but all across the world as well.

At a glance, the toggle-drop method is done by pressing one of the hands firmly on the part of the spine that needs to be adjusted. Then, a quick, controlled hand-thrust is employed in order to make the spinal adjustment. In other words, the toggle-drop method is simply the application of an HLVA thrust on the affected area directly without the use of any specialized tables, chairs, or other instruments.

This method can relieve pressure immediately if there are any trapped nerves near the vertebral joints. It can help to increase the mobility of the joints in this area.

The Table Drop Method (Thompson Terminal Point Drop)

The table drop method is similar to the toggle-drop method in that it also makes use of quick thrusts in order to deliver spinal adjustments. The difference is that it uses a special chiropractor’s table that has sections that can be moved up or down depending on the way your body is positioned on it. Quick thrusts are applied and the corresponding section of the battle drops with each thrust.

Gonstead Adjustment

The Gonstead Adjustment still makes use of HLVA thrusts. A special cervical chair or chest-knee table is used in order to aid the chiropractor in identifying the problem area where the HLVA adjustment will be applied.

The Activator Method

The activator method involves using a special spring-loaded tool called an “Activator,” as its namesake implies. This is a widely-used and accepted chiropractic technique that you will see in common use from chiropractors all across the US. Its proponents  proclaim that this method is widely researched with 23 actual clinical trials performed which prove its efficacy. Furthermore, peer-reviewed research published in scientific journals also support this method. There are actually several types of instruments that fall under the category of an “activator,” even though they all perform the same function. You can think of the differences between these instruments as the same as the differences between different brands of Tennis Rackets.

The main advantage of using the activator in order to deliver the HLVA thrust is that the pressure and amount of power is kept constant and localized to a particular area rather than relying mainly on the skills of the chiropractor – which is always subject to human error. Furthermore, the HLVA thrust of an activator is faster and more energy-efficient than anything the human hand can deliver. This means that the body of the patient is less likely to tense up as a response to the thrust rather than a slower HLVA thrust delivered by a human being.