by Chris Towery
These days, instrument adjusting is highly safe, technologically advanced, and medically effective. The latest adjusting instruments, which use waveform technology and ergonomic grips, provide much more comfort and ease than past designs, eliminating the shock and recoil of the old spring-loaded devices. Additionally, the new instruments have easy-to-pull triggers that can deliver a rapid pulse of thrusts, speeding up the adjustment and exponentially increasing the effectiveness of your work.
Some of the latest designs even use computer chips to control, deliver, and monitor the adjustment, making the devices truly state of the art.When used properly, adjusting instruments are safe to use with nearly all patients and present no harmful side effects. However, to get the most out of the devices, it’s essential that DCs and their staff receive proper training before integrating the instruments into their practice. By attending high-quality training seminars, DCs will be educated on the full range of treatments and procedures possible with adjusting instruments, while at the same time, the seminars will help ensure they achieve the most optimal healing outcomes for all patients.
To this end, when purchasing adjusting instruments, it’s important you select the manufacturer that offers the most extensive training available. Most companies will offer some sort of basic training for clients, but the best companies will offer in-depth seminars that train DCs and their staff in the latest research-based
diagnoses, treatment techniques and patient management related to instrument adjusting.
Ultimately, the seminars should work to certify that a DC has attained the knowledge and expertise needed to properly perform instrument adjusting on all parts of the spine and extremities.Instrument adjusting is a fairly recent technology that is rapidly evolving, so it’s essential that chiropractors using these tools receive the latest and most advanced training available. To ensure you’re getting the best training possible, check to see that the training program you attend meets each of these four criteria.
1. Time and Location
The leading adjusting instrument companies offer numerous training seminars year-round in locations across the
country. You shouldn’t have to travel far to access a company’s training programs, and there should be ongoing seminars held throughout the year.
2. Expert Instruction
If you’re going to invest a significant amount of money in purchasing adjusting instruments, your training seminars should be conducted by leading experts in the field, not just company spokespeople or sales reps. Make sure the training seminars you attend are led by qualified experts in adjusting instruments, who have lots of experience using the devices in their own practice.
3. CE credit and certification
To ensure the training is officially recognized and legitimate, the seminars you attend should be approved as continuing education credits for your license renewal. Typically, each seminar will provide between 10 and 12 credits. Additionally, the seminars should also feature an exam, which provides you with official certification in the techniques once you’ve passed the test.
4. Hands-on
The best training seminars will not only offer lectures and demonstrations, they’ll also allow attendees to get practical, hands-on training using the adjusting instruments they’ve purchased. The seminar’s exam should also feature a hands-on component to ensure graduates of the training program have mastered the techniques and protocols and are able to successfully implement the same methods on their patients.
Chris Towery is the former associate editor of MASSAGE Magazine and is currently a full-time freelance journalist. He has written hundreds of articles for more than 20 different magazines, newspapers, and custom publishers. Much of his recent writing has been for the complementary and alternative healthcare industry. To contact Chris, email cmreuben@yahoo.com
