Many chiropractors like instrument adjusting because it makes working less physically demanding. It simply requires less physical effort than a manual adjustment. There are patients, too, that may prefer instrument adjusting for a variety of reasons.
Time and comfort
Consider the waiting room. No one likes waiting, regardless of how comfortable the waiting room may be, and sitting in a chair may not be the most comfortable position for some clients.
While the goal is to make sure patients don’t have to wait very long, it is always a possibility, and the longer it takes to provide an adjustment, the higher that possibility becomes. Instrument adjusting is faster than manual adjusting, which means that possible wait times are lowered for patients.
Fear and stress
Some segments of the populations are quite fearful of chiropractic adjustments, for a couple of different reasons, one of which is fear of increased pain. In many cases, patients are already in pain, and the movements required for common manual adjustments could increase their pain.
Instrument adjusting requires no pushing, pulling, or twisting. Patients are still while the adjustment is given, and the vast majority of people say there is little to no soreness the next day associated with instrument adjustments. The difference for a frightened patient can be enormous.
Research and information
Mass amounts of misinformation, misinterpretation, and misunderstanding have created another reason that patients are fearful of chiropractic care — they may have heard that it is not legitimate or that it can cause paralysis or stroke.
One of the benefits of instrument adjusting is that there is a vast body of easily accessible scientific literature to back up the validity and effectiveness of the treatment.
The instruments are FDA approved, so manufacturers must have proven that they are safe and effective. For skeptical patients, the studies done to gain FDA approval can be crucial. Fear increases tension and stress, which in turn discourage healing. If using an instrument to provide an adjustment can alleviate fear and decrease tension, the likelihood of a positive outcome increases. And positive outcomes are good for patients, practitioners, and the profession as a whole.
