Furthermore, because of the small treatment head of the activator,the repayment is very localized and does not apply and additional torque or bend to the joint. The lack of muscle tension means amore effective treatment that requires less force. Because of the strong scientific evidence,the activator method was accepted into the curricula of all the major chiropractic schools and is now the second most common chiropractic technique used.īecause the activator is so quick, the patient’s muscles do not have time to react and tighten during the adjustment. Numerous peer-reviewed research studies have been done to demonstrate not just the effectiveness of the technique, but also that it’s results are comparable to other conventional chiropractic methods. Treatment was then consistent, regardless of which chiropractor was using the activator. Then a preload frame was added to the instrument to ensure it was impossible to deliver the incorrect amount of force. A weighted tip was created to provide a more effective adjustment. Fuhr then hired a PhD and engineer for research and development. Recognizing that his early version would not be suitable for practice and developed a tool specialized for chiropractic purposes. It provided a very light, yet very quick adjustment. This was the first prototype of the activator tool. He covered the end of the rivet with the rubber end of a door stop. Fuhr removed the original scalpel and replaced it with a brake shoe rivet. The dentist suggested it might be modified to perform chiropractic adjustments.

Fuhr’s practice with a dental surgical mallet, a spring loaded tool used to split wisdom teeth.

The dentist suggested he might have just the thing to help. While treating one of his patients whom was a dentist, he mentioned he was looking for a means of delivering a chiropractic adjustment without the stress on his joints. Early into his chiropractic career he found that the manual adjustment methods were taking its toll upon his elbows and thumbs. The impetus to invent the instrument was Dr. It’s is also a relatively modern method, with the activator being initially designed in 1967 by Dr. The activator method differs from most other chiropractic techniques as it is not performed manually, but rather uses an adjustment tool.

Chiropractor using activator method