Highlights
- Chiropractic equipment and tools are essential to chiropractic care.
- Chiropractic equipment like electromyography devices aid in treating patients’ muscle pain.
- Chiropractic treatment tools like SOT blocks and wobble chairs help chiropractors provide ongoing patient care.
- Chiropractor practice tools like ChiroTouch, a fully integrated chiropractic EHR practice management system, help practices run efficiently.
There’s no question that the most important chiropractor tools or equipment are the trained practitioner’s own hands. While performing adjustments, however, or running a chiropractic office, there are certain other chiropractor tools, such as a fully integrated chiropractic EHR system, that can aid in running a chiropractic office efficiently.
Chiropractic Practice Tools
Chiropractors use a variety of chiropractor tools to support patient care. These tools include technology items like computers, iPads, and X-ray machines. Chiropractic tools also include care tools like chiropractic tables and activator adjustment tools. These chiropractor tools allow chiropractors to run an efficient practice and provide quality care.
1. Chiropractic Tables
One of the most crucial chiropractor tools in any office is a chiropractic table. The tables found in a practice depend on a chiropractor’s personal preference or techniques used. Different tables serve different purposes, such as the traction table for decompression or the drop table to add extra gravitational force for the adjustment.
2. Activator Adjustment Tool
The activator adjustment tool is a hand-held spring-loaded device. It permits the doctor to realign vertebrae by sending a low force into the back at high speed. This prevents the muscles from seizing and resisting treatment and minimizes torsion on the joints.
3. Computers or iPads
Computers are necessary to run an efficient and productive practice. A cloud-based electronic health records (EHR) system can streamline your workflow by integrating scheduling, charting, and billing into one simplified program. This can eliminate coding errors and reduce time spent on SOAP notes and insurance paperwork so chiropractors can spend more time with patients.
For convenience and mobility, it’s also beneficial to add iPads to your chiropractic practice. Place them at the front desk for easy check-in and have patient records and documents at hand while walking from room to room.
4. Digital X-ray Machine
Digital X-ray machines are commonly used to diagnose and assess spinal alignment and identify pathology. Images can be stored and viewed within systems like ChiroTouch to show patient improvement throughout treatment.
Chiropractic Equipment
Today’s chiropractors often rely on electrotherapy to treat patient pain. Electrotherapy prompts the body to release endorphins for pain reduction and reduce the level of pain signals sent to the brain.
To provide electrotherapy treatments, chiropractors use chiropractic equipment, such as cold lasers, ultrasounds, and electromyography devices. The types of electrotherapy chiropractors choose depend on their primary patient populations and their own preferences.
The most common types of electrotherapy equipment include:
5. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
During transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy, electrodes are placed within a belt-like item worn around the back. TENS units vary in size and strength and come as battery-operated units that patients can use at home or work. These devices allow the patient to control stimulation when experiencing pain episodes.
6. Interferential Current
Interferential current (IFC) is another type of TENS therapy. This model uses high-frequency electrical impulses to reduce pain deep within a patient’s tissue. IFC is a good substitute for sensitive patients since the high frequency meets less skin resistance than a TENS unit. The IFC unit is used more often for patients with acute pain, while the TENS unit may prove more effective for patients dealing with chronic pain.
7. Cold Laser
For some injuries, heat can make the condition worse. Unlike standard lasers, the cold laser produces light without heat. That makes it a valuable piece of chiropractic equipment for treating injured areas and encouraging cell function and healing.
Several cold laser therapy sessions are generally needed to achieve substantial pain reduction. It is an alternative to taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief for patients who do not want to take over-the-counter medications.
8. Therapeutic Ultrasound
While ultrasounds are best known as diagnostic tools, they also have therapeutic benefits. An ultrasound can apply deep heat therapy to an affected area via sound waves, which can quickly massage the soft tissues and reduce pain and stiffness.
Ultrasound therapy can aid patients suffering from lower back pain. Ultrasound therapy floods the area with nutrients to promote healing by increasing blood flow and circulation. Inflammation and swelling are reduced, and muscle spasms subside.
9. Electromyography (EMG)
Surface EMG devices, such as MyoVision, measure the electrical impulses of muscle contraction. The entire process takes 90 seconds and allows the chiropractor to determine whether the spine and nervous system function optimally.
Chiropractic Treatment Tools
Chiropractic practices use a wide range of treatment tools to provide different types of care for patients. These chiropractor tools include imaging equipment, alignment blocks, screening devices, and physical therapy equipment.
10. Diagnostic Thermal Imaging
Diagnostic thermal imaging, featuring products made by Insight or Tytron, scans the nervous system, allowing the doctor to determine how the nervous system functions and responds. This type of imaging aids a chiropractor’s diagnosis of a patient’s condition and prognosis.
11. Inclinometers
Inclinometers measure and evaluate the range of motion in joints. They are a valuable tool for tracking a patient’s progress during treatment.
12. SOT Blocks
Sacro-occipital technique, or SOT blocks, help keep the pelvis and spine aligned without the use of force. SOT blocks may be placed under the patient’s rib cage, lumbar region, knees, and clavicles. SOT blocks have been found to decrease lumbar pain in patients when included as part of their chiropractic care.
13. Wobble Chairs
With their bike-like seats and a great degree of rotation, Wobble chairs aid in regenerating degenerated spinal discs. The wobble chair can help increase a patient’s range of motion. Wobble chairs are available for purchase for home or office use.
14. Traction Units
Traction units can help patients with either back or cervical pain. The traction unit is available for home use and is often used for patients diagnosed with herniated discs.
The traction unit pulls the head away from the rest of the body, allowing the vertebrae to separate somewhat so the affected discs are no longer compressed and may allow them to return to their correct placement.
The traction device can alleviate the pain resulting from the discs touching nerves in the back while putting the spine in its proper position.
15. Exercise Therapy Equipment
Exercise therapy equipment, such as exercise balls, vibe plates, and TheraBand, can aid in rehabilitation and strengthening muscles and connective tissue. These exercises can improve patients’ stability, flexibility, and range of motion.
16. Electrodermal Screening Devices
Electrodermal screening devices allow chiropractors to receive critical information directly from the patient’s body. The device uses probes to measure electrical resistance at various areas on the body to assess energy flow through the body’s meridian points.
While this tool cannot diagnose conditions, it can be a helpful tool for determining the correct course of treatment.
17. Radiofrequency Rhizotomy
Radiofrequency rhizotomy is helpful for patients diagnosed with facet joint syndrome. Applying heated radiofrequency waves to the nerves of the facet joints reduces pain impulses.
18. Electronic Muscle Stimulation
EMS is a tool that provides relief by direct muscle stimulation, reducing swelling and inflammation. EMS differs from TENs therapy because the latter’s impulses stimulate nerve endings to boost endorphins and sway pain signals. However, EMS eases muscle tension. For patients with pain involving nerves and muscles, using both TENs and EMS is beneficial.
Chiropractor Tools Are Essential for Chiropractic Care
Today’s chiropractors have a wide range of chiropractic tools and equipment at their fingertips to provide patient care. Electromyography devices, chiropractic tables, and EMS tools provide better patient care, while chiropractor tools like ChiroTouch’s fully integrated, cloud-based EHR system help chiropractors run their practices more efficiently.
One tool not on our top 18 list but still needs a mention are chiropractic spinal nerve charts, as they are an excellent education and retention tool for your chiropractic practice.
Book a demo to find out how ChiroTouch can streamline your practice’s workflow so you can spend more time caring for your patients.
