Why do we compare your leg lengths at the beginning of every adjustment? Activator Method chiropractors are not checking your leg lengths for an anatomical discrepancy of your legs (one leg bone that’s longer than the other), we’re looking for a functional leg length difference. When we find one leg that looks shorter than the other, it doesn’t always mean that you have a “real” short leg. Your brain and body are always in constant communication with each other. When your spine has misalignments (or imbalances in your joint motion), this causes a miscommunication between your brain and body (AKA: your brain senses that something’s not right), and as a result, the muscles in one leg will tighten to cause one leg to appear shorter than the other. It’s one way your body neurologically compensates for imbalances or dysfunction in your spine and nervous system.

During your adjustment, we’re able to see your legs balance as a result of addressing the areas of stress or dysfunction in the body. This is one of the ways we can see a functional change in the body right away, and we know that once we clear out these imbalances, your body and nervous system is more equipped to heal and function better!

The Activator Method is a chiropractic technique that incorporates a system of analysis with assessment procedures for neuroarticular (joint) function and/or dysfunction, along with a specific treatment with the Activator Instrument. This functional analysis (focusing on your  neurological compensation to imbalances in the spine ) helps me, as your chiropractor, to see exactly where the imbalances are in your spine, and shows me what joint segments need to be adjusted (and also what segments don’t need to be adjusted)!

The Activator tool is used during each adjustment. It delivers a gentle & specific mechanical force aimed at restoring motion in the spine, pelvis or extremity joints. The activator also stimulates all the nerve endings in each joint, which starts to "teach" your body better neuromuscular motion patterns over time. Because this type of care is aimed at improving your overall health & well-being (AND because everything in your body is connected), your whole spine and pelvis are always evaluated at every visit, and adjustments are applied to the areas that need to be adjusted according to our analysis!

The Activator Method is one of the most researched techniques in chiropractic. Check out some of most recent papers: https://www.activator.com/research/