Instrument adjusting
Sigma Instruments: speed instead of force
A handheld instrument delivers a fast, gentle tap instead of a manual push, and the same equipment reads the joint before and after so the adjustment isn't a guess.
Chapter 01
Speed instead of force, from Sigma Instruments
Instrument style adjusting uses speed rather than force. Where a manual adjustment relies on a doctor's hands delivering a small push at the right angle, the Sigma Instruments equipment at Mahle Chiropractic delivers a gentle vibration and tapping motion into the joint instead, at a speed a hand can't match on its own.
That speed is the whole point. A fast, light tap puts motion into a joint without needing the weight a manual push requires, which is a real advantage on a joint that's tender, on a patient who's nervous about a hands-on adjustment, or anywhere in the body where a quick, controlled tap does the job better than a slower manual correction.
A calm clinical treatment room at Mahle Chiropractic with an equipment cart and lead wires ready beside the table.
The resistance reading that tells them where to adjust
Before the instrument ever taps a joint, the technology tests the resistance or tightness of the joint to tell us exactly where to adjust. That reading is what separates instrument adjusting from a general once-over. Instead of adjusting by feel alone, the doctor is working from a measurement of exactly which segment is holding tension and by how much.
For a patient in New Castle coming in with low back pain or a stiff neck, that means the instrument isn't tapping broadly across the spine. It's finding the specific joint the resistance reading points to and putting the tap there, which is a more targeted approach than a manual scan of the whole area.
Chapter 03
Before and after, on the same visit
The computer analyses the joint movement before and after an adjustment, which means the same appointment includes its own comparison. The doctor isn't relying only on how a joint feels under their hands afterward, there's a recorded read of the joint's movement both before the instrument was used and again once it's done.
That before-and-after comparison is part of what makes instrument adjusting a fit for patients of every age at Mahle Chiropractic, from a Lawrence County student athlete working through the season to an older patient who'd rather avoid a manual push altogether. The reading confirms the joint moved differently, not just that it was touched.
Manual, instrument, or both, in the same appointment
Plenty of visits at Mahle Chiropractic combine Sigma Instruments with a manual technique in the same session. Which one leads is decided in the room by whichever of the three doctors you're seeing that day, based on the joint, your comfort, and your age, not by a fixed rule. Call (724) 656-9050 to ask which approach fits what you're dealing with, or to get a same day appointment at 101 Decker Dr.
Spanish speaking representatives are available, and the $30 in-season student athlete rate covers instrument adjusting the same way it covers manual technique, with a parent or guardian present for the first visit.
Mahle Chiropractic — Accredited with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Call (724) 656-9050.