Monday - Saturday 8:45 am Until last patient is seen | Established in 1996
Monday - Saturday 8:45 am Until last patient is seen | Established in 1996
A sore neck after a rear-end collision, a back that tightens after a long shift, or a shoulder that will not move normally can make even simple tasks frustrating. An ArthroStim chiropractic adjustment gives your chiropractor a gentle, targeted way to address joint restriction and muscle tension without relying solely on a hands-on twisting adjustment.
For many patients, especially those who are new to chiropractic care or uncomfortable with manual manipulation, that difference matters. ArthroStim is one of several adjusting options that may be used as part of a personalized plan for pain relief, movement, and recovery.
ArthroStim is a handheld instrument that delivers rapid, controlled mechanical impulses to specific joints and soft-tissue areas. Rather than a single manual thrust, the device applies a series of brief taps designed to encourage movement in a restricted spinal or extremity joint.
The adjustment is typically delivered while you are lying comfortably on a treatment table. Your chiropractor identifies areas that are not moving as they should, then applies the instrument directly to the targeted region. Patients often describe the feeling as a quick tapping sensation. It is generally well tolerated and does not involve forceful twisting or cracking.
That does not mean every patient needs an instrument adjustment, or that an ArthroStim treatment is automatically better than a manual technique. The right approach depends on your condition, examination findings, injury history, comfort level, and treatment goals. A patient with an acute injury may need a different approach than someone with longstanding stiffness from work, repetitive lifting, or poor posture.
Pain can make people cautious about treatment, particularly after a car accident or a recent injury. When your muscles are guarding a painful area, the thought of a forceful adjustment may feel intimidating. ArthroStim provides a lower-force option that allows the chiropractor to deliver precise contact to the area needing attention.
This technique may be considered for people dealing with neck pain, back pain, headaches associated with neck tension, joint stiffness, and certain shoulder, hip, knee, wrist, or ankle complaints. It can also be useful when tenderness, muscle spasm, age-related changes, or patient preference make a gentler approach appropriate.
The value is not simply that the instrument is gentle. It is that it allows care to be specific. A chiropractor can evaluate how individual spinal segments and joints are functioning instead of applying the same adjustment to every patient. For someone whose pain is limiting sleep, driving, work, exercise, or time with family, that focused approach can be an important part of getting back to normal activity.
Most patients feel a light, repetitive tapping at the treatment site. You may notice immediate changes in how a joint moves, although some injuries require multiple visits and supporting therapies before meaningful improvement is felt.
Mild soreness can occur after any chiropractic treatment, particularly when injured or stiff tissues begin moving again. This is often temporary, similar to the soreness felt after unfamiliar activity. Tell your chiropractor if you feel discomfort during treatment or if symptoms change afterward. Good care should be responsive to how your body is healing, not follow a fixed routine regardless of your response.
ArthroStim may be a good fit when an examination shows joint dysfunction but a patient needs or prefers lower-force care. This includes first-time chiropractic patients, older adults, people with significant muscle tightness, and individuals recovering from an accident who are apprehensive about movement because of pain.
It may also be helpful for patients whose symptoms involve areas beyond the low back and neck. Restricted motion in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, or foot can affect daily tasks and may contribute to compensation elsewhere in the body. A complete evaluation considers the full pattern of movement, not only the place that hurts most.
After a motor vehicle accident, symptoms do not always appear at the scene. Neck stiffness, headaches, low-back pain, shoulder pain, and reduced range of motion can build over the next several hours or days. Prompt evaluation matters because soft-tissue injuries and joint dysfunction can interfere with work and daily life even when X-rays do not reveal a fracture. ArthroStim may be one component of care, along with other chiropractic techniques and therapies selected for the injury.
An adjustment alone is not always the full answer. Pain can involve joint restriction, muscle spasm, irritated soft tissues, reduced circulation, inflammation, weakness, and movement habits that keep aggravating the problem. The best treatment plan addresses the factors that are relevant to you.
At Nelson and Nelson Chiropractic Centers, doctors can combine instrument-assisted adjusting with manual chiropractic techniques, flexion-distraction, drop-table care, spinal decompression, and physical therapy modalities when appropriate. Depending on your needs, treatment may also include Class IV laser therapy, acoustic wave therapy, electrical stimulation, traction, hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, massage, or soft-tissue treatment.
This range matters because treatment should not be one-size-fits-all. Someone with an acute whiplash injury may benefit from a different combination of care than a warehouse worker with recurring low-back strain or a veteran managing chronic neck stiffness. Your progress, symptoms, examination findings, and tolerance for treatment should guide the plan.
Your first visit begins with a conversation about what happened, where you hurt, what makes symptoms worse, and how pain is affecting everyday life. Your chiropractor will review relevant health history and perform an examination that may include posture, range of motion, orthopedic testing, and evaluation of the involved joints and soft tissues. If imaging or referral is needed, that decision is made based on your presentation.
Once your doctor understands the problem, they will explain the recommended care and why a particular technique may be used. If ArthroStim is appropriate, the treatment itself is usually brief. You may then receive other therapies or guidance about ice, activity modification, posture, stretching, or returning safely to normal movement.
Ask questions during the visit. You should understand the purpose of your treatment, what changes to watch for, and when to contact the office. Clear communication is especially important after an auto accident, when symptoms can change quickly and documentation of your injuries may be needed.
An instrument adjustment is not a substitute for emergency care. Seek urgent medical attention for severe or worsening pain after a significant injury, loss of consciousness, chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness, numbness affecting the arms or legs, loss of bowel or bladder control, or other alarming symptoms.
It also is not a promise of immediate relief for every condition. Some pain improves quickly when restricted joints begin moving better. Other cases, particularly chronic problems or more substantial soft-tissue injuries, take time and a consistent care plan. Your chiropractor should be straightforward about what is known, what needs monitoring, and what may require co-management with another provider.
You do not have to wait until pain becomes severe before getting evaluated. If your neck is stiff when you turn to check traffic, your low back flares every time you bend, or an accident injury is making work difficult, an examination can help identify practical next steps.
With offices serving Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Sanford, Lumberton, and surrounding North Carolina communities, patients can access chiropractic care close to home. Eligible veterans can also ask about VA-approved, VA-certified chiropractic access.
A gentle option like ArthroStim may be the right starting point, or it may be one piece of a broader plan. The useful next step is simple: get assessed, explain what your pain is keeping you from doing, and choose care built around helping you move with greater confidence again.