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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2005
HEALTH
Gentler method of relief
BY ASHLEY MICHAELS
amichaels@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Whether it be old high school sports injuries, the early onset of old age or injury-related, we all have aches and pains, yes, even in our early 20s.
So how do you get rid of them? Some anti-inflammatories have been taken off the market and going to a chiropractor to have them jerk and pop your vertebrae back into place doesn't sound like much fun either.
Some chiropractors are now practicing a newer method of treatment called Activator methods technique. Chiropractors differ on their opinions about the Activator method, but many choose it as their only method. The Activator method uses a hand-held device called an Activator adjusting instrument to gently adjust problem areas.
The Activator method and manual manipulation method are the two methods chiropractors use, and they are both aimed at sublaxations.
Sublaxations are misalignments in the body that alter nerve flow, which results in body malfunction that can take many forms, said Colleen Auchenbach, chiropractor at Advanced Chiropractic, 3300 W. 15th St., who practices only the activator method. Both manipulation and Activator methods find the unaligned areas and realign them so the body can function at its optimal level. The difference is that the Activator method does it in a more comfortable manner, said Auchenbach.
"It is a low force, gentler technique that helps a wide scope of people," Auchenbach said. "I see better long-term results with the Activator method."
23rd St., disagrees.
The comfort of the Activator method attracts Valerie Macon, Lawrence resident.
"A majority of cases benefit more from manipulation as opposed to Activator," Brady said. "But it depends on the patient, each patient is different."
"It's a gentler, more comfortable method," said Macon. "It gently puts you back in alignment without twisting or jerking your body."
It would seem that this is the way to go, but James Timothy Brady, head chiropractor at Brady Chiropractic, 1104 E.
Brady also said he thought the activator method was a technique used by chiropractors who weren't as proficient in hands-on manipulation, which used to be referred to as jerk and pop.
"It takes more effort, energy and skill to do manipulation than it does to use the activator method," Brady said. "When you find a skilled chiropractor who is proficient in manipulation you get greater benefits."
▼ NUCLEAR ARMS
As for the safety involved in manipulation, Brady said that it was safer to do manipulation than to go for a walk, if you had a chiropractor who was practicing safely.
One thing both chiropractors agree on is if you find the right doctor, either method can be successful, it just depends on the patient.
—Edited by Erin M. Droste
Negotiations to disarm North Korea continue
BY AUDRA ANG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING Negotiators on July 27 began a second day of talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions after the United States and China both expressed determination to make long-awaited headway toward a settlement.
In negotiations July 26, Washington also assured North Korea it had no intention of attacking, and Pyongyang promised to work toward a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, opening moves that also indicated a shared goal of progress.
The latest round of talks resumed in Beijing, the closest ally of the isolated, communist North, after a 13-month boycott by North Korea, which had cited "hostile" U.S. policies. Delegates struck an amiable note before the meeting Tuesday, smiling and clasping hands for a group photo. The other participants are South Korea, Japan and Russia.
Elizabeth Dalziel,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, center, speaks to journalists before departing his hotel in Beijing early July 27. Song was heading to the second day of six-party talks aimed at resolving the crisis over North Korea's nuclear program.