When we set out to design the PulStar, our goal wasn’t just to create another adjusting instrument. We wanted to build a system that gave chiropractors something they had never had before: objective control and feedback during the adjustment itself.
One of the most important—and often overlooked—features that makes this possible is the preload indicator.
What is Preload, and Why Does it Matter?
Preload is the amount of initial pressure applied to tissue before the adjusting thrust is delivered. Think of it as “setting the table” for an accurate and effective adjustment. Too little preload, and the impulse may not transmit effectively into the spinal segment. Too much preload, and you risk patient discomfort or overloading the tissues.
In manual adjusting, preload is estimated by feel—a skill that takes years to refine and is inherently subjective. With PulStar, preload is no longer guesswork.
The PulStar Advantage: Measurable Preload During Adjustment
The PulStar is the only instrument on the market that actually measures and displays preload in real time during the adjustment phase. This means you can see exactly when you’ve reached the optimal preload before delivering multiple gentle impulses.
Why is this so important?
- Consistency across patients and visits – Whether it’s the first patient of the day or the last, you’ll deliver the same precise preload every time.
- Improved safety and comfort – You can avoid excessive tissue loading, making PulStar an ideal option for children, seniors, and patients who might be apprehensive about traditional manual adjustments.
- Objective documentation – Because preload is measured, it can be tracked and shown to patients. This enhances trust, compliance, and patient education.
- Efficiency in clinical outcomes – Research on Multiple Impulse Therapy has shown faster pain relief and improved function compared to traditional methods. The ability to consistently achieve proper preload is a critical factor in this success.
Why Other Devices Can’t Do This
It’s true—other adjusting devices do use a preload. However, once that preload is reached, they stop measuring. At that point, the doctor has no feedback if they apply more pressure or ease off slightly. Those small changes—unseen and unmeasured—directly alter the force dosage delivered during the adjustment.
Other devices typically use either:
- A light beam sensor, which breaks when preload is reached, or
- A simple distance-based sensor, which indicates when a preset preload position is met.
The problem is that any preload changes after that moment go completely unreported to the doctor. That means what begins as a precise adjustment can become inconsistent, variable, and less reproducible.
Only the patented PulStar continues to measure preload dynamically throughout the adjustment, ensuring that the forces you intend to deliver are the forces actually delivered.
Preload is the initial pressure applied to a spinal segment before the thrust. It ensures the impulse is effective and safe.
Yes, but they only confirm preload at one fixed point (using a light beam or distance sensor). They do not measure changes during the adjustment.
The PulStar is the only chiropractic adjusting instrument that measures preload dynamically throughout the entire adjustment phase. This prevents dosage errors and improves reproducibility.
It reduces discomfort, improves treatment precision, and builds trust by allowing you to show objective before-and-after results.
You can schedule a demo here to see how measurable preload works in practice.
Preload is not just a technical detail. It’s the foundation of safe, effective, and reproducible chiropractic adjustments. And today, PulStar is the only system that allows you to measure preload continuously during the actual adjustment phase.
For practitioners, this means confidence. For patients, it means comfort and trust. And for chiropractic as a profession, it represents a step forward into data-driven care that balances precision with gentleness.
