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The Percussor

The Foredom Massager (commonly called the Percussor) is made by the Foredom Electric Company, a division of Blackstone Industries, LCC, in Bethel, CT, USA. The osteopathic profession has used them since the 1940s. Currently, it comes in two models. Both use a robust motor that moves the pad in and out of the headpiece at speeds ranging from 0-4000 rpm. A ¾-turn control with an on/off switch on the motor base controls the speed. The model 500 comes with a 39” shaft. The model 500L comes with a slightly longer 66” shaft. The best way to decide on the length you want is to determine where you want the motor base to be while you are working. The model 500 with the 39” shaft usually means the motor base will be on a stool or table with your patient. The model 500L with the 66” shaft lets you keep the motor base on the floor while still reaching the patient.

The 500-2 (39” shaft) and 500L-2 (66” shaft) are 220-volt models. These come with a power cord with the proper plug for your country. There is no cost difference between these models; however, I do not keep them in stock. There will be a small delay after ordering while I receive them from Foredom and ship them to you. I will need to know what kind of plug (power port) you use - England, Central Europe, etc.- to order the correct plug for you. To choose your plug type, please visit this webpage and let us know the letter designation for your power outlets. We can then order your percussor from Foredom.

Alternate Configuration - We can also put together an alternate configuration unit for people with tight space requirements. The unit can be configured to hang from a bracket if necessary. It can also be configured with a separate speed control or a foot-pedal speed control. Please reach out with your requirements, and we can configure a unit for you.

Ordering - Click HERE for the current pricing and order sheet. If you have further questions, please call the office at 317-228-9270, or send an email. Volume discounts are available.

History

I never had the privilege of meeting Dr. Robert Fulford. He passed away two years before I entered medical school. I have heard many stories from people who studied with him. I have watched a few videos of his work. I have read his book and the ones published about him. I wish I could have met the man to partake in some of his great wisdom.

One of the things Dr. Fulford brought to osteopathy was the use of the Foredom Percussor…the “percussion hammer” as many people know it. My understanding is that he initially used it to make his workload more bearable during the last World War. It helped him see his patient load. He later found that it had more subtle qualities and used it quite frequently in his later years. Many people studied with Dr. Fulford to learn how to utilize this remarkable tool.

While attending classes on the use of the percussion hammer, I noticed two things missing from the curriculum. One was the care and maintenance of the tool. After purchasing my own hammer, I completely disassembled it (I wanted to know how it worked). During the disassembly and reassembly process, I took pictures of the steps and the tools involved and put together a PowerPoint presentation on how to lubricate and care for the instrument. It’s from the early 00’s, so the pictures are small and grainy compared to today. The presentation covers lubricating the parts of the tool – which lubricants to use and which not to. It also covers how to check/replace the bushings in the motor. For anyone who would like a copy, please click here.

The other thing that I noticed when using the hammer was that it lacked “finesse” when trying to get just the right motor speed. The solution to this was not covered in class. The unit is shipped from Foredom with a ¾-turn speed control/on/off switch. That is to say, that ¾ of a turn of the speed knob takes you from about 2 cycles/sec to 4000 cycles/sec of the unit's pad movement. In my mind, that did not allow much precision. Thus, I took apart the motor control and performed some modifications. (Notice a theme here?) I replaced the original control with a separate on/off switch and a precision 10-turn speed control (potentiometer). Now my unit has 10 full revolutions to get from the slowest to the fastest head speed. This allows for much more precision in finding the right speed for the patient. My experience after the modification is nothing short of amazing. Treatments take less time and are much more specific (and you can do things with the modified percussor that are just not possible otherwise).

After talking with a colleague who studied extensively with Dr. Fulford, I discovered that he had performed a similar modification with his percussor. Perhaps Dr. Fulford passed along a little inspiration after all.

For anyone who would like to make this modification, please send an email, and I will give you more information on how to send me your hammer for service and upgrades.