The Toftness Device or sensometer is an instrument used by certain chiropractic practitioners. It was invented by Dr. Irving N. Toftness. Advocates of the device claim it detects low levels of electromagnetic radiation, or radiation from the human body. The device was designed to diagnose diseased parts of the spine using electromagnetic radiation, but does not operate according to any known scientific principle.
An original Toftness device was banned by the United States District Court in Wisconsin in January 1982. The Court issued a permanent nationwide injunction against the manufacture, promotion, sale, lease, distribution, shipping, delivery, or use of the Toftness Radiation Detector, or any product which utilizes the same principles as the Toftness Radiation Detector. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld the decision in 1984.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration's, the Toftness Radiation Detectors were misbranded under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act because they could not be used safely or effectively for their intended purposes. The devices were purportedly being used to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of injuries, without FDA approval.
In 2013, Dr. David Toftness, nephew of Dr. Irving N. Toftness, and the Toftness Post-Graduate School of Chiropractic were fined for shipping the devices across state borders.
Information from National Center for Biotechnology Information Conclusion following study into Toftness system: The Toftness system of chiropractic adjusting reduced low back and other pain syndromes in the subjects studied. It suggests that the Toftness system of chiropractic adjusting was safe and effective to use in low back pain and other pain-related conditions.