Technic and Practice of ChiropracticLoban, Joy Maxwell
Science
Technic and Practice of Chiropractic
Loban, Joy Maxwell
Chiropractic
In general palpation of the spine the author has had the greatest
success and attained the greatest accuracy through which is called the
Group Method. This consists in dividing the spine mentally into five
groups or sections, each of which overlaps its fellows except the end
groups. This is of advantage for several reasons.
It limits somewhat the attention of the palpater so that he may examine
thoroughly and in detail the various vertebrae without holding his
attention so closely to one that he fails to perceive its relation to
its surroundings. It furnishes five or six vertebrae at a time for
comparison so that one may determine which is _most_ subluxated, and
therefore most in need of adjustment, and then allows one to reason
upon the remainder of the group with this major subluxation in mind.
The use of the Group Method may best be understood by the study of
certain didactic instructions, which follow:
Never record or adjust two subluxations of contiguous vertebrae except
in those unusual cases where they are equally subluxated and in the
same direction; even then it is wisest to adjust them on alternate
days. Let it be understood that only in _exceptional_ circumstances
should two adjacent vertebrae be listed. The Group Method is chiefly
valuable because of this rule, to prevent the overlooking of the most
important subluxation by selecting that one _first_.
Consider the spine as divisible into five groups; in the first group
belong the Cervicals below the Atlas; in the second, the seventh
Cervical and first five Dorsals; in the third, the vertebrae from the
fourth to the eighth Dorsals inclusive; in the fourth, the last five
Dorsals and sometimes first Lumbar; and in the last group, all of the
Lumbars and the base of the Sacrum. Consider the first Sacral spinous
process here rather than the whole Sacrum and remember that this
process should seem to complete the regular Lumbar curve. This grouping
may be modified somewhat by the exigencies of palpation in any given
case, but the group considered should always include from four to seven
vertebrae.
In each group proceed in the same manner to select subluxations. Let
the fingers glide over the group, first on the tips and then along
the sides of the spinous processes, and note that some one vertebra
stands out as the sharpest, most abrupt deviation in the group, thus
indicating its selection. Remember that neither the one above this nor
the one directly below may be adjusted. This narrows your field of
observation for this group to two, three, or four remaining vertebrae.
Select then such others in the group as need to be listed yet do
not conflict with the rule against adjacent subluxations. Proceed to
discover and record the exact direction of each. When this is done
examine the next lower group in the same way and continue until the
whole spine has been palpated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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