Care must be used, because the move at best is painful. It is easy to slip across the end of the transverse. Take every precaution to avoid imprisoning a muscle, nerve, or blood-vessel between the contact hand and the vertebra. Rightly used this move is valuable, perhaps most valuable of all anterior Cervical moves, but it requires nice judgment. LAST FINGER CONTACT This movement differs from the preceding one in two important particulars; the contact hand must be so selected with relation to the side of vertebra adjusted that the fingers will extend upward toward the patient’s head, and the opposing hand supports the head instead of reinforcing the contact hand. Placing Patient As for preceding move. The head will remain in this position only until the contact is made, after which it will be raised by the supporting hand until a tight contact is felt and the neck muscles drawn fairly taut. [Illustration: Fig. 9. Last finger contact for anterior Cervical.] Making Contact Palpate with left hand if standing on patient’s left to adjust a right, anterior subluxation. Find the offending anterior transverse, draw tissues away with middle finger of palpating hand, change to middle finger of free hand which marks and holds the point of contact. Now place (with care) the base of the little finger of the hand which was used for palpating, at a point just below the condyle of the last metacarpal and a little to the palmar side, in direct contact with the front of the transverse. The last finger will be flexed toward the radial side and a shallow depression thus left for the contact. Completing Position Hold contact lightly and slip the free hand under the patient’s head, which faces slightly toward the adjuster. Raise the head, bending the neck away from the adjusting hand and toward patient’s chest until it is felt that the contact is secure and that further movement would put the neck upon a strain. You are ready for The Movement which is delivered entirely with contact hand, downward and toward the back of the neck. The delivery is difficult because the force arm is flexed at the elbow and the position awkward. Practice, however, will soon render one adept. Uses For rotated vertebrae which have one transverse anterior to the other, Cervicals only. This move gives a slightly less advantageous force angle than the preceding, but is less likely to be painful. SECOND METACARPAL CONTACT Position of Patient Place patient supine on bench so that his head extends beyond the end of bench and is supported by the upraised knee of the palpater. Stand at head of bench so as to face patient’s feet. Use of Hands Differing from their use in the preceding moves the hands are so placed that the adjusting hand for a right, anterior subluxation will be right hand, for a left anterior the left hand. The opposite hand supports the head after contact is made. Making Contact