BY DR. W.N. DUDLEY, D. C. HOWELL, MICHIGAN
Thermographic equipment has had a slow progress due to the lack of speed in display of the image projected. With the indium detector, the display is immediate and the image has been accomplished rapidly. This allows a good picture to be seen on the screen; one that may be reproduced at a rate that allows photography of the then visualized image, and thermal disparity is noted on the object. In a chiropractic practice this permits the evaluation of any applied technique, to a patient, on an immediate basis, If the thermal pattern has altered to one that simulates whatever can be determined as normal, then the adjustive technique has merit, If no alteration has been accomplished, then, in my opinion, it should follow that the adjustive technique has not alloted correction to the nervous system.
The area scanned should show a "normal" patten. The criteria for normal was that if there was an increase in heat pattern, this may be an area for concern. The opposite, lack of heat or considerable black area, could be assumed to be a non-functional section. The hands were used often to determine an inadequate nervous supply, and in this report some credence is given to that concept.
With the use of thermography, in chiropractic practice, any change that has been made by an adjustment in the human thermal display should be noted.1 It was with this premise in mind that thermographic prints have been made and retained as part of the patient's record. Patients were examined and evaluated as to the specific complaint and hopefully a course of action was determined.
Not altogether uncommon was the discovery, by means of thermography, that a problem was existent with no complaint on the part of the patient.
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 3.
The following case report is an example.
M.E.N., age 52, caucasian, left-handed female, had been seen with no exceptional degree of regularity for some eight years. She reported episodically for care, whenever she felt in need of correction. The complaints were that of malaise torticollis, or general need for correction, Some x-rays of the spine had been done which were not remarkable, but did exhibit a degree of arthritis in the spine. She is overweight and has attempted to control her obesity with little success. On, March 2, 1972, she was scanned on the thermogram and the middle finger of the left hand failed to display (picture #1.) Cervical films had been made which showed a degree of discogenic spondylosis of the spine with lipping and spurring of C5-6-7. Blood tests, i.e., SMA-12, CBC, T3, and T4 were all within normal limits. Muscle testing noted a marked weakness in the left teres major and left scalenus anticus with some loss of grip in the left hand.
However, she noted none of the muscular weakness and, although the finger would not display normally, she had no symptom to relate to that hand or any feeling of loss of thermal distsibution.
An adjustment was made to the cervical spine in a cervical chair and she was immediately sent in for reevaluation of the hands. Picture #2 shows the reappearance of the finger to a mild degree. Since the original thermograph was done and the same day (post adjustment) followup, she has been scanned repeatedly. The fingers have all displayed and the most recent picture (#3) done in January1973, shows normal display.
It should be stated that no great change has occurred in this woman's spondylosis nor has her cervical curvature altered. The basis for adjustment need and direction was determined by the showing of the Adson sign. For the first few adjustments, even though the cervical was to the left, she showed a positive right Adson sign. Then she changed to a left sign and the adjustment was altered to conform to the indication.2
The alternatives to chiropractic adjustment, to this problem, are of course limited. But if there were a continuous complaint on the part of the patient, and a surgeon was consulted, the course of action may be that of a cervical sympathectomy: entailing a major operation, hospital stay, and prolonged recovery time of four to six months.3 Obviously the chiropractic adjustment is more tenable.
SUMMERY
A case of avascularity of the middle finger of the left hand in a middle-aged female is presented that was discovered by thermography. The correction through chiropractic adjustment and the remedial abiiity of that adjustment is discussed.
References
1. Dudley, W. N, and G. 1. Miller, ACA Journal of Chiropractic, Vol. VII, S30-33. 1973.
2. Dudley, W. N., ACA Journal of Chiropractic, Vol. V1, SS7-88, 1972.
3. Smessaert, A., D. Befe]er, R, G. Hicks, and J. Connell, American Journal of Surgery, 109.5, 1965.
THE ACA JOURNAL OF CHIROPRACIIC, FEBRUARY 1974