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Dynamic Chiropractic January 17, 1992, Volume 10, Issue 02 |
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"Muscle Testing Screen for the Extremities"Consultant: Kevin Hearon, D.C.Laminated chart with 33 illustrationsPlease see pages xx, Parts #C-204 for information on how to order Specialization in the human body has always fascinated me. In medicine, this specialization has gotten to the point of absurdity. Well do I remember when my wife had a problem with her hand. That's right -- we went to a hand doctor. When she went up to the reception desk she was told that it would cost her $75 -- in advance -- to see the doctor. As soon as she made out the check, the receptionist called the bank to see if the check could be covered. After a 45-minute wait she was at last allowed to go into an examination room where she waited for another half-hour. At last some joker stuck his head in the door and flexed his eyeballs on her hand. "We'll need some x-rays," he said on his way out the door. The x-rays cost almost $100 more. Naturally a check had to be written in advance -- and verified again -- before the pictures could be taken. If it hadn't cost so much for the few minutes spent on her hand, it would have been funny. She spent more time looking at the fish in the waiting room than with the doctor -- that was the one thing that didn't cost. While we may not restrict our practice to one hand, we do have those who restrict their practice to the correction of one bone with the idea that the innate powers of the body will be stimulated to produce optimum somatic and visceral responses. That's all right, I guess -- it's just that it's not for me and the majority of the profession. Even so, there are still some who restrict their practice to the detection of structural dysfunctions with little or no consideration of the muscles that make the structures move. For several years I would give an examination that consisted only of the vital signs, auscultation of the heart and lungs, and a neurological and orthopedic evaluation. From the beginning I would test for muscle tonicity but only as an adjunct of the examination -- not as an integral part of the process itself. One day I gave a muscle tonicity examination to an established patient. He was surprised at how some of the weaknesses found correlated with the structural aberrances we had been working on. He was even more surprised when we tested the muscles again after the adjustment and found a balance that had not been there before. This made me realize that I had been making a mistake by not testing the muscles for tonicity as part of my regular examination procedure. With reflex work, I found that I could also predispose a structure to correction allowing for an easier adjustment which tended to last longer. We don't know if this is exactly what Kevin Hearon had in mind when he developed his muscle screening chart, but it certainly lends itself to all manner of correlation between the tone of muscle and the chiropractic adjustment. This beautifully laminated chart graphically illustrates the testing procedures for 20 muscles of the upper extremities and 12 of the lower. Under each illustration are the names of the muscles being stressed, the germane anatomical areas, and the vertebral structures associated with the muscles. There is also a wonderful illustration of the mechanoreceptors of a typical joint. Believe me, nothing impresses a patient more than a picture of what you're attempting to explain. For a long time I've admired the work of Dr. Hearon. He has a consummate understanding of the subjects he teaches and this chart is an excellent example of his expertise. It matters little if you use applied kinesiology as an important part of your practice or if you just want to ascertain the tonal integrity of the articular surfaces you're attempting to correct, this chart should be an important part of your office. If we specialize in anything in the chiropractic profession, it's the overall maintenance of the proper function of the body as it is influenced through the appropriate correction of poor body mechanics. With the Hearon chart, you have an invaluable map to be integrated into this diagnostic and therapeutic regimen.
RHT
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Dynamic Chiropractic January 17, 1992, Volume 10, Issue 02 |
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