Dynamic Chiropractic - June 19, 1995, Volume 13, Issue 13

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Reviews

Keith Innes, DC

'There are perhaps only a handful of people in our history who have reached the level of expertise in the art of diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and manipulation that Dr. Mennell achieved.' -- Dr. Keith Innes

Author:    John McM.Mennell, MD
Format:    Video: set of 4
Publisher: Physical Medicine Research Foundation
Price:     $385 for the set
Please see # V-442 (also available in PAL, # V-442P) on the Preferred Reading and Viewing List, pages 36-37, for ordering information.

The John McM.Mennell, MD, videos:

  1. Diagnosis and Treatment Using Manipulative Techniques: Part I: The Upper Extremities Part II: The Lower Extremities

  2. The Low Back-Diagnosis Using Manipulative Techniques

  3. The Cervical and Thoracic Spine Examination Using Manipulative Techniques Manipulative Techniques

  4. Spray and Stretch for Pain and Muscle Spasm
When I was asked to review this series of tapes I was reminded of a day many years ago when Dr. L. Faye, Dr. P. Gale, and myself flew to Miami to spend a couple of days in a hotel with Dr. Mennell. New concepts and words became very important to us all: joint play; tissue sense; functional anatomy; "thinking with the fingers"; what tissues and structures lie beneath your fingers; and most importantly, how to caress a joint. Dr. Mennell did not palpate, he caressed, a concept that is difficult to grasp but ever so revealing to those who master it. He was the master.

This series of tapes can and will teach you the secrets of Dr. Mennell's ability to differentially diagnose and, of course, how to treat the joint dysfunction by manipulation. All of the procedures are done in a step-by-step format so that you will be able to grasp each and every concept immediately, and more importantly, be able to put them into use the very next day in your office.

Just in case you think that this is very dry material, Dr. Mennell, when discussing the differential diagnosis of males with nonspecific low back pain, states: "If you don't put your finger in it your just as likely to put your foot in it." He is referring, of course, to the examination of the prostate gland. I wonder how many doctors do not use this revealing palpation?

Dr. Mennell constantly refers to the anatomy of the human body, which will serve as a constant reminder that diagnosis is really a matter of applying one's knowledge of anatomy. This series of tapes will serve as a motivation, reference, and constant reminder of how to examine and differentially diagnose conditions of the musculoskeletal system with tried and proven methods.

These are timeless techniques based on scientific principles of joint-play analysis. There are perhaps only a handful of people in our history who have reached the level of expertise in the art of diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and manipulation that Dr. Mennell achieved. His tapes and texts should be found on the shelf of every doctor and student of chiropractic, for without question Dr. Mennell has something to teach everyone of us. I have viewed his tapes and read his books many times; each time I learn something new. I am confident that you to will experience the same learning experience.

Innes Rating: 10 out of 10

Title:      Anatomy of Movement
Author:     Blandine Calais-Germain
Format:     Soft-cover book, 7"x10"
Publisher:  Eastland Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 12689
Seattle, Washington 98111
Price:      $28.50
Blandine Calais-Germain was originally a dancer and teacher of dance in France whose interest turned to physiotherapy, the analysis of the neurophysiological and mechanical components of body movements. She attended the French School of Orthopedics and Massage in Paris, and in 1980 began to integrate all her years of dance training with the knowledge of anatomy and physiology. This has culminated in her being an internationally-sought speaker and teacher for the integration of physical structures in relation to movement.

The text is a well-illustrated (hundreds of them) soft-cover book of 275 pages, plus an index. The anatomical drawings are kept simple with the major emphasis on articular surfaces. The obvious advantage gained by the elimination of other structures is that it illustrates the importance of the concave-convex relationships of joints that are so vital to the understanding of the chiropractic adjustment. By using this text the reader can begin to comprehend the concepts that are being taught to practitioners of manipulation throughout the world: that joints are not linear but have multiple planes of movement in all directions. For example, the sacrum does not flex nor does it extend, it nutates and counternutates.

The text is composed of seven chapters, each having a different region of the body as its major focus. The chapters serve not only as fantastic reminders of the human anatomy, but also illuminate the biomechanical relationships between articular surfaces and the muscles that are the prime movers of the respective joints.

This is a textbook that will serve the student and doctor alike as people frequently require a review of anatomy and function once they have left the dissection labs. As a person who has spent many years in dissection labs, I can confidently say that you will enjoy this book over and over again.

Innes Rating: 8 out of 10

DC