The relation of experience in osteopathic palpation and object identification

Características perilaríngeas y semiológicas de mujeres con odinofonía

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las características perilaríngeas y semiológicas de mujeres con odinofonía. Mediante el uso de algometría de presión, de una escala numérica y de una encuesta sometida a procesos de validación y de consistencia interna, se trabajó con 40 participantes de sexo femenino. Se formaron dos grupos de 20 sujetos cada uno (G1 o asintomático y G2 o con odinofonía). Los umbrales de presión de G1 se encontraron entre los 1000 y 2700 gramos, mientras que los de G2 fluctuaron entre los 500 y 2000 gramos (p = 0.000). El 60 % de las participantes indicó que el lugar de menor umbral de presión es donde siente habitualmente el dolor durante la fonación. A su vez, se observó que la odinofonía es una condición que mejora con el descanso, se acompaña principalmente de sensación de irritación y de picazón del tracto vocal, su localización tiende a ser precisa y ocasionalmente afecta a la deglución. Por último, se observó que la intensidad habitual de la odinofonía es moderada. En conclusión, la odinofonía se trata de una condición que se produce con la sobrecarga vocal y se acompaña de aumento en la sensibilidad perilaríngea. Las mujeres con odinofonía presentan características semiológicas y psicosociales específicas para su condición.

The Awareness of the Fascial System

Fascia is a cacophony of functions and information, a completely adaptable entropy complex. The fascial system has a solid and a liquid component, acting in a perfect symbiotic synchrony. Each cell communicates with the other cells by sending and receiving signals; this concept is a part of quantum physics and it is known as quantum entanglement: a physical system cannot be described individually, but only as a juxtaposition of multiple systems, where the measurement of a quantity determines the value for other systems. Fascial continuum serves as a target for different manual approaches, such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic. Cellular behaviour and the inclusion of quantum physics background are hardly being considered to find out what happens between the operator and the patient during a manual physical contact. The article examines these topics. According to the authors' knowledge, this is the first scientific text to offer manual operators’ new perspectives to understand what happens during palpatory contact. A fascial cell has not only memory but also the awareness of the mechanometabolic information it feels, and it has the anticipatory predisposition in preparing itself for alteration of its natural environment.

Use of a novel assay to measure pre- to posttraining palpatory skills of first-year osteopathic medical students

CONTEXT

Although palpation is a central skill in the practice of osteopathic medicine, few data are available on factors affecting the development of palpatory skills.

OBJECTIVE

To use a novel palpatory skills assay to assess the role of training and practice in the development of palpatory skills in an osteopathic medical student population.

METHODS

The palpatory skills of first-year osteopathic medical students were assessed using a simple, objective palpation assay that consisted of locating a dime placed under sheets of copy paper at depths of 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, and 400 sheets. Two trials were performed at each depth. The assay was performed at the beginning and at the end of the students' first term. To determine whether practice with the assay impacted participant performance, a third assay was conducted to compare the performance of students who completed the assays at the beginning and at the end of the term with that of students who had never completed the assay.

RESULTS

Sixty-three participants completed the assays at the beginning and end of the term. Fifty-seven of those 63 participants and 192 participants who had not previously completed the assay completed the third assay. A wide variability in number of correct responses per participant was observed at both the beginning (range, 0-11 correct) and the end (range, 2-12 correct) of the term. The mean (SD) number of correct responses per participant increased from the beginning (5.49 [2.78]) to the end (7.17 [2.27]) of the term. Analysis using the generalized estimating equation model demonstrated that both paper depth and experience (ie, beginning vs end of the term) were statistically significant determinants of the number of correct responses (P<.001). The Kaplan-Meier method indicated that the median paper depth at which participants first scored no correct responses increased from 200 sheets (95% CI, 171-229) at the beginning of the term to 300 sheets (95% CI, 232-367) at the end of the term (P<.001). In the third assay, no significant differences were noted in the performance of students who had completed the 2 previous assays vs participants who had not completed the previous assays (P=.136).

CONCLUSION

Participants' palpatory skills improved from the beginning to the end of the term. The range of participants' palpatory skills at the beginning of the term suggests that other factors in addition to training influenced participants' palpatory skill level. Additional research is needed to identify and investigate factors that influence the development of palpatory skills.