12/11 A new patient this week was a dental student with mid back ache due to postural fatigue. She spent hours flexed over patients and had a long upper body. She provided the perfect opportunity to use a seated thoracic articulation technique shown in the obstetrics class. I performed it with the aim of encouraging extension and the patient responded well. I was only too aware of the effects of exam stress and felt that much of this presentation and the patients' brusque, frustrated manner was likely to be because of this. She confirmed this as she left!
I also saw a PhD student with low back ache and was challenged by her insistence on manipulation. I have heard many stories about this happening, but this was my first experience. The patient always had manipulation (in Greece) which "fixed" her and she wanted the same thing here and seemed frustrated by even having to complete the case history first! Fortunately, she was a perfect candidate for manipulation and felt better after a couple of lumbar rolls. I did wonder how she would have reacted if I had decided not to manipulate. Negatively, I expect.
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