Assessment Through Touch

(3rd edition 2010 with CD-ROM)

This useful guide to palpation for musculoskeletal diagnosis and assessment describes and illustrates the skills needed to increase sophistication of palpatory assessment skills and practice. A companion CD-ROM supports the skills with video clips, and each technique is reinforced with practical exercises and self-assessment questions.

 

 

 

$79

 

 

Palpation Skills has been designed and developed to help the reader to understand and acquire the palpatory skills which are the foundation of all effective manual therapy assessments and treatments.

Sensitivity of touch and the accurate interpretation of palpatory tests are required from the start of training in any of the manual therapy professions. It is difficult to learn these from written descriptions or static illustrations alone.

By combining a workbook approach with the use of video demonstrations and audio explanations on a CD-Rom, Palpation Skills provides the student and developing practitioner with a portable workshop which they can access at any time. The book helps to extend the range of skills by bringing together suggested approaches from a variety of disciplines.

* Covers the palpation and assessment of all tissues and systems, including the skin, muscle structure, and the spine and pelvis

* Gives practical guidance and instruction on a broad variety of palpation techniques

* All the palpation techniques covered are clearly described and illustrated in the text and supported by video film on the CD-Rom

* Each technique is supported by practical exercises and self assessment questions.

* Further questions relating to the video clips are included in the CD-Rom

* Directs the beginner in the correct way to carry out the techniques and provides additional techniques for the practitioner to add to his basic library of skills

* Provides outcome expectations against which progress can be measured.

* The video support can help to identify how to improve these skills.

* Written by a highly respected practitioner and teacher - brings his workshops to the individual at home and in the clinic

* 2 colour printing throughout the text helps to clarify the structure of the content and the details of the movements being shown in the diagrams

* The CD-Rom (featuring video clips) supports and supplements the written text.

 

The contents also features ‘special topics’, including:

* Using appropriate pressure

* Structure and function: are they inseparable? Palpatory accuracy - mirage or reality?

* Visual assessment and the dominant eye. Fundamentals of palpation.

* The morphology of reflex and acupuncture points. Palpating and assessing the skin.

* Is it a muscle or a joint problem? Palpating for changes in muscle structure.

* Red, white and black reaction. Palpation of subtle movements (including circulation of the CSF, energy, and 'has tissue a memory?).

* Assessing dural restriction - Assessment of 'abnormal mechanical tension' in the nervous system.

* Source of pain - is it reflex or local? Introduction to functional palpation.

* Joint play, 'end-feel', range of motion: what are they? Palpation and assessment of joints (including spine and pelvis).

* Percussion palpation - Visceral palpation and breathing function assessment.

* Palpating the traditional Chinese pulses

*Palpation without touch.

 

 

Table of Contents

CONTENTS The CD-Rom accompanying this text includes video sequences of all the techniques indicated in the text by the icon. To look at the video for a given technique, click on the relevant icon in the contents list on the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is designed to be used in conjunction with the text and not as a stand-alone product.

 

Preface

Glossary

Contents

Chapters and Special Topics

Chapter 1 Objective: palpatory literacy Leon Chaitow

Special Topic I Using appropriate pressure (and the MPI)

 

Chapter 2 Palpation reliability and validity Michael Seffinger

 

Chapter 3 Fundamentals of palpation Leon Chaitow

Special Topic 3 Visual assessment, the dominant eye, and other issues

 

Chapter 4 Palpating and Assessing the skin Leon Chaitow

 

Chapter 5 Palpating for changes in muscle structure Leon Chaitow

Special Topic 5 The morphology of reflex and acupuncture points

 

Chapter 6 Fascial palpation Thomas W. Myers

 

Chapter 7 Assessment of ‘abnormal mechanical tension’ in the nervous system Leon Chaitow

Special Topic 7 Assessing dural restriction

 

Chapter 8 Palpation and assessment of joints (including spine and pelvis) Leon Chaitow

Special Topic 8 Percussion palpation

 

Chapter 9 Accurately identifying musculoskeletal dysfunction Whitney Lowe

Special Topic 9 Joint play/‘end feel’/range of motion: what are they?

 

Chapter 10 Visceral palpation and respiratory function assessment Leon Chaitow

 

Chapter 11 Introduction to functional palpation Leon Chaitow

Special Topic 11 About hyperventilation

 

Chapter 12 Understanding and using intuitive faculties Sasha Chaitow

Special Topic 12 Synesthaesia

 

Chapter 13 Subtle palpation (including cranial rhythms, energy, and ‘has tissue a memory?’ Leon Chaitow

 

Chapter 14 Chinese palpatory skills Stefan Chmelik

Special Topic 14 Palpating the traditional Chinese pulses

 

Chapter 15 Palpation and emotional states Leon Chaitow

 

Dr. Leon Chaitow is an osteopathy and naturopath in London in both the private and national health sectors. Leon, born in South Africa in 1937, his uncles and cousins were osteopaths, and he became interested after having several excellent experiences when treated by them as a teenager, following falls and sporting injuries. Currently he is a Senior Lecturer and Module Leader for the University of Westminster's Complementary Health courses for the undergraduate and Master's programs since 1994. He was awarded Honorary Fellowship for 'Services to Osteopathy & Complementary Medicine' by , the University of Westminster in 2005.

He lectures widely in the U.S., Australia and Europe. Leon is the author of more than 65 books, of which 10 are professional textbooks, many focusing on aspects of osteopathy and soft tissue manipulation. His most successful book, Candida Albicans- Could Yeast Be Your Problem? has sold over a million copies since its original 1985 publication. He is the Editor in Chief of the peer reviewed, interdisciplinary, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.

See Dr. Chaitow's website http://www.leonchaitow.com/