Subluxation of the Humerus Assessing and adjusting the glenohumeral joint Dr. John Minardi is a 2001 graduate of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. A Thompson-certified practi-tioner and instructor, he is the cre-ator of the Thompson Technique Seminar Series and author of The Complete Thompson Textbook – Minardi Integrated Systems. In addi-tion to his busy lecture schedule, Dr. Minardi operates a successful pri-vate practice in Oakville, Ontario. E-mail [email protected], or visit www.ThompsonChiropractic Technique.com. Photo 1: Anterior humerus contacts are displayed on the skeletal model. SamPle CaSe An individual presents to your office complaining of anterior shoulder pain. The patient in-forms the doctor that the shoulder injury began following an abrupt fall on the ice three weeks ago. She mentions that she was walking to her car late one evening, when she unknowingly stepped onto a piece of ice, which made her slip and fall backwards. The fall was quick, but she still managed to extend her arm to break her fall. However, when she landed backwards onto her arm, she felt an immediate pain in the anterior compartment of her shoulder, and the pain has not dissipated since. Physical exam reveals subluxations present at C5-C6, as well as the right sacral base. Further examination reveals that the affected arm cannot circumduct fully, and that the pain is exacerbated in 60-120 degrees of abduction. Radiological and neu-rological exams are normal. This sample case points to an issue with the glenohumeral (GH) joint. Would you be comfortable detecting and correcting humeral subluxations along this joint? In this edition of Technique Toolbox, we will look at how the humerus can subluxate, and how to correct for an anterior humerus subluxation. Before we begin with analyzing the shoulder, I need to emphasize that the doctor must detect and correct all subluxations of the spine first, prior to adjusting the shoulder. Let us always be mindful that correcting the spine will always produce a greater neurological effect than correcting any extremity, so please adjust the spine prior to any extremity work. www.canadianchiropractor.ca John Minardi, BHK, DC 12 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JUNE 2012
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