Thompson Technique, part 1 Bilateral Cervical Syndrome 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. SAMpLE CASE A 40-year-old carpenter presents to the clinic with headaches and low back pain. He informs the doctor that his occupation requires him to work overhead for most of the day, which aggravates his symptoms. The physical exam reveals a decreased range of motion in cervical flexion and in lumbar extension, both of which produce pain at end range. Static and motion palpa-tion reveal subluxations present bilaterally at the occiput, and in the right sacro-iliac Photo 1: In BCS presentation part 1, joint. The doctor, who is proficient in The patient presents with even legs in the Complete Thompson Technique-Minardi extended position. Integrated Systems, decides to perform leg length analysis to elaborate on his palpation findings. The doctor finds that the patient presents with even legs in the extended po-sition and even legs in the flexed position. However, when the doctor asks the patient to rotate his head to the right side, the doc-tor observes that the patient’s right leg pulls short in the extended position. Further-more, when the doctor asks the patient to rotate his head to the left, the patient’s left leg pulls short. Both radiological and neuro-Photo 2: In BCS presentation part 2, patient rotates head to the right, resulting logical analyses are unremarkable. What does this leg length analysis indi-in the right leg pulling short. cate and how do we correct this problem? In this first instalment of a two-part edition of Technique Toolbox, I will answer these questions and others, as we take a look at the Thompson Technique’s Bilateral Cervical Syndrome (BCS) category. HISTORY The Thompson Technique was originally created by J. Clay Thompson in the early 1950s. The technique was created in an attempt to decrease the force being applied to both the patient and the doctor with each adjustment. To achieve this goal, Clay drew from his engineering background and applied Newton’s laws of physics to create the drop-piece table. The drop-piece allowed less torque to be applied to the patient, hence, decreasing the force that the doctor absorbed as well. Paramount to the Thompson technique is the use of leg length analysis, which is originally cred-ited to Dr. Romer Derefield. Leg length analysis provided a consistent reference tool to be utilized throughout the adjusting procedure. Due to the scientific limitations of his era, Clay could not scientifically explain why the technique worked, even though clinical trials were validating the technique. Beginning in the late 1990s, and to the present day, the author has focused on establishing the neurological and www.canadianchiropractor.ca John Minardi, BHK, DC 12 • Canadian ChiropraCtor | oCtoBEr 2011
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