Case Study
A pediatric patient is in the ICU on telemetry and intubated because of airway instability secondary to a retropharyngeal abscess and S. agalactiae pneumonia, is chronically constipated, has an NG tube, and is getting IV fluids. The patient is highly agitated despite being sedated, and is tachycardic. The patient is has somatic dysfunctions C3-5, all along the T spine on the Left and Right. He’s treated once or twice daily with V spread, suboccipital release, myofascial to the cervicals, thoracic inlet release, thoracic pump, rib raising, lumbar paraspinal inhibition, diaphragm doming, and release of the abdominal ganglia. While all of this assists in breathing and stooling issues, over a period of several days his mother notices that his heart rate and blood pressure change in a normalizing direction immediately after each treatment, with a generalized improvement continuing until the next treatment, when it normalizes further.
Readings
1. Which of the following is an explanation as to why OMT might help to reduce blood pressure?
2. A patient reports chest pain that is on the Left sternal border and radiates up the neck. Upon examination of the spine, in which of the following segments is this patient likely to have a somatic dysfunction?