Palpatory phenomena in the limbs: A proposed mechanism
International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine Share
Practitioners described as «cranial» osteopaths and «cranio-sacral» therapists routinely observe palpatory phenomena within the limbs of patients and use these findings to inform diagnosis and treatment. As current anatomical knowledge is unable to explain this, it is hypothesized that cyclic changes in vascular volume (Traube–Hering–Mayer waves) alter the tension in associated myofascia and create patterns of motion that are palpable. These patterns result from the helical alignment of collagen fibers and may be altered by pathologies, such as «repetitive strain injury» and «tennis elbow,» reverting to normal following successful treatment. (This is an abstract. To view full article, you will need to log in.) More