Communication for osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT): the language of lived experience in OMT pedagogy.

Questions about the scientific merits of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and the search for consistent, effective teaching methods for OMT persist in the discourse of the osteopathic medical curriculum. Although grounded on scientific principles, the philosophy of osteopathic medicine in the words of Andrew Taylor Still, William G. Sutherland, and other prominent osteopathic medical scholars advances concepts in metaphoric language that may seem obscure and dated to many of today's students. Evidence in the literature of osteopathic medicine supports the congruence of phenomenology with the philosophy and methods used to teach OMT. Phenomenology offers an alternative paradigm to address questions of scientific merit and could provide a consistent language to a rigorous, scientific approach to communication for OMT pedagogy. The authors propose a solution for the tactical adaptation of a communication strategy based on an interpretation of osteopathic medical methodology and phenomenology.

An electromyographic study of elbow motion during postexercise muscle soreness.

Postexercise muscle soreness was induced in the elbow flexors of human volunteer subjects through the use of a regimen of eccentric contractions. Physical examination before and 48 h after the exercise included measurements of range of elbow motion at the elbow and of arm diameter. Electromyographic (EMG) observations, utilizing fine wire electrodes introduced into each of the elbow flexors, were carried out before and 48 h after the exercise. These observations included resting EMG levels, EMG activity under various isometric loads, and activity during active and passive extensions. The soreness induced was accompanied by a reduction in resting elbow angle while the subjects stood with arms relaxed at their sides, decreased range of both flexion and extension of the elbow, and swelling of the arm. EMG measurements showed no increase in EMG activity as the sore arms were extended passively at the elbow, indicating that the extra resistance to extension associated with the soreness was not a result of stretch receptor-induced activity in the flexors. The results rule out the possibility that neuromuscular activity is responsible for the restriction of motion and are consistent with the idea that edematous changes within the perimuscular connective tissue alter the elastic behavior of the muscles and cause restriction of motion.