Clinical Research Directory

Use of Ultrasound Imaging in Confirming Osteopathic Spinal Diagnosis

In the field of Osteopathic Medicine, diagnosis of potential areas of dysfunction are diagnosed by the physician using their hands and expertise in noticing subtle differences in symmetry, tone, swelling etc.. In this study, we propose the use of ultrasound, which is a non invasive imaging technique that requires no radiation exposure, to confirm the diagnosis made with the physician's hands. We believe this will add a layer of objectivity to this diagnosis, in that you have numbers that have been measured to back up the diagnosis made based on feel. In this study, we can confirm whether or not these differences felt are true from an objective standpoint. We will compare patients with dysfunction palpated on manual exam to those with no palpated dysfunction in terms of their median asymmetry when measured using musculoskeletal ultrasound.