Hart John, Owens Edward F
Interim Coodrinator of Research, Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic, Spartanburg, SC 29304, USA.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004 Feb;27(2):109-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2003.12.006.
Paraspinal thermography has been used by chiropractors since 1924. One method of its interpretation is with the use of "pattern analysis"-a method that assesses temperature differentials (patterns). This, in turn, theoretically provides information about nervous system function. When a warm back is exposed to the cooler air in the examining room, the skin temperature, in general, drops but the differentials could remain fairly constant.
To determine what changes occur in paraspinal heat patterns when the back is exposed to room temperature.
Observational; measures repeated at 5-minute intervals for 31 minutes.
Thirty subjects were scanned with digital infrared thermographic instrumentation every 5 minutes over a 31-minute period for a total of 7 readings. A computerized calculation of percent similarity between consecutive comparisons of the readings was then performed to determine if and when the pattern stabilized.
Cervical spine temperatures remained constant while lower back temperatures, in general, decreased for the entire 31-minute recording period. Although the results varied among subjects, on the average, the patterns stabilized after 16 minutes.
Once the patient's back is exposed to cooler room temperature, the skin temperature decreases constantly for 31 minutes; however, the pattern becomes stable after 16 minutes. Readings taken for the purpose of pattern analysis during this 16-minute period may be unreliable for some patients. Therefore, a 16-minute acclimation period is recommended. Further research is needed to not only verify this finding with the same equipment in a separate experiment but to verify it as well with other types of temperature instrumentation.
自1924年以来，脊椎按摩师一直使用脊柱旁热成像技术。其一种解读方法是使用“模式分析”——一种评估温度差异（模式）的方法。从理论上讲，这可以提供有关神经系统功能的信息。当温暖的背部暴露在检查室较冷的空气中时，皮肤温度通常会下降，但差异可能保持相当恒定。
确定当背部暴露在室温下时，脊柱旁热模式会发生什么变化。
观察性研究；每隔5分钟测量一次，共测量31分钟。
在31分钟内，每隔5分钟用数字红外热成像仪器对30名受试者进行扫描，共进行7次读数。然后对读数的连续比较进行计算机化的相似度百分比计算，以确定模式是否以及何时稳定。
在整个31分钟的记录期内，颈椎温度保持恒定，而腰部温度总体上下降。尽管不同受试者的结果有所不同，但平均而言，模式在16分钟后稳定下来。
一旦患者的背部暴露在较冷的室温下，皮肤温度会持续下降31分钟；然而，模式在16分钟后变得稳定。在这16分钟内为进行模式分析而获取的读数对一些患者来说可能不可靠。因此，建议有16分钟的适应期。不仅需要进一步研究用同一设备在单独实验中验证这一发现，还需要用其他类型的温度测量仪器进行验证。
