HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Masneri, D. A. Articles by Levsky, M. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Masneri, D. A. Articles by Levsky, M. E.

From the Department of Emergency Medicine (Drs D.A. Masneri, Helphenstine, Miller, and Levsky) and the Department of Family Medicine (Dr S.M. Masneri) at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Tex.

Address correspondence to David A. Masneri, DO, Department of Emergency Medicine, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, 36000 Darnall Loop, Fort Hood, TX 76544-5095. E-mail: david.masneri{at}amedd.army.mil

Spinal manipulation, as practiced by US-trained osteopathic physicians, is a safe and effective method of resolving patient pain and encouraging desirable physiologic improvement— often without pharmacologic intervention. Though novices, laypeople, and other clinicians also use manual techniques with similar goals in mind, their results are varied and sometimes dangerous to those they would help. The authors describe a case in which a layperson attempted spinal manipulation on a 20-year-old woman who later required a chest tube thoracostomy and hospitalization as a result of a pneumothorax. Osteopathic physicians are encouraged to consider patient risk factors for pneumothorax as a contraindication for the use of thoracic thrust techniques.