Shambaugh, P., Sclafani, L. & Fanselow, D. (1988). Reliability of the Derifield-Thompson Test for leg length inequality and use of the test to demonstrate cervical adjusting efficacy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 11(5), 396-399.
This article is about manipulative therapy. I choose it for personal reasons. My back, in my opinion, needs chiropractic care and this article evaluates methods chiropractors frequently use to assess whether patients need back adjustment as well as a method of providing that adjustment.
Generally, the article assessed the reliability of the Derifield-Thompson Test for Leg Length Inequality in detecting back adjustment needs, specifically in detecting cervical adjustment needs. In addition, the study attempted to confirm that the Pierce-Stillwagon cervical adjustment method is effective in that it corrects for Leg Length Inequality hereafter referred to as LLI. The results of the study were said to confirm the reliability of the Derifield-Thompson Test but not to have demonstrated the cervical adjustment efficacy of the Pierce-Stillwagon procedure for reducing leg length inequality, this as a result of methodological problems.
A key term used in the study was Leg Length Inequality (LLI). This term was defined as the number of millimeters difference between the legs at each of three head rotations (head turned to the left, head turned center, and head turned to the right).
Subjects in the study consisted of 26 volunteers, all of whom were first-year chiropractic students. Approximately 38 percent of the subjects had never received any form of chiropractic adjustment; these subjects were assigned to the experimental group that received the Pierce-Stillwagon cervical adjustment method. The remaining subjects were assigned to a control group that received only deep muscle massage.
Leg length inequality (as measured by the Derifie
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