Proposing a new algorithm for premanipulative testing in physical therapypractice

摘要

In the field of physical therapy, there is debate as to the clinical utility ofpremanipulative vascular assessments. Cervical artery dysfunction (CAD) risk assessmentinvolves a multi-system approach to differentiate between spontaneous versus mechanicalevents. The purposes of this inductive analysis of the literature are to discuss the linkbetween cervical spine manipulation (CSM) and CAD, to examine the literature onpremanipulative vascular tests, and to suggest an optimal sequence of premanipulativetesting based on the differentiation of a spontaneous versus mechanical vascular event.Knowing what premanipulative vascular tests assess and the associated clinical applicationfacilitates an evidence-informed decision for clinical application of vascular assessmentbefore CSM.