Martin Descarreaux1, Claude Dugas2, Julien Treboz3, Charlène Cheron4, François Nougarou5. 1. Full Professor, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec. Electronic address: Martin.descarreaux@uqtr.ca. 2. Full Professor, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec. 3. Enseignant, Domaine des sciences cliniques et examens du patient, Institut Franco-Européen de Chiropratique (IFEC), Toulouse, France. 4. Enseignant, Domaine d'intégration des savoirs et savoirs faire en chiropraxie, Institut Franco-Européen de Chiropratique (IFEC), Toulouse, France. 5. Postdoctoral Fellow, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Transfer capability represents the changes in performance in one task that result from practice or experience in other related tasks. Increased transfer capability has been associated with expertise in several motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate if expertise in spinal manipulation therapy, assessed in groups of trainees and experienced chiropractors, is associated with increased transfer capabilities. METHODS: Forty-nine chiropractic students (fifth- and sixth-year students) and experienced chiropractors were asked to perform blocks of 10 thoracic spine manipulations in 3 different conditions: preferred position and table setting, increased table height, and unstable support surface. Spinal manipulations were performed on a computer-connected device developed to emulate a prone thoracic spine manipulation. Thrust duration, thrust force rate of force application, and preload force were obtained for each trial and compared across groups and conditions. RESULTS: Results indicated that both expertise and performance conditions modulated the biomechanical parameters of spinal manipulation. Decreased thrust duration and increased rate of force application were observed in experienced clinicians, whereas thrust force and thrust rate of force application were significantly decreased when task difficulty was increased. Increasing task difficulty also led to significant increases in performance variability. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study suggests that when instructed to perform spinal manipulation in a challenging context, trainees and experts choose to modulate force to optimize thrust duration, a characteristic feature of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation. Given its known association with motor proficiency, transfer capability assessments should be considered in spinal manipulative therapy training.
OBJECTIVE: Transfer capability represents the changes in performance in one task that result from practice or experience in other related tasks. Increased transfer capability has been associated with expertise in several motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate if expertise in spinal manipulation therapy, assessed in groups of trainees and experienced chiropractors, is associated with increased transfer capabilities. METHODS: Forty-nine chiropractic students (fifth- and sixth-year students) and experienced chiropractors were asked to perform blocks of 10 thoracic spine manipulations in 3 different conditions: preferred position and table setting, increased table height, and unstable support surface. Spinal manipulations were performed on a computer-connected device developed to emulate a prone thoracic spine manipulation. Thrust duration, thrust force rate of force application, and preload force were obtained for each trial and compared across groups and conditions. RESULTS: Results indicated that both expertise and performance conditions modulated the biomechanical parameters of spinal manipulation. Decreased thrust duration and increased rate of force application were observed in experienced clinicians, whereas thrust force and thrust rate of force application were significantly decreased when task difficulty was increased. Increasing task difficulty also led to significant increases in performance variability. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study suggests that when instructed to perform spinal manipulation in a challenging context, trainees and experts choose to modulate force to optimize thrust duration, a characteristic feature of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation. Given its known association with motor proficiency, transfer capability assessments should be considered in spinal manipulative therapy training.
Authors: Michel Loranger; Julien Treboz; Jean-Alexandre Boucher; François Nougarou; Claude Dugas; Martin Descarreaux Journal: J Chiropr Educ Date: 2015-08-13
Authors: François Nougarou; Isabelle Pagé; Michel Loranger; Claude Dugas; Martin Descarreaux Journal: BMC Complement Altern Med Date: 2016-06-02 Impact factor: 3.659