Vascular Dysfunction of the Lymphatic/Venous System Following Humeral Fracture
This patient had a very hard fall onto pavement on the 24th of December, 2010. She was admitted to emergency a day later with intense pain and immobility of her entire right upper extremity. She was diagnosed with a mild fracture of the head of the humerus and was given a sling, pain medication and anti-inflammatory’s and sent home to recover.
She presented in my office on the 4th of January. She was visibly trembling, in obvious severe pain and somewhat apprehensive about what I was about to do. Given the circumstances only a partial evaluation was possible, as she could not move her arm or allow much in the way of manipulation of her upper extremity. And I should point out that I was unable to view her arm because she had it in a sling, under her sweatshirt. I was able to see her hand which stuck out from the lower edge of her clothing and it was completely black, with yellowish green streaks.
She also exposed the top of her shoulder so I could see the bruising there, but I was unable to view any other part of her arm. Fortunately with the newest form of FCS (Fascial Counterstrain) the treatment of vascular dysfunction does not require that much in the way of positioning the body for successful treatment. The patient can pretty much stay in what ever position is the most comfortable. Given the severity of injury and the amount of bruising and swelling, we treated the lymphatics of her trunk and shoulder, and then switched to treating the arterial fascia (Tunica Adventitia) of the upper extremity.
The following Vascular dysfunctions were treated with Strain and Counterstrain for the Lymphatics (-LV) and Arterials (-A). Right Lymphatic Duct (DUC-LV), Right Internal Jugular Vein (IJ-LV), Medial Transverse Cervical Lymphatics (MTC-LV), Lateral Transverse Cervical Lymphatics (LTC-LV), Posterior Axillary Lymphatics (PAX-LV), Anterior Axillary Lymphatics (AAX-LV), Cubital Lymphatics (CUB-LV), Radial Vein (RAD-LV), Supra Scapular Artery (SUPRA-A), Thyrocervical Trunk (TCT-
A), Axillary Artery – Pectoral Branch (AXLP-A), Brachial Artery (BRA-A), Radial Recurrent Artery (RADR-A), Radial Artery (RAD-A) and Ulnar Artery (ULN-A). No other interventions were used.
The pictures below were sent to me by the patient a fews days after I saw her. Her husband took the first picture a couple of days before she came in, on the 2nd of January, 2011. The second picture was taken 2 days after she was treated with Strain Counterstrain on the 6th of January, 2011. The results are simply amazing. Have a look below.
I should explain a little bit about what I believe to have happened in this case and why I chose to call it lymphatic/venous insufficiency. Obviously there was significant trauma, a fracture, a severe contusion and hematoma on her right posterior lateral forearm and at some point perhaps a vascular rupture (superficial interosseous artery?). The subsequent spasm in the arterio-fascia, periosteum and myo-fascia, which is connected to veins and all of the surrounding fascial structures, muscles, bone, etc, created a myo-fascial spasm that is capable of partial or even complete occlusion of the return vessels.
This of course causes fluid retention or swelling. It is not so much the tissue damage that causes this swelling as it is the spasm that blocks the return vessels from draining the area. The fact that the bruising never made it to the main thoracic duct on the left side of the body, as evidenced in the pictures, indicates to me the trauma only affected the water shed drained by the right lymphatic duct. Fascinating!
Vascular (Tunica Adventitia) fascial spasm often causes a spasm of both the venous and arterial tunica media and the lymphatics. Thus you get a general myofascial disturbance locally wherever the tunica adventitia is in spasm, a lymphatic dysfunction that is partially rooted in the trauma and secondarily in the fact that the veins are at a severe disadvantage when the adventitia has provoked vascular spasm thus reducing the diameter of the vessel lumen. And so the lymphatics are simply overrun and can’t keep up with the fluid that is being pumped in at high pressure.
If you look closely, you can see a marked reduction in the amount of edema and the size of her upper extremity post treatment.
Taken on 1/2/2011 about 36 hours before treatment with strain counterstrain for the lymphatic and arterial systems
Taken on 1/6/2011 about 48 hours after treatment with strain counterstrain for the lymphatic and arterial systems.