Whitehorn's Angle, by Dr. Ogi Ressel
May 24 2009, 1:32 pm
Warm hellos to everyone!
Many doctors want to know how to be able to quantify and at the same time, how to
be able to measure a patient's level of health expression and project their subsequent
response to your care. Once that is established, how do you then translate this
information into a viable schedule of care? A schedule of care where your patient
will actually recover. And how do you then explain this to this average Earthling in
front of you in such a way that they say to you, their doctor: "I understand. Let's do this!"
Many of you are thinking, "Yea! That is exactly what I need! That is it!!!"
Fabulous! We are on the same page!
Well....there are many ways but let's chat about just one:
It is little known entity which will help you establish all the above - Whitehorn's Angle.
My Pep doctors should all be familiar with it but for those who are not, let me explain:
It is one of those obscure and not much talked about x-ray measurements which I feel
is crucial in establishing the need for care, the response to care, and also the type of
care needed for a particular patient.
Imagine you are looking at a lateral Cervical spine film.
Take a ruler and carefully and precisely, using a soft pencil, draw a line across the
inferior endplate of C2. Now, take the ruler and draw a horizontal line so that it intersects
the previous line you've drawn.
The angle you've formed is called Whitehorn's Angle. The normal measurement should
be 0 degrees. In other words, in a normal case, there should be no angle found - both
lines should be parallel.
You'll notice, however, that the vast majority of patients will exhibit a Whitehorn's Angle
well into the 25 degree range. The larger the numerical value of this angle, the poorer is
the health expression of the individual who has it. What this really measures in the
degree of flexion of C2. If C2 has translated into flexion, the numerical value is measured
negative (-). If C2 is in extension, which is uncommon, the value is then positive (+).
By far, the most common translation you will see is in flexion. So the 25 degree
measurement I've mentioned above will read as: -25.
Why is this so important?
Imagine the brainstem and spinal cord following the spinal canal in a smooth and ideal
17 cm arc. When C2 is in flexion, this smooth curvature is suddenly distorted and
interrupted. The spinal cord and brainstem become "kinked". Not a good thing!
I remember one of my patients: He was 65 or so and while moving his grass one day,
his lungs stopped working and he collapsed. The hospital couldn't figure this out and
after a few weeks on observation, he was sent home with a portable oxygen bottle hooked
up to his nostrils - you've all seen these.
I remember that I used to call it his puppy!
When I examined him, I found his Whitehorn's Angle to be -78 degrees - the highest
I've ever seen! Imagine the pressure on the respiratory centers of his brainstem - no
wonder it was failing!
I placed him under care and when his Whitehorn's Angle measurement decreased to 38*,
the O2 bottle disappeared.
Simple to us as chiropractors, but it profoundly affected his life!
......Just one of the issues I'll be delving into in great detail in my Clinical Seminar on
October 3rd in Buffalo, NY. And if you are not yet signed up for it, what are you waiting for?
We are almost full!
Warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel
Here is your affirmation for this week:
I am flexible and flowing.
I am open to the new and changing.
Every moment presents a wonderful opportunity
to become more of who I am.
I flow with Life easily and effortlessly!
