Jean-Luc GUERBET, at the ESO Clinic

Hello, I’m Jean-Luc GUERBET, currently a 4th year student at the European School of Osteopathy (ESO) in Maidstone. You may know me through the ESO, through the Larkfield's swimming club, or you may know my wife, Catherine, a volunteer at the Cobtree nursery, through Westborough or St Simon Stock Catholic School in Maidstone, where our 5 children attend.
Before summer Catherine asked some of you for support with regard to an experiment I am doing, as part of my final year dissertation. The latter is designed to assess whether touching the abdominal region affects the range of rotation of the head.

Lots of people agreed to help at the time and I wanted to thank them very much. Unfortunately I had to delay my experiment from Monday 29th October and I was wondering whether you would be able to participate. 

I need at least 60 people !!!

The experiment takes place at the European School of Osteopathy Clinic (see most recent changes above), 104 Tonbridge road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8SL, United Kingdom. Phone 01622 685 989.

You can choose the time which is most convenient for you through this booking system. The experiment should take approximately 30 mn. 

You can have more information with regard to what you will be asked to do at the lower end of this webpage.

Unfortunately you can’t take part in this experiment if you are already a patient at the ESO Clinic and currently receiving treatment (does not apply for ESO students).

This is also the case if :
- you are not above 18 years old,
- you have been diagnosed with a pathology involving your neck,
- you currently have a blocked temporo-mandibular joint (can’t open your mouth),
- you currently suffer from neck pain,
- you have symptoms in your arms/forearms/hands such as pins and needles, tingling, numbness, weakness or pain, which are affected by neck movement (released or made worse).
- you have a headache when attending the experiment.

Or if during the last month :
- you suffered from High (more than 140/90) or Low Blood Pressure (less than 90/60),
- you experienced dizziness or light headedness,
- you have had a trauma to your head / neck, or a whiplash injury, following a Road Traffic Accident,
- you have had teeth removed,
- you have had a Cerebro-Vascular Accident (stroke) or a Heart attack.

For the purpose of this experiment, you will be asked to :
- Complete a questionnaire (which will contain some personal and medical information) and undergo 3 tests (Blood Pressure, Vertebro-Basilar Insufficiency test and Jugular Venous Pulse test), so that we can make sure it is safe for you to take part in this experiment, and sign a consent form,
- Have the back and abdomen bare for the duration of the experiment,
- Have your Neck and your Back assessed for restriction of movement and “tightness” (this should be painless, should take about 10-15 mn and would be done by the first researcher),
- Change to another experiment room with a new practitioner,
- Have a helmet fitted onto your head. For this reason, you should wear your hair down. The helmet will allow pictures to be taken (which will allow the measurements of cervical rotation) and to allow a weight of one pound to be positioned onto the helmet, both of which should be painless.
- Lie down on a treatment table for 10-15 minutes,
- Have your head gently rotated to both sides until end range of movement (physiological barrier) for a few minutes, which could possibly give some discomfort, that normally should be short lived,
- Allow pictures to be taken for the recording of the rotation of the head (those pictures will remain confidential and only the top of your head will be seen),
- Put one hand on the different areas indicated by the practitioner and have a 2 pounds weight put onto it,
- During the recording of the pictures you will be asked to keep as relaxed as possible and not to move.

Your involvement in the study is entirely voluntary and as such you have the right to withdraw from the experiment at any time and for any reason, without justification and without any consequences.
Any information given will remain confidential and anonymous to everyone but the experimenters, and will be published anonymously.

If you wish to participate to this research project, please follow the next steps. Should you need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 07570 050 377.

You can also forward my email to your friends, if you think they could participate as well ! (i need at least 60 people !!)

Thank you very much for your time and for your help. This will be greatly appreciated ! 

Kind regards,
Jean-Luc GUERBET